Paris: As the Olympic Village officially opens in the French capital, athletes worldwide have begun arriving for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
President Thomas Bach of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) welcomed the first early arrivals.
Approximately 10,500 athletes from the territories of 206 National Olympic Committee (NOCs) and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team will compete in the Games, with the majority staying in the main 54-hectare Olympic Village, located on the banks of the River Seine in the north of the host city.
The organisers said additional athlete villages in Châteauroux, Lille, Marseille and Tahiti will also host those competing in shooting, basketball (preliminary round), handball, sailing, and surfing.
Bach attended the opening of the Olympic Village with Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet and IOC Coordination Commission chair Pierre-Oliver Beckers Viieujant.
The IOC president welcomed some of the athletes as they were entering the Village and attended the NOC Chefs de Mission meeting.
“Finally, we are here,” he said, praising the facilities available to athletes during the Games. “It has been a long journey these seven years, but it has been a hugely rewarding one thanks to our friends at the Organising Committee under the leadership of Tony Estanguet and his team, who have worked closely with our IOC Coordination Commission under the leadership of Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant. We have a wonderful Olympic Village, and all the ingredients for a great Olympic Games are here.”
The Olympic Village will be home to athletes during the Games. It features a 3,200-seat dining hall, a 24-hour gym, a 3,500-square-meter polyclinic, and a small supermarket.
To ensure the facilities meet athletes’ needs, the Paris 2024 Athletes’ Commission invited representatives from five continents to provide feedback during the planning and construction phases. The aim is to create an environment where athletes can focus on their competitions.
At the Village Club, athletes can relax and communicate with each other while watching Olympic broadcasts. The “Athlete 365 Space” offers information on IOC support programs, enhancing awareness on issues such as anti-doping and match-fixing. Elections for the Athlete Commission members will also be held here.
After the Games, the Village will become part of the surrounding region of Seine-Saint-Denis. The site’s housing, shops, public facilities, workplaces, and green spaces will meet the long-term living needs of 6,000 residents and provide jobs for 6,000 people.
The new neighbourhood will feature 2,500 new homes, a hotel, student residences, approximately seven hectares of gardens and parks, 120,000 square meters of offices and city services, and 3,200 square meters of neighbourhood shops.
The Village has also been designed to adapt to climatic conditions, with plants and water in public areas intended to mitigate the effects of climate change in the future.
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11, and the Paralympic Games will run from August 28 to September 8.
–IANS
