The Paris Olympics are now less than three weeks away and the pendulum ticks to insurmountable glory. Touted as the biggest sporting spectacle on Earth, the excitement around the games is sky-high. However, right under the brightly shining lamp lies several dark shadows. And any one of these shadows, if allowed to expand, might well see a catastrophic culmination to the sporting gala. Well, for starters, Paris is running a high risk of security and extraneous threats. According to a survey by Dragonfly, the possibility of terror attacks in Paris is marked as ‘severe’. 

Adding to the fear, a theft of possible security documents from a Paris Town Hall was reported recently. Although it turned out to be a false alarm, in an attempt to thwart any possible dangers, airports will remain shut and movement of traffic will be heavily restricted on the opening day of the event. But sadly, this is just the tip of the iceberg. 

Paris Olympics ravaged by controversies

While the authorities are busy sealing their security loopholes, permanent holes in the environment are threatening to damage the happy charade of the games. As per official estimates, around 2 million international spectators will flock to Paris during the games. While this can be great news for the economy, the rising carbon emissions can spell doom for the ecosystem. For the record, 311,000 metric tons of carbon were emitted in the London Olympics. 

But that number rose dramatically in 2016 when the emissions were recorded at 1.72 million metric tons. Thus, with so much air travel involved, Paris is staring at a possible all-time high carbon emission during the one-month period. And to make matters worse, the plan to build a 9-ton aluminum tower for the judges has been met with significant protests. Locals and surfers have stated that such a structure could permanently damage the corals. A petition against the construction has garnered 239,000 responses till now. 

Now, if the environmental threat is looking menacing, underpayment of labor is another dark chapter building up to the Olympics. As per reports, workers were handed a wage of $86.7 daily without a week off. In addition, back in April, the eviction of migrants from their camps drew huge criticism, as it was termed as ‘social cleansing.’ 

Moving on, the participation of countries at war also threatens to mar the overall game experience. Athletes from Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, and Israel will compete together, which might lead to diplomatic tension among the countries. Well, while it might seem like the list of problems is done, it is not. There are two more major issues that might result in the downgrade of the Paris Olympics. 

Murky waters of the Seine and Toyota’s discontinued fund might cost the IOC dearly

The Mayor of Paris had to publicly announce swimming in the Seine to prove the authenticity of the water! This proves the extent to which the controversy regarding pollution has permeated. According to testing reports from Eau di Paris, the waters of the Seine recorded high levels of e-colli for three weeks straight. Fortunately for the authorities, a fourth test has brought good news as the waters have been deemed fit for swimming. But even after the glimmer of hope, authorities are wary of the fact that Seine can once again become unfit for swimming. 

Lastly, Toyota, who signed a whopping deal of $835 million, has decided not to continue with its funding. The Japanese company has expressed its dissatisfaction with the way the IOC handled its funds for promoting the athletes and the sports. Thus, ravaged by problems, it is only the sport that can save Paris and the Olympics as a whole. An individual brilliance, a fiery dash, will once again reignite the interest and send the problems flying into oblivion. But otherwise, this could well be a major downfall of the games, with Los Angeles potentially becoming a mountain to climb in 2028.