The health of athletes is, of course, the primary concern. As the events take place in the heart of the metropolis, pollution is being closely monitored. To counteract potential problems, innovative solutions have been found.

In beautiful Paris, pollution kills 8,000 people annually. Air quality could impact the performance of athletes participating in the impressive sporting event held in France. Experts are worried, especially since the Olympic Village has been constructed near a heavily trafficked highway.

Jean-Baptiste Renard, CNRS Research Director: "It’s madness. It’s total madness. This is not a good place to build an Olympic village. That’s clear".

To improve air quality, purifiers have been installed. The engineer behind the technology is Jerome Giacomoni. He claims that the huge machines successfully filter pollutants from the air.

The idea of large-scale air purification originated from Jerome’s hobby: hot air ballooning. While the balloon is in the air, it absorbs pollutants from the surroundings. Since the balloon is visible to at least 400,000 Parisians throughout the city, its creator thought of using it also as a... warning device.

Derek Van Dam, CNN correspondent: "If the balloon is green, we don't have to do anything. If the balloon is orange, it’s a warning for Parisians to take additional precautions. But if the balloon turns red or purple, then it’s time to act".

In the Olympic City, these five devices filter over 50% of the air pollution, but their range is limited to a few dozen meters. Authorities say they will keep them even after the departure of the more than 14,000 athletes housed here.

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