Preparations for the Paris Olympics stepped up a gear on Saturday as security teams scoured the banks of the River Seine ahead of Friday's opening ceremony and top International Olympic Committee officials met in the French capital.
Police with sniffer dogs checked the 6-kilometer route along the Seine for the ceremony in which around 6,000 to 7,000 athletes will sail on nearly a hundred barges and river boats in front of 300,000 spectators.
French police will be bolstered by colleagues from several other countries, including Spain, Britain and Qatar.