The athletes are arriving. The quality of the water in the Seine is improving. "Paris is the first priority," said Estanguet, head of the Paris Olympics, at a press conference. "We are ready as we enter the final phase. Paris is ready. The city is ready. Although not a day goes by without complaints from residents and shopkeepers," he added.

"Until the closing ceremony is finished, we must remain vigilant. However, today we are exactly where we dreamed of being a few years ago. The final phase is upon us. Thousands of athletes will descend on the Parisian capital and, fortunately, the weather is improving after so much rain. This will help the Seine to flow better and give the organisers a new boost after all the controversy.

"All the indicators for the Seine are positive at this stage," added Estanguet. More than 6,000 athletes are expected to take part in the opening ceremony next Friday. 85 barges and boats will navigate the river.

President Macron later mirrored Estanguet's comments on Monday insisting his nation was ready for the spectacle. "We are ready and we will be ready throughout the Games," Macron said, after visiting the Athletes' Village.

The goal remains to be the first Summer Olympics to open outside the main athletics stadium. Up to 300,000 ticket-holding spectators will watch from the stands and riverbanks. Many others will be in their previously monitored homes.

Quite a spectacle, and one that is likely to grow after Estanguet said on Sunday that around 4,000 tickets were still available for the ceremony. However, it's clear that this is causing a problem. Not everyone sees it in a positive light. The security measures and efforts to control the situation are disruptive. Estanguet adds, "We have always tried to keep the level of ambition as high as possible so that these Games will make France shine."

Security measures in the central areas of Paris, along the river banks and around the Olympic venues, will prevent many visitors from enjoying their stay. Access will be difficult for most people. All of this means that the city's residents and business owners will suffer the unseen side of such a spectacle. 

Trade associations representing Parisian shops, restaurants, bars and clubs complained on Friday that they were facing an "unprecedented drop in business and footfall". They also blamed the "heavy security measures". With more than 45,000 agents and soldiers deployed, the city is off limits to travellers.

"It was always a decision made in full awareness that the success of Paris 2024 would mean having the Games in the city," Estanguet explained. "This was the totally unprecedented concept for Paris 2024," he said. Estanguet went on to justify the situation.

As well as the opening ceremony in the heart of the city, much of the sport will take place in temporary venues around Paris. Beach volleyball will be played on the Eiffel Tower, archery on the Invalides and skateboarding on the Place de la Concorde.

"We can't do it without some disruption. We can't do it without having to limit ourselves," said Estanguet. He addressed some neighbours, thanking them for understanding the situation because "it's about honouring our country in the most beautiful way."

The security operation remains in place because: "It was the number one priority for Paris 2024," said Estanguet. During his speech, Estanguet recalled the ongoing cybersecurity efforts, citing last Friday's global IT outage caused by a CrowdStrike software update, which temporarily disrupted the Games' accreditation system.

Similarly, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it was bracing for disinformation attacks targeting the Paris Games, following recent incidents blamed on Russia. This was in response to a near-ban on Russian athletes due to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Tensions also remain over the participation of Israeli athletes due to the conflict in Gaza.

A major French Jewish group also criticised a far-left MP on Sunday for saying Israeli athletes were not welcome in Paris because of the war in Gaza. Yonathan Arfi, head of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (Crif), told X that France Unbowed (LFI) MP Thomas Portes was "putting a target on Israeli athletes' backs".

The exchange of statements continues. Portes had said at a rally in support of the Palestinians that "Israeli athletes are not welcome at the Paris Olympics". Arfi said that Israeli athletes were "already the most endangered at the Olympics".