Paris, Aug 29 (IANS): In recognition of his unstinting support for the success of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the President of France Emmanuel Macron has been presented with the Olympic Order by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach. The prestigious award was presented to Macron at an official ceremony held at the Elysée Palace in Paris on Wednesday.

The award was presented to him for his attachment to the Olympic ideal dear to Pierre de Coubertin. This distinction pays tribute to his untiring engagement and vision for the Olympic Games, which made the edition in Paris an unforgettable event and a symbol of the unity of humankind.

Upon being elected in 2017, Macron threw his full support behind Paris’s candidature to host the Games in 2024. During his first visit to the IOC in Lausanne, Macron not only expressed his support but also demonstrated his deep understanding and unique vision for the Olympic project. He recognised the considerable potential of the Games to unite France and inspire the world.

“The first time we met, it was very quickly clear to me that President Emmanuel Macron was bringing a particular energy and vision to this project,” IOC President Thomas Bach recalled. “He did not just support the candidature; he embraced it wholeheartedly”.

“He knew every detail of the project and always saw the Olympic Games Paris 2024 as a unifying project, using the power of sport to bring the people of France together, and in so doing, uniting the whole world.”

Despite the political challenges and risks inherent to a project of this scale, President Macron could see beyond the candidature itself. His leadership was decisive in bringing together the public authorities at every level, transcending political differences and creating a unique political unity around these Games in Paris.

“You were the driving force which brought together the public authorities at every level and from every political background around this Olympic project,” the IOC President stressed during the ceremony. “Your tireless energy and the unifying power of sport produced a truly magical occasion.”

One of the most striking examples of this cooperation was the organisation of the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, an unprecedented event in the heart of Paris. An idea put forward by the IOC that President Macron, in agreement with the Organising Committee and the French authorities, turned into a spectacular reality, with a ceremony along the River Seine featuring iconic monuments like Notre-Dame, the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. This historic moment focused the eyes of the world on Paris, France and the Olympic Movement, thus becoming a symbol of unity and peace.

“Your unfailing commitment and attention to detail bore fantastic fruit,” President Bach added. “The world witnessed a historic Olympic event with a truly spectacular Opening Ceremony.”

Macron also supported the peace mission of the Olympic Games at a time when the IOC was facing numerous attacks and boycotting threats related to the participation of all athletes regardless of their nationality.

“You have always respected our mission to bring the world together in peaceful competition,” Bach added. “Your approach based on always respecting the peace mission of the Olympic Games greatly contributed to enabling us to bring together the athletes from the territories of all 206 National Olympic Committees and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team at the Olympic Games Paris 2024,” he observed.

Upon receiving this distinction, President Macron said: “You are doing me a great honour by presenting me with this Order, and recognition which goes to France. [...] Together, we made a wonderful success of these Games. Thank you for this honour. [...] Your words about the organisation of the Olympic Games are not for one person but for the commitment of a whole nation. [...] It was a human collective that was involved for seven years. But it got involved first because of your trust in us. And so I shall respond to your thanks with my own sincere thanks, as without the trust of the IOC, its members, its administration and all the teams, without the constant, demanding yet sympathetic work over seven years, we would never have been able to accomplish all this.”