France President Emmanuel Macron said that France was ready to host the Paris Olympics as he visited the Athletes’ Village four days before the Games.

He said: “We are ready, and we will be ready throughout the Games.

“We have been working on these Games for years now, and we are at the start of a decisive week, which on Friday will see the opening ceremony and then the Olympiad, which will be held in Paris, 100 years since the last one.”

He added: “This is the fruit of an immense amount of work which has profoundly changed the country, in particular the area” of Seine-Saint-Denis, where the Athletes’ Village is situated.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach also visited the village to the north of the French capital, where thousands of athletes and officials are arriving, with up to 14,500 expected there at the peak of the Games.

The complex, which consists of 40 different low-rise housing blocks, was constructed using innovative construction techniques involving low-carbon concrete, water recycling, and reclaimed building materials.

It was also intended to be free of air conditioning with a natural cooling system, but some Olympic delegations are unconvinced and have ordered around 2,500 portable cooling units for their athletes.

The poorest area in France, Seine-Saint-Denis, is hoping to benefit from the Olympic sports extravaganza.

Macron pledged that after the Olympics, people would remember the area, saying
“I will come back after the Games to see the legacy with you and to see how life has changed.”