Return to Transcripts main page
One World with Zain Asher
"Coordinated Sabotage" Targets Train Lines In France; Paris 2024: Opening Ceremony Going Ahead As Planned; Rain Likely At Olympics Opening Ceremony In Paris; Harris Wins Backing Of Barack And Michelle Obama; Gender Equality Reached For First Time In Olympic History; Team USA Heavy Favorites, But World Is Catching Up; Aired 12-1p ET
Aired July 26, 2024 - 12:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:42]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher. Bianna us off today. You are watching ONE WORLD.
The hunt is on for whoever attacked and disrupted train service in France. All of this coming on one of the biggest days in modern Parisian and French
history, the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games held for the first time outdoors on the River Seine. It is just 90 minutes away and the
weather forecast, by the way, isn't great either.
Authorities say the show will go on even as they scramble to try to figure out who was behind what they're calling coordinated sabotage on French rail
networks.
The source tell CNN that French intelligence services are, quote, fully mobilized to find those responsible. At the same time, the state railway
says that hundreds of thousands of travelers are being affected.
And the Eurostar is urging people not to travel.
Let's go live now to Paris where we find CNN's Melissa Bell.
The Eurostar, as I understand it, Melissa, has canceled about a quarter of their trains. They're urging people not to travel. Just explain to us at
this point, you know, just what the scale of the disruption is and -- and where police are in terms of trying to figure out a possible motive here.
MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well as you mentioned a moment ago, it is not just travel inside France, but in and out of
France, there's been heavily disrupted as a result of this sabotage.
What we understand from rail authorities is that in the east of the country, where they say part of those sabotage attempts were foiled.
They're managing to get rail lines functioning again. But a lot of people are having to be moved around the country in buses.
And, Zain, people being urged not to travel at all. In fact, that the station behind me, the (INAUDIBLE) assure a while ago they were announcing
to travelers that they encouraged them to go home and not attempt to travel again before Monday, which gives you an idea of how great they expect these
disruptions to be.
They're also, Zain, impacting the Olympics themselves since what we understand from rail authorities is there were four trains carrying Some of
the athletes hoping to take part in the ceremony. They were due to arrive in Paris. Two weren't able to travel. One is being prepared. The other was
canceled entirely. So there may be athletes who simply don't make it as a result.
But it is at the broader disruption to the whole of the country that authorities are extremely worried about and working fast to try and fix.
There's also, as they've been announcing political leaders and question of the French image. This is, after all, part of the -- this is the moment
when the world's eyes are on France. That there should have been this level of disruption just hours before the ceremony impacting the ceremony itself
is, of course, to them hugely regrettable.
As far as the investigation goes, we know that the prosecutors are on it already collecting evidence.
And when you look at a map of France, and where this sabotage took place, highly coordinated, very strategic since it was clearly designed at the key
points where it took place to cripple any travel traffic coming in and out of Paris, specifically and of course with the timing of it just hours ahead
of the opening ceremony. There's no doubt about why it took place when it did. It was clearly intended to impact the games.
For now, though, they're not giving anything away in terms of their leads, potentially. Although we have heard from a security source speaking to CNN
that these are the tactics that have been used by the far left in the past.
Remember, Zain, that this is a country facing particularly difficult political turmoil at the moment. The left-wing alliance that won the last
parliament election, have been deprived of the right, but they believe is there to name the prime minister.
However, authorities are very clear that there is nothing, so far, to link the far left with these attacks and all the leads are being investigated,
Zain.
ASHER: All right. An important point to end on. Melissa Bell live for us there. Thank you so much.
All right. Beyond today's news is important to remember what the Olympics are really about showing the world you're the best in your sport.
These two American athletes certainly fit the bill, tennis star, Coco Gauf and the basketball legend, LeBron James. They'll be carrying the flag for
team USA in the opening ceremony.
Wait until you see Coco's reaction to receiving that particular honor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[12:05:03]
CHRIS EUBANKS, AMERICAN TENNIS PLAYER: You captured the world by storm. You captured your first grand slam. I think you kind of showcased to the world
in the U.S. and abroad, you know, how special of a person and tennis player you are.
And I think because you are so special, you have the honor of wearing this jacket during the opening ceremony and being a flag-bearer with LeBron
James.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's go, Coco.
(CHEERS)
ASHER: Let's go, Coco. She was then given the official flag-bearer's white jacket.
Coy Wire is in Paris covering the Olympics joins us live now. I mean her face -- her face when Chris Eubanks told -- I mean, she just was so
startled. It was adorable.
And, you know, you have to remind yourself that she's just 20 years old, you know. She's just 20 years old. And the fact that she missed the last
game. She missed the last games in Tokyo because she got COVID, obviously, a huge honor for her to be here in this way today.
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes. And she couldn't even believe it, Zain, that -- she said, there's no way they're going to -- they -- each team had
to vote someone from their team to be captain. And she said why are we doing this? No one's going to pick a tennis player. It's never been done
before for team USA, and there she is. She turned 20 just a few months ago.
And as you mentioned, catching COVID just before she was getting ready to head out to those Tokyo games in 2021, she missed the games. Her heart was
broken.
Now, she's worked her way up to be the world number two, having won her first career grand slam last year, being chosen by her peers to be the
flag-bearer to represent the U.S. means everything to her.
And it's also extra cool that it's alongside one of her idols, she said, LeBron James.
I asked her about the big moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COCO GAUF, AMERICAN TENNIS PLAYER: Once I got told that I was going to be flag-bearer, I -- obviously, you could see by reaction. I was just shocked
and I didn't really know what to say.
I think a lot of people were laughing at me saying, oh, because I really didn't know what to say.
WIRE: And then -- and then what happened? What type of emotions were you feeling when it started to sink and what had just happened?
GAUF: It took a while for it to sink in. I still haven't really sunk -- like sunken in. I mean, so many people are coming up to say
congratulations, not just from Team USA, but from other sports and countries as well.
So I don't think it -- I don't think it will until maybe honestly like a year from now or something because I think it's just going to be one of
those things that you're like, I can't believe I just did that type thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: Now, Zain, one other fun thing to think about, this is LeBron's fourth Olympics. His first was in 2004. That's the year Coco Gauf was born.
So this huge age gap, USOPC CEO, Sarah Hirshland, says that the flag- bearers alone for Team USA example by how diverse the team is here in Paris.
And this is the first ever Olympics all nations combined, 50/50 men and women competing. So incredible moment.
One more note from my conversations with Coco Gauf. The word on the street is she is dominating the Olympic village. Pin collecting is a big part of
the Olympic Games. You have pins representing your nation or your team.
And, apparently, she gets like 30 of them per day. She just has them like looks like Flavor Flav out there with all kinds of pins.
But I was able to give her one of these. We have our own CNN pin, Zain. I'll have one for you too, make sure you get one.
ASHER: Please. Please.
WIRE: So you and Coco could be matchy-matchy.
ASHER: By the way, I can't get over the fact that she was born in 2004. I was in my prime in 2004.
WIRE: Oh, come on girl. What? Shining bright. You get the gold medal. Let's go.
ASHER: Coy Wire live for us there. Thank you so much. We're going to see you at the top of the hour. We've got a special coverage from Paris, Aiming
for Gold. Coy, good to see my friend. Thank you.
WIRE: You too.
ASHER: The weather may put a damper on what will be the first Olympic opening ceremony on water. Forecast is predicting heavy rain later on
Friday. That means the estimated 300, 000 people lining the River Seine will likely get drenched.
To meet all of this, Dereck Van Dam joins us live now with it. Sorry. I completely butchered your name there. Derek Van Dam joins us live now with
the forecast.
What can we expect in Paris, Derek?
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I was just commenting on Coy the charmer there. He's always successful with that.
I look -- Zain, I don't want to rain on his parade or anybody's parade tonight. But the reality is that the opening ceremonies are hugely
dependent on the weather.
I was in Paris a couple of weeks ago to talk to Meteo France. And they are the National Forecasting Committee that advises the international Olympics
committee on incoming severe weather, And whether it'd be extreme heat, lightning, heavy rainfall.
And we got a behind-the-scenes kind of tour with the meteorologist, the weather forecasters there, on what they'll be doing on days like today with
impending weather that could impact specific events.
What you're looking at, at your T.V. screen there is a mobile weather radar. It's like street level radar, very high resolution. They have
brought that into the city of Paris, placed it strategically near the event site, particularly the opening ceremonies.
[12:10:12]
And this will give them minute-by-minute updates on where that rain and potentially lightning could be impacting these opening ceremonies, for
instance. And it's so incredibly crucial because they then advise the International Olympic Committee on whether or not there should be delays or
perhaps even cancellations or calendar adaptations is what they called it.
So really neat behind the scenes look with those weather forecasters who are so crucial, this cog in the wheel of how the larger Olympics unfold.
But tonight, will it rain? That's the big question on everyone's mind. And you saw on some of the live shots we've had so far people holding
umbrellas. The rain has arrived and it will likely pick up an intensity later this evening just in time for that opening ceremony to begin on the
River Seine, which of course is an outdoor stretch, six kilometers along the river that could be impacted by the rain.
The current radar shows a batch of rain. It might come to an end for a brief minute or two, perhaps an hour or so. And then it's very clear, our
computer models that we have here in the CNN weather office, show this batch of precipitation that's going to move in could become light to
moderate at times.
And some of the models we're looking at show or call for about 15 millimeters or a half an inch of rainfall. That is far from a light
sprinkle.
And remember, the performances with the opening ceremony require dry stages. The performers need to stay dry because they don't want to slip
during their performance. So this could complicate things.
And then you've got to think about the River Seine and it's the flow of the river as well. Too much rain could cause a current. And you've got all
those athletes on boats, could be a recipe for a problem. Time will tell.
Zain?
ASHER: So there are logistical challenges, but no amount of rain is going to keep people away. I understand that.
VAN DAM: One hundred percent.
ASHER: Hundreds of thousands of people are going to be lining the River Seine. So it's --
VAN DAM: Including our own Coy Wire.
ASHER: Yes. It's going to be a stunning spectacle. Everyone's excited to watch.
Derek Van Dam, live for us there. Thank you so much.
VAN DAM: All right.
ASHER: All right. Let's get some insight now on what might be a raining -- rainy opening ceremony. We're joined live now by Ed Hula, journalist and
founder of the "Around the Rings" Olympics news outlets.
Ed, thank you so much for being with us.
So these opening ceremonies are effectively going to transform Paris into a stunning outdoor stadium. Just explain to us what we can expect in terms of
the lavish nature, the lavish spectacle of the ceremonies today.
ED HULA, FOUNDER, AROUND THE RINGS: Well, certainly the most lavish part of it is the idea of a flotilla carrying the athletes in the parade of nations
that we usually see them walk around the stadium and takes about two hours to do.
I imagine it's going to take the same amount of time, but it's going to be pretty spectacular to see these athletes waving to the fans and spectators
on the banks of the River Seine.
I think it's going to be raining. I poke my head out to see the door of the main press center here. And it is dripping right now. And it's probably
going to get worse as we heard.
But the backdrop will be the Eiffel Tower with the Olympic rings on it. The fireworks at the end will be a dramatic display.
We've got -- we've not actually not received very much information about the ceremony beforehand, like we have in games past.
So there's a bit of secrecy still involved with exactly what we are going to see.
But guaranteed, Paris, the Eiffel Tower, the River Seine with 10,000 athletes, I think we've got the recipe, at least, for spectacular ceremony.
ASHER: I mean, yes, the recipe for something incredibly magical.
Just in terms of, you know, how much pressure that there can be on a host country to deliver something extremely unique and world-class.
I mean, just talk to us about the preparations, because the opening ceremonies really set the tone and the tenor of what the games will be. And
there's often a blend of the national character in there -- in there as well.
I mean, you talked about obviously the Eiffel Tower. But there are going to be a lot of sort of French themes that we're going to see today as well.
HULA: And that's very typical of every opening ceremony. It includes the flavor of the host nation. And France, with its rich cultural heritage, has
got so much to display, whether it's art, whether it's music, whether it's theatre, food. I imagine those are all the things that they'll be paying
homage to during the ceremony this evening.
It takes four or five years of planning to get these ceremonies organized. I think they probably started on this 2018 or so. Just a year or so after
Paris was awarded the games. And they've been working on it ever since.
And that's typical of other organizing committees, the way they stage their game, their opening ceremonies. And it is, as you say, a lot of pressure.
It's the most critically watched portion of an Olympic Games. And it sets the mood in the press, in the public, as how the games will proceed over
the next 17 days.
[12:15:20]
ASHER: So six years of planning, approximately. I mean, you imagine that the organizers thought that they had literally thought about everything
when it came to sort of overcoming logistical challenges, security challenges.
And, yet, you know, here in the U.S., we woke up this morning to the nightmare about the rail travel and the sabotage and the arson attacks.
Just give us your, I mean, this is just -- it's just not what I expected to see in the papers when I woke up this morning, just in terms of reading
about the opening ceremony and preparations for the games. Just give us your take on how Paris is handling this.
HULA: I think they're handling it pretty well. I mentioned there's a lot of disappointed people who have been caught in the delays by these trains,
people holding tickets, athletes with plans to go to Paris to be in the parade of -- parade of nations floating down the river.
There is some disappointment, but I think the city's handling it pretty well. We'll see what kind of crowds there are along the banks of the river
this evening.
But usually, we have difficulties, problems with the Olympics, but some days into the games, not often do we have this kind of problem occurring on
the -- on the day of the opening ceremony. Complications for the ceremony are outside influences are pretty rare.
ASHER: Yes. First time we've seen, you know, this sort of outdoor opening ceremony. First time we've seen this kind of attack on the scale, on the
day of the ceremonies, and just a lot of first, but it is going to be a stunning spectacle, no doubt about it when we see -- when we see the
opening ceremony start just a couple of hours.
HULA: We don't know exactly what's going to happen with it. I think one of the big secrets tonight is who's going to light the cauldron.
ASHER: Right.
HULA: And my odds are with Marie-Jose Perec, the gold medalist for France in the 1996 Olympics, fastest woman on Earth at that time.
But she's considered one of France's greats in athletics. And my money is on seeing her light the cauldron in about three hours' time.
ASHER: We can't wait to watch. We're watching very closely indeed, how exciting we're going to see over the next month and a half or so.
Ed, we have to leave it there. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.
All right. Still to come. Everyone wants to know if Celine Dion will be singing at the Paris opening ceremony. CNN has been talking to the head of
Paris 2024 about that and the historic summer games. They're also coming up a little bit later on this hour as well.
Plus, official say a man has been arrested for allegedly setting a massive fire in California. A closer look at the damage the blaze has caused next.
And Kamala Harris gets the backing of one of the biggest names in the Democratic Party. We'll tell you what it means when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:20:54]
ASHER: All right. You are looking at a massive fire raging in Northern California. The park fire has burned more than 160,000 acres, damaged a
number of structures and forced evacuations since it ignited on Wednesday.
Three firefighters have been injured in the fast-moving blaze, which is now California's biggest fire of the year. Conditions for fire crews are
expected to remain difficult as wind gusts linger in the area. A man accused of starting the blaze has now been arrested.
The Israeli Prime Minister is meeting former President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. The meeting comes a day after Netanyahu
met the U.S. sitting president at the White House.
Joe Biden urged Netanyahu to get a ceasefire and hostage release deal done.
Presumptive Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, who also met Netanyahu on Thursday, expressed support for Israel while saying she will
not be silent about the suffering in Gaza.
Vice President Harris also picked up a big endorsement for her presidential run earlier this morning, Barack and Michelle Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: I can't have this phone call without saying to my girl, Kamala, I am proud of you. This is
going to be historic.
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We call to say Michelle and I couldn't be prouder to endorse you and to do everything we
can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office.
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Oh, my goodness. Michelle, Barack, this means so much to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: With Friday's announcement from the Obamas, it seems every prominent Democrat in the country is now backing Harris.
Meantime, Donald Trump's campaign team may be taking note of the way Harris appears to be connecting with younger voters.
Trump recently posted on TikTok a short time going right after Harris. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You've been terrible at everything you've done. You're ultra-liberal and we don't want you here.
We don't want you anywhere.
Kamala, you're fired. Get out of here. You're fired.
(CHEERS)
ASHER: And Trump is casting some doubt on whether he will debate. Harris' campaign said on Thursday that he won't agree to a debate until after
Harris has been formally nominated at the Democratic Convention.
Harris responded by asking what happened to any time, any place?
Republicans led by House Speaker Mike Johnson have questioned whether their move to replace Joe Biden with Kamala Harris is legal. That prompted CNN to
survey election officials in all 50 states to see if Harris would have problems getting ballot access.
Forty-eight of the election officials responded to the CNN request, and all of them said there are no laws or regulations that would stand in Harris'
way.
Two states did not reply to CNN's request.
Meantime, Harris has yet to reveal who she might pick as a running mate. But the vetting and polling is underway. We're learning that she's expected
to make the announcement in less than two weeks.
The top contenders include North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.
Kelly attacked the Republican pick for Vice President J.D. Vance on Thursday, slamming his opposition to Ukraine aid and his stance on
abortion.
Kelly says he's worried about his daughters and granddaughters, right? If Trump and Vance are elected in November. We have so much to talk about on
the political front.
Let's welcome the White House Bureau Chief for "The Washington Post," so to say, Toluse Olorunnipa. Toluse, thank you so much for being with us. So
grateful to have you.
I think it's been a while since we've had you on the show. So grateful to see you.
Just in terms of a potential debate, let's start there. Potential debate between Harris and Trump. We don't necessarily know if it's on the cards.
Obviously, Kamala Harris is eager to debate Trump.
Just explain to us between the two of them who has the most to lose if the debate goes forward.
TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA, WHITE HOUSE BUREAU CHIEF, THE WASHINGTON POST: Well, it's clear that Trump has the most to lose at this point because he is not
the one with the momentum.
We look back a month ago when there was a debate between Trump and Biden. We saw that Biden was the one that had the most to -- he was someone who
people were looking at to -- wondering whether or not he would be able to stand up to Trump. Whether or not he'd be able to stand toe-to-toe with his
adversary and put together a cohesive argument for why he should be president for another four years.
[12:25:11]
Now, we're already seeing Kamala Harris make that argument, unify the Democratic Party behind her, get a lot of the momentum. And so, the
question is whether or not Trump can perform and stand toe-to-toe with Kamala Harris, the prosecutor, the senator who has a history of grilling
people like Trump in political settings.
And so, Trump is someone who is wondering whether or not it makes sense for him to debate or whether or not it makes sense for him to just continue to
make his case before these rallies of people that support him and not come under the hot seat of being prosecuted for all of the things he says.
ASHER: Just in terms of the sorts of attacks we've seen former President Trump hurl at Kamala Harris. I mean, it's everything from she's radical,
she's ultra-liberal, you know, San Francisco liberal. Some of the Republicans are calling her -- I've heard she's crazy. She's -- have you
seen her laugh?
I mean, it doesn't seem as though anything is really sticking at this point. What do you make of the level of sort of attacks that the Trump team
Trump are firing her way?
OLORUNNIPA: Well, Zain, it's important to note that the Trump machine, the Trump campaign, was oriented against Joe Biden. They were created and the
machine was completely manufactured to take on Joe Biden.
And so when Biden stepped aside, they had to figure out how to compete against Kamala Harris. And they have been fumbling and struggling, trying
to find the right argument against her.
We just heard Donald Trump, you know, talk about her laugh, talk about her being crazy, talk about, you know, mispronouncing her name and trying to
otherize her. They haven't really been able to find a clear argument.
We are -- we are starting to see that develop. And the last couple of hours where, you know, the Republicans are really trying to hone in on her record
as a senator, her record as a candidate for president in 2019, when she started to embrace them far left ideas that she hasn't embraced as vice
president. And so they are starting to hone in on policy.
But the big question, the big challenge is that even as Republicans want to talk about policies, Donald Trump is someone who talks about personal
character. He's the one -- he's someone who brands people with nicknames. He's someone who goes after people on personal matters.
And so I wouldn't be surprised if -- even if Republicans want to be talking about policy and branding Harris as this liberal former senator. Donald
Trump is going to be talking about things that are dog whistles and that refer to her race and gender and name and background. And even questioning
whether or not she is legally valid to be on the ticket.
And so those are the kinds of things that Donald Trump is going to be talking about, whether or not Republicans, at large, can put together a
more cohesive and coherent and persuasive argument for why she should not be president. That remains to be seen.
But Donald Trump is at the top of the ticket. And I expect him to lead the charge of how to attack Kamala Harris.
ASHER: One major challenge that Kamala Harris faces now is really just how to unify the Democratic Party when it comes to the war in Gaza.
I mean, the Democrats are just -- they're not singing from the same hymn sheet when it comes to this war. Some of them are against the war. Some of
them obviously want to cease fire. Some of them support Israel, but at the same time do not support Netanyahu.
It just sort of seems as though there's such a lack of cohesion among them. How does she unify her party on that front?
OLORUNNIPA: Well, she had an opportunity to start that process yesterday when she sat down with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel, and then decided
to speak to the reporters after that meeting.
Joe Biden also had a meeting with Netanyahu, but he did not have a conversation or a statement.
And so one of the things that we saw in Kamala Harris' statement is that she said, I will not remain silent. It was very interesting that she used
the pronoun I and she talked about how it was important to remember the suffering of the people of Gaza.
She was not making a break from the Biden administration when it comes to policy. She's pushing for a ceasefire and pushing for this negotiated
settlement between Hamas and Israel, but she was able to talk about it with more empathy. Talk about this plight and the suffering of the Gaza
population with more empathy than Joe Biden has.
And that's something that people in the Democratic Party that have been calling for Biden to stop weapons shipments to Israel and speak about the
situation in Gaza with a more heartfelt tone.
They noticed that. Their ears perked up. At the same time, they do want Harris to make a more clear break with the Biden administration's policy of
funding this war.
And so people will be watching very closely to see how she navigates this being vice president to
someone who has a certain policy while also creating her own pathway on this very thorny, very complex issue.
It's one of the biggest challenges that she's faced thus far in her campaign. And it's going to continue to be a challenge over the next 100
plus days as she tries to bring the party together.
ASHER: And with Harris at the top of the ticket, what are the Dems' chances in terms of taking back the House? Just what effect does she have on the
down ballot races?
[12:30:05]
OLORUNNIPA: It seems like she's energizing the groups that are important for Democrats. The constituencies like young voters, like women, like
minorities in different groups in different states.
And so she seems like she's energizing the party, bringing in a lot of money. And whether or not she's able to keep that up over the next three
months, that remains to be seen. But House members are excited.
They were demoralized two weeks ago when they were thinking about Joe Biden's candidacy. So just the energy and the enthusiasm that she's brought
into the race can be worth a couple of points for some of these close House races, these close races in Congress.
Now, it's important to also note that senators who are on the ballot had been doing pretty well, even with Joe Biden on the ticket. They had been
outperforming Joe Biden. And so they're also breathing a sigh of relief that they don't have to answer these questions about whether Joe Biden
should step aside or stay in.
And so it's like, at the very least, Kamala Harris has unified the party, has energized the party, and made it easier for some of these congressional
races for these candidates to focus on their race and not focus on what people are going to be asking them about the topic of the ticket.
ASHER: Yes. And one of the things that the Trump campaign has to get used to is the fact that the attention is no longer on them, at least for the
time being, a lot of the focus, a lot of the energy in the media, et cetera, is focused on Kamala Harris.
Just before I let you go, obviously, we're talking a lot on this program about the Olympic Games and about what's happening in Paris and about the
opening ceremony.
Just talk to us about who you are most excited to see.
OLORUNNIPA: Well, I'm really excited to see that the women's sprints.
ASHER: OK.
OLORUNNIPA: Sha'Carri Richardson is -- has this redemption story where she's trying to go back and win gold after not being allowed to compete
several years back. She's been doing very well in the preliminaries.
But the Jamaicans are also very strong. And so I'll be looking at that rivalry between the USA and Jamaica and any other country that wants to
compete in the women's sprints. So they're always really electrifying races. And so I'll be watching very closely to see how they turn out.
ASHER: I mean, the Jamaicans are such formidable opponents. But who doesn't love Sha'Carri Richardson, right? So I'm going to be watching that race
very closely.
But I'm also a huge gymnastics fan. I'm going to be very focused on Simone Biles as well.
Toluse, so good to see you. Always good to have you on the program. I hope to have you back again soon. Thank you so much.
All right. Just ahead on ONE WORLD, a river parade and gender equality as well. We'll look at why the Paris Olympics are being called historic.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:35:08]
ASHER: All right. Welcome back to ONE WORLD. I am Zain Asher.
More now on our top story. French intelligence services are searching for the source of the attacks on France's railway network. This follows what
officials are calling coordinated sabotage on the train lines including arson just hours before the Olympic opening ceremony in Paris that's going
ahead as planned in about an hour.
You can see people are finding a way into Paris despite the train problems. These are pictures of buses heading into the city even as authorities
scramble to find people who are behind the train attacks.
Global superstars could also be part of the opening ceremony as well. Lady Gaga, just one of the expected headliners for the big event in the coming
hours and excitement is building.
Not least because of reports that Gaga and Celine Dion are actually expected to perform a classic French ballad made famous by French cultural
icon Edith Piaf.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: This is video of Celine Dion greeting fan, signing autographs in Paris earlier this week. My colleague Amanda Davies asked the head of Paris
2024 whether Celine will sing but he has been playing it cool. They're staying mum on that one.
While we wait to see the stars, the 2024 Olympic Games are celebrating another landmark moment and that is gender equality.
The Paris games are the first Olympic history to see an equal split of male and female athletes competing for medals.
When women first debuted in the Olympics in the year 1900, less than three percent of the athletes were female.
And CNN's Amanda Davies joins us live now from Paris.
So at 1900, three percent of the athletes' female. We have certainly come a long way. Gender equality is a huge theme this time around, Amanda.
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: Yes, it is. I'm afraid it's even worse than three percent. It was 2.2 percent back in 1900s.
And you have to ask the question, why on earth has it taken so long to get to this point the first ever time at an Olympic Games we will have the same
number of female as male athletes?
Well interestingly, there's a famous quote from the man known as the founding father of the Olympic movement, Pierre de Coubertin. He was
actually born here in Paris which very much adds to the, not irony, but meaning of this moment.
He went and asked why women would be competing at the games or why wouldn't they? He said, they would be impractical, uninteresting, unaesthetic and
improper.
So you can only imagine what he would make of this moment. And it's a particularly proud moment for a four-time Olympian who helped team USA to
goals in ice hockey, Angela Ruggiero. She's a former IOC executive board member, former head of the athletes' commission who really, for the last
decade, has been pushing this movement forward.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELA RUGGIERO, FORMER OLYMPIAN: This sort of monumental Olympics, again, it's the beginning of the Olympics. We haven't been truly equal. And
hopefully, the world celebrates. It's one of the biggest sports events in the world, if not the biggest sports event in the world.
And you have equal male and women not just walking but selling, right? That commercial value that it brings. It sends a really positive signal for a
number of reasons.
So, should we have been here sooner? Absolutely. But I think in the last decade really you've seen an enormous amount of advancement. And you have
to have leaders that say we want it and I think we're there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVIES: You have to have leaders and you have to have the athletes and so many of them are going to be on display, displaying their incredible
talents over the next couple of weeks.
[12:40:08]
We've got the likes of Femke Bol on the track. We've got Simone Biles, of course, with that incredible comeback. So many of us thought we might never
be seeing her again at an Olympic Games after the disappointment, that brave decision she took in Tokyo in 2021.
Katie Ledecky. And a huge lot of excitement around Ukrainian high jumper, Yaroslava Mahuchikh, with everything that she and her teammates have been
going through in the last couple of years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
She came here to Paris and two weeks ago broke a 30-odd year old world record in the high jumper and is very much a favorite to take the gold in a
couple of weeks time.
ASHER: Yes. And it really does give you pause, Amanda, just to think about how far we have come since 1900. I mean, you said -- I think you said, 2.3
percent or 2.2 percent.
To 50 percent, I mean that is -- that is incredible, even though, yes, it did take a very long time.
Obviously, whenever there are Olympics, there's a lot of focus on the host nation. Just talk to us about what hopes the French have in terms of
nabbing gold this time around.
DAVIES: I think it's fair to say their high hopes --
ASHER: OK.
DAVIES: -- as is always the case. You know, from the moment that a city gets awarded in Olympic Games, there's always an investment into that
country's athletes and sports.
The women's football team got off to a winning start as they took victory in their opening game yesterday or on Friday.
Antoine DuPont is a name that if you don't know about him, you are very much likely to hear about over the next couple of days. Widely regarded as
one of the greatest rugby players ever. He made a controversial switch. He was the captain of the rugby 15's team. Didn't compete in the Six Nations
earlier this year because he saw the value of this moment to be able to represent his country at an Olympic Games in the sevens tournament.
France didn't qualify for the rugby sevens from the men's side in Tokyo last time out and he is certainly living up to his side of the bargain.
He scored what proved to be the winning try yesterday against Argentina in front of 80,000 fans helping them into the semi-final which takes place
tomorrow Saturday. So high hopes for him.
Leon Marchand in the pool looking to win France's first Olympic gold for 12 years.
And, of course, we have to mention Victor Wembanyama, who's made such waves in the NBA, but here representing France going up against so many of his
NBA friends and teammates.
ASHER: All right. Amanda Davies live for us there. Thank you so much. And we're actually going to be seeing you at the top of the hour with our very
special coverage, Aiming for Gold. See you in a minute, Amanda.
All right. Up next on ONE WORLD, this might be the best international basketball tournament ever. We'll look -- we'll take a closer look at
Olympic basketball where Team USA faces a new level of competition.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:45:55]
ASHER: All right. He's perhaps best known as the first human being in history to run a marathon in under two hours.
Eliud Kipchoge is hoping to make history again. The Kenyan is looking to become the first athlete to win a third Olympic marathon gold.
We visited him at his training camp as he prepared for what could be his final games in Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Distance running in Kenya is a source of national pride. Kenyan runners have won a remarkable 34 Olympic gold medals.
To put that into context, no other African nation has won more than 30 gold medals across all sports in the history of the summer games.
Today, athletes such as, Eliud Kipchoge, have become global icons, breaking boundaries and reshaping our understanding of human potential. Once again,
history beckons for Kipchoge.
If successful in Paris, a third marathon gold would be an unprecedented feat in one of the blue-ribboned Olympic events.
ELIUD KIPCHOGE, OLYMPIC CHAMPION: I know it'll take a lot both mentally and physically in training. But all in all, that's life. Life actually should
have a purpose. And our purpose is to actually make history and move on beyond history.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The 39-year-old is heading out on a 30-kilometre run. One small step in a much greater effort with the Paris Games on the
horizon.
KIPCHOGE: I've learned that being disciplined actually can propel you to success in sport. Being disciplined can hold you well in life.
I always wake up at 5:45 for the last 22 years. That's what discipline has meant my mind. Because, you know, mind is what drives the body.
I'm getting my mental strength from what I'm doing every day.
In training, If I do all my trainings in a good way, then my mind will actually be calm, no tension at all during the race.
Mental strength is learning as you grow. Success us mastery, just mastering what you're doing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kipchoge has a dedicated group of athletes, support staff, and longtime coach, Patrick Sang, all helping him towards his goal.
Paris is likely to be his last games, with the men's marathon taking place on the 10th of August.
KIPCHOGE: My goal is to win for the third time. I'm really proud to represent Kenya. That's the only way to show my patriotism to my country.
I want to be remembered actually by making this world a running world. I stay motivated actually because I love the sport. I want to use the sport
to inspire the next generation.
And I always say, anybody actually who is not running is a prisoner. And if you want to be really to get the real freedom, just run and feel that
freedom when you are running.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. Live pictures here from Paris. We are just a little more than half an hour away from the start of the opening ceremony for the
Olympics. People are arriving for the celebration which is being held along the River Seine. The first time it's been done anywhere but inside a
stadium.
And one of the most popular sports at the games is men's basketball. But it has really been all that competitive team USA has won the gold in seven of
the past eight Olympics.
And this year's team is loaded with superstars. But as Andy Scholes tells us, the rest of the world is catching up.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS REPORTER: Despite a couple shaky exhibitions against South Sudan and Germany, Team USA is still the team to beat in
Paris.
ANTHONY DAVIS, TEAM USA: Obviously, you know, championship is on our mind.
BAM ADEBAYO, TEAM USA: You can't just win the game on paper. For us, we know we're up against. We know what everybody's going to bring.
STEPHEN CURRY, TEAM USA: The competition and the challenge to win is probably going to be as hard as it's ever been. And I think we're up for
it.
SCHOLES: The US has failed to win gold only three times at the Games. In 1972, they got silver losing to the Soviet Union in one of the most
controversial endings in Olympic history.
In 1988, they again lost to the Soviet Union. And that would be the last time the U.S. used amateur players.
Because in 1992, we had the Dream Team with Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. It was one of the most iconic and dominant teams in sports
history.
The U.S. dominance continued until 2004, but that team, despite having a young LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, and Hall of Famers Allen Iverson and
Tim Duncan just didn't mesh. They lost three games in Athens. The most ever by a men's Olympic squad.
The U.S. finishing a disappointing third place watching Manu Ginobli and Argentina capture the goal.
After that loss, the US re-evaluated how they built the Olympic roster stressing team chemistry as they vowed to not have another poor performance
at the Games.
In 2008, Kobe Bryant led the Redeem Team to an undefeated run to reclaim U.S. dominance. And ever since, it's been nothing but gold for Team USA at
the Games.
But could this be the year the streak of four straight goals comes to an end?
This team has LeBron and Steph Curry playing together for the first time ever.
LEBRON JAMES, TEAM USA: It's fun. You know, we played a game at a higher level but more importantly we just played a game that we loved the right
way.
CURRY: We just want to win gold. I mean whatever that takes. So we always talk about it no matter what your stats are. No matter how many minutes you
play like everybody on the floor commits. You're just doing what your asked to do, we'll be good.
SCHOLES: It also has former MVPs Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid, making this year's roster arguably one of the most talented groups ever.
But the world is catching up. More than 45 NBA players will be competing in Paris. Giannis Antetokounmpo is an Olympian for the first time, leading
Greece to the Games.
GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO, TEAM GREECE: As a team, we are very hungry. The atmosphere is unbelievable. We have nothing to lose. We just got to play
great basketball and go there and give everything that we have.
SCHOLES: Host France have five NBA players on their team, including defensive player of the year, Rudy Gobert and rookie of the year, Victor
Wembanyama.
VICTOR WEMBANYAMA, TEAM FRANCE: I can't wait. It's really a dream for me to be in the Olympics, lifelong dream.
SCHOLES: Serbia has four NBA players led by three-time MVP, Nikola Jokic and the Hawks' Bogdan Bogdanovic.
BOGDAN BOGDANOVIC, TEAM SERBIA: USA is the favorites. It's always, you know, chip on the shoulder playing against USA and every other team.
[12:55:08]
SCHOLES: Australia who just narrowly beat the US in an exhibition game, has eight NBA players and are looking to make some noise.
PATTY MILLS, TEAM AUSTRALIA: Last Olympics, we, you know, won a bronze medal which we call the rose gold -- rose gold game. So we're looking to do
one better there.
SCHOLES: And then there's Canada with a whopping 10 NBA players on their roster led by Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER , TEAM CANADA: It goes to show the growth of basketball in the world, not just Canada or USA or North America, whatever
it is. The world is coming to -- basketball has become a bigger sport. Yes, what the game deserves.
SCHOLES: The U.S. is, of course, the heavy favorites, but this could be the most competitive and entertaining two weeks of international basketball
that we've ever seen.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: And we are just minutes away from CNN's one-hour special program, Aiming for Gold. Join CNN's Amanda Davies, Melissa Bell and Coy Wire, live
in Paris to share all of the excitement.
That does it for this hour of ONE WORLD. I'm Zain Asher. We appreciate you watching.
Special coverage of the Olympics live from Paris is just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
