sport news Olympic organisers urged to scrap 'RECKLESS' plan to have 10,000 athletes sail ... trends now

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Olympics organisers have been urged to scrap their ‘reckless’ plans to hold the opening ceremony on the River Seine, with some teams said to be considering advising their athletes not to attend because of security fears.

This summer’s Games is due to be the first to stage the ceremony outside of a stadium, with 10,000 athletes set to sail down the Seine on boats in front of 300,000 ticketed spectators watching on from the banks.

However, despite 45,000 police officers being deployed on the night of July 26, security concerns have been heightened in recent weeks.

The French government raised its terror alert warning to the highest level following the Moscow concert hall attack in March, while the Islamic State group threatened to target last month’s Champions League quarter-finals, including one in Paris.

Now an influential athlete pressure group has called for the Games opening ceremony to be moved to the Stade de France, insisting the unprecedented open-air event puts competitors at ‘unnecessary risk’.