More than half a million Paris Olympics tickets are still unsold - including the 100m finals - even though they're cheaper than London 2012

More than half a million tickets are still available for the Olympics, just days before the opening ceremony in Paris. 

Organisers have confirmed between 500,000 and 600,000 tickets are still to be sold, including for the men's and women's 100m finals, even though they're cheaper than at London 2012 when allowing for inflation. 

Some 4,000 are still available for the opening ceremony on Friday, reported The Telegraph, albeit they are in the priciest categories of £738 and £2,300.   

But despite fears of empty seats in big stadiums, Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet has dismissed suggestions it is because there is a lack of interest in the event in France. 

The three-time Olympic champion canoeist instead claimed there were still hundreds of thousands of tickets available because some had been held back until the seating plans had been finalised. 

'In total at the beginning, we had 10 million tickets but we took 20 per cent of the total numbers in contingency,' he said. 

He said 'new ticket opportunities' had been released in the last six months and 'that's why we still have tickets available one week before because now we now have the final plan of the delivery'.

A record 8.8million tickets have been sold for the Olympics in Paris so far, with Mr Estanguet arguing they had already met their income target.   

Most of the unsold tickets are for the football games, while cycling, swimming, rowing, rugby sevens, and other athletics finals still have seats available. 

There has also been backlash over the decision to hike the cost to use the Metro with tickets to use the city's underground nearly double the price while the Olympics and Paralympics is on. 

A single ticket has risen from €2.15 to €4, which will be in place until September. 

Mr Estanguet said: 'The reason behind this price was because we had to reinforce the transport plan during the Games by 15 per cent more than is usual for this time of year.'

It comes as French trade unionists are threatening to bring chaos to the Paris Olympics as dancers signed up to perform filed a strike notice just one week before the opening ceremony, citing low pay and 'glaring inequalities in treatment'.

With just a week to go until the lavish boat procession down the River Seine, available tickets cost between £700 and £2,200, with hospitality packages more than £3000.

Such figures for a ceremony lasting less than four hours have incensed the unions, who say that profits are not being shared with ordinary workers.

Many of the 3000 dancers, acrobats and actors who will contribute to the show are working for exceptionally low wages, or even for free, with a union representing the performers saying hundreds of them were recruited under 'shameful conditions'.

A spokesman for France's Union of Performing Artists said today: 'At this very moment, dress rehearsals for the ceremonies are underway, and we regret to have to announce the filing of a strike notice for the show on July 26, 2024, as well as for the next rehearsals of the opening ceremonies of the Paralympic Games.'

It is the latest catastrophe facing Games organisers in the French capital who are already contending with heightened security and environmental concerns, not to mention a French government gridlock after hotly contested elections gave no party a clear majority.

The union has attempted to negotiate with the private firms organising the Olympics opening ceremony, highlighting 'questionable practices, glaring inequalities in treatment, and a lack of social dialogue during the preparations for the ceremonies.'

Many show dancers were recruited 'under shameful conditions, or without payment,' said the spokesman.

It comes as other unions threaten similar strike action during the ceremony, which is expected to be attended by up to 600,000 people.

Pay rates for the evening range between the equivalent of around £50 to £1400 for entertainment professionals.

Hundreds of volunteers earning nothing at all will also be on duty throughout the evening.

The performers' union is part of the CGT Confederation of General Workers, which represents the largest number of state employees across France, and it has filed a strike notice covering the entire Olympics and Paralympics.

CGT spokesman Céline Verzeletti said: 'The advance notice covers all employees in the health sector, local authorities and the state.'

Police trade unionists are being given a bonus of up to £1700 to try and prevent them from withdrawing their labour during the Games.

Games organisers told MailOnline: 'Paris 2024 takes the working conditions of all those contributing to the success of the Games very seriously.

'We have been in touch with Paname 24, our service provider responsible for recruiting the dancers for the opening ceremony, in order to confirm the level of employment conditions in effect.

'Paris 2024 has verified that Paname 24 has strictly followed the law when applying the collective bargaining agreement that applies to the dance profession. Further, the dancers' remuneration is above the minimum levels established by their collective bargaining agreement.

'Paris 2024 and Paname 24 are committed to continuing collective discussions; we are involved in regular dialogue with the SFA-CGT union and have every intention of continuing to do so.'