Riverboat captain honored to sail through Seine for upcoming Olympic ceremony

China

Riverboat captain honored to sail through Seine for upcoming Olympic ceremony

2024-06-19 14:08 Last Updated At：16:07

The challenging endeavor of piloting a boat down the Seine River for the upcoming Olympic Games ceremony is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, said a French boat captain during the second rehearsal Monday.

For the first time in history, the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games will take place outside the stadium. On July 26, over 10,000 athletes from across the world are expected to parade on boats down the Seine River during sunset.

The second rehearsal was initially scheduled for early April but has been delayed until now due to excessive river flow and rapid speed increases caused by bad weather in Ile-de-France, making ship control difficult. The primary purpose of this rehearsal is to determine if these riverboats can complete the voyage within the allotted time.

Michel is the captain of the Senang, a riverboat that is set to participate in the opening ceremony. Speaking from the boat's wheelhouse, he expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the event.

"Piloting a boat is challenging, but it is an experience that we will only have once in our lives as sailors. It makes me feel that I am participating in a great event," Michel said.

The boat captain said that the distance between each vessel should be kept at about 100 meters, not only to maintain accuracy in timing but also to coordinate with the ships before and after. They had received extensive training in communication and protocol before the rehearsal, he noted.

"This task requires utmost accuracy, down to every minute and second, so it is crucial that we know when to accelerate and when to slow down. We maintain constant communication with the staff of the Organizing Committees for the Olympic Games," he said.

"I never thought that one day I would have such a unique experience," he added.

Michel has not yet been informed of which country's delegation will board his ship, but he said that he eagerly looks forward to the official opening day of the Olympic Games.

The Organizing Committees for the Olympic Games have announced that the next rehearsal is expected to be held next Monday.

The Paris Olympic Games are scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 11, with the Paralympics following soon after from August 28 to September 8.

China ramps up response efforts as surging rivers threaten more areas

2024-06-26 22:41 Last Updated At：23:37

China has intensified efforts in flood control and rescue work as rising waters from swollen rivers triggered by days of torrential rain pose a huge threat to people living in flood-stricken areas.

As heavy downpours continued to batter the central and northern parts of east China's Jiangxi Province on Wednesday, the hydrological monitoring center of the Poyang lake, the largest freshwater lake in the country, issued a red alert for rainstorms.

Local authorities have stepped up inspections on dikes to clear up hidden dangers, and spared no efforts to drain floodwater and protect grains from flooding.

The water level of the Xiangjiang River in central China's Hunan Province rose above the alert line on Wednesday due to continuous rainfall. Over 5,200 people in Changsha, capital of Hunan, were dispatched to carry out inspections along the Xiangjiang River and its tributary Liuyang River.

China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters activated a level-IV emergency response to flooding in the province on Wednesday and sent a work team there to assist in local flood prevention efforts.

Heilongjiang Province in the northeastern part of the country also activated a level-IV emergency response to flooding as four rivers in the region were reported rising above alert line due to heavy downpours.

China has a four-tier flood-control emergency response system, with level I being the most urgent response and a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.