Exclusive: Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says terror attacks pushed her to bid for the Olympics

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said on Thursday that the Paris 2015 terror attacks, which left over 100 people dead, gave her the motivation to get the French capital involved in hosting the summer Olympic Games.

Speaking to CNN’s Melissa Bell, Hidalgo said that “in a very strange way,” it was because of the attacks that she “really decided to involve Paris in the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

“We had just been attacked in January, we were attacked again in November 2015 because terrorists hate freedom, our way of life, women’s freedom,” Hidalgo told CNN in an international exclusive.

Hidalgo added that following the attacks, “we had a reaction from the Parisians and French population which was exceptional, great resilience and an incredible ability to say: ‘You will not prevent us from living the way we want to live.’

“That was the reaction of the people of Paris and I said to myself we need to put together an event, a moment, something that unites us, that allows us to be together and show this creativity, this resilience, this taste for freedom and democracy,” she added.

Hidalgo also added that weather could pose a problem to Friday’s Olympic Opening Ceremony if it rains, but she remains optimistic.

“I think the rain will be a problem if we have rain tomorrow because many moments in this show need to be very safe for the dancer and without rain and without water,” she told CNN.

“I think maybe, maybe we will be lucky tomorrow,” she added.

Hidalgo would not confirm rumors that superstars Celine Dion and Lady Gaga may perform at the ceremony.

“It’s a surprise,” she said, hoping that the Olympic Opening Ceremony will boost the public’s enthusiasm about the Games.

Hidalgo last week swam in the River Seine in an effort to demonstrate the cleanliness of the river for the Olympics amid E. coli bacteria concerns.

The triathlon and open water swimming Olympic events are due to take place in the Seine. She called swimming in the river “a dream” because “this river is magical like Paris.”

“Cleaning the Seine is cleaning our life … and cleaning the Seine is for our generation and the next generation.”