Paris, Jul 19 (IANS): Athletes from around the world have begun arriving at their “home away from home” for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, as the Olympic Village officially opened its doors in the French capital.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach welcomed some of the 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.
Additional athlete villages in Châteauroux, Lille, Marseille and Tahiti will also host those competing in shooting, basketball (preliminary round), handball, sailing and surfing, thr organisers said.
Bach was at the opening of the Olympic Village, along 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, as he praised the facilities that will be 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 serve as home for athletes during the Games, featuring 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, aiming to create an environment where athletes can focus on their competitions.
Athletes can relax and communicate with each other at the Village Club 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, with the site's housing, shops, public facilities, workplaces, and green spaces set to meet the long-term living needs of 6,000 residents and provide jobs for 6,000 people.
The new neighborhood 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 neighborhood shops.
The Village has also been designed to adapt to climatic conditions, with plants and water in public areas aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change in the future.
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11. The Paralympic Games will then run from August 28 until September 8.