Paris, in the final stretch and in “sprint” mode: what works are still missing for the Olympic Games Infobae
On July 26, on the Seine River, boats will carry delegations and the first outdoor ceremony in the history of the Olympic Games will mark the beginning of Paris 2024. It will be an unforgettable spectacle, which hundreds of thousands will be able to follow closely and millions will enjoy from home.
Until then, there are just under 200 days left and Paris 2024 is moving through the final stretch, going into “sprint” mode as defined by the organizers. France is preparing to receive more than 10 million spectators (seven million tickets have already been sold) and the works are going as scheduled, although with some delays.
Nicolas Ferrand, the coordinator of the Paris 2024 works, acknowledged that 84% of the work was completed when 89% was planned. The delays are in three specific places: Grand Palais, Colombes and three buildings in the Olympic Village.
Grand Palais will be the venue for fencing and taekwondo events, while the Colombes swimming pool will be used for artistic swimming training. The Olympic Village, meanwhile, will house more than 14,000 athletes and the organization expects to be able to hand over the keys by the end of February.
Une page qui se tourne ???? Depuis mars 2021, le monument a fermé ses portes pour d’importants travaux. Cette année, après avoir reçu @Paris2024, la belle Nef du #GrandPalais sera de nouveau accessible, dès septembre ! Nous avons hâte de vous accueillir !
— Le Grand Palais (@GrandPalaisRmn) January 1, 2024
Très bonne année 2024 ???? pic.twitter.com/4b0bN63I1Z
In the midst of the countdown, last Monday, when the calendar marked that there were 200 days left until the start of the Olympic Games, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, sent a message to society: “This year we have a great national cause: sport”.
With boxing gloves on his shoulder, Macron invited French people to “do at least 30 minutes of sports a day” and stressed: “France will host the most carbon-free Olympic and Paralympic Games in history, Games that comply with the Paris agreements... We are going to organize Games with gender parity. We will have exceptional delegations and I expect a lot of French medals.”
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 8, 2024
The initial budget for Paris 2024 was 4.5 billion euros and, according to Ferrand, there were no major changes and they have more than 50 million to face any setbacks. The next facility to be inaugurated will be the La Chapelle sports center, which will have a capacity for eight thousand spectators and will be the stage where badminton and rhythmic gymnastics will take place.
Another work to be completed is the Aquatic Center, which will receive artistic swimming and diving, while the rest of the swimming will be at Défense Arena, which can only begin its “transformation” for the Olympic Games after May 12, when it will be the last of the four concerts of the American Taylor Swift.
Paris entered the final stretch and faces the last challenges to host the Olympic Games, from July 26 to August 11, and the Paralympic Games, which will take place from August 28 to September 8.
