ORGANIZERS of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games acknowledged a “shift in approach” as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
At a virtual meeting with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission on Thursday, Paris 2024 organizers said their new approach was partly as a result of a letter from IOC President Thomas Bach in April, when he called on the Olympic Movement to “look more closely at the proliferation of sports events” in future.
The IOC said following the meeting they believed Paris 2024’s preparations were “innovative and responsible,” while they also used the meeting to express to organizers their sympathies for the challenges faced by France as a whole.
Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet echoed Bach’s sentiments following the IOC head’s letter, calling for all parties involved in delivering Paris 2024 to look for “creative and sustainable optimizations,” a vision supported by the Coordination Commission.
Paris 2024 organizers gave examples of measures they had already introduced toward this goal, including reducing the number of beds required in the Olympic and Paralympic Village from just over 17,000 down to 14,000.
“The coronavirus situation has impacted everyone around the world, and our sincere thoughts are with all those affected, particularly in France, which has been hit hard,” IOC Coordination Commission Chairman Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant said. “This makes Paris 2024’s continued progress over the past few months incredibly inspiring.”
“Paris continues to illustrate its determination to deliver an innovative and responsible new model for the organization of the Game. The postponement of Tokyo 2020 to 2021 and the call from our President to look to ‘further strengthen the sustainability and feasibility reforms of Olympic Agenda 2020 with a new phase of the New Norm’ provide the impetus for all stakeholders to take that ambition even further,” he added.
“The Coordination Commission meeting is always a privileged time with Commission members,” Estanguet said. “This moment of exchange allows us to present our latest advances, to challenge and enrich our project in contact with experienced Commission members.”
“Despite the current context, it was important for us to maintain this time of exchange in order to present the latest advances in our project,” he added. “From the start, our common purpose has been to create the Games of a new era—Games that are responsible, sustainable, socially conscious, and open for everyone to take part.”
Organizers updated the Commission on the status of Games-related construction projects, with the commission passing on their congratulations for the awarding of contracts for two Olympic venues to Bouygues in recent weeks, and the start of demolition works on the site of the Olympic and Paralympic Village.
Bouygues was awarded contracts to construct Arena Porte de la Chapelle, a venue that will host the badminton, Para-taekwondo and Para-badminton, as well as the Aquatic Centre, which will host artistic swimming, diving, water polo and swimming.
Paris 2024 organizers also covered the status of the Paralympic Games, the progress of a number of other venues, the unveiling of Paris’s new emblem, the launch of the Terre de Jeux 2024 initiative and the Club 2024 project, as well as giving updates on its legacy and sustainability plans. Insidethegames
Image credits: AP
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