Ahead of the commencement of the much-anticipated 2024 Olympic Games, the athletes village officially opened in Paris on Thursday to welcome its first residents as crews from Australia, Brazil, Argentina, and Kenya arrived at the village.
The athletes village, which is located in the north of Paris, encompasses an area of about 54 hectares (about 540,000 square metres) and can house nearly 14,500 people, including 9,000 athletes, at its maximum.
Thomas Bach, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, was in attendance for the opening ceremony of the village, along with Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and IOC Coordination Commission Chair Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant.
“Finally, we are here. It has been a long journey these seven years, but it has been a hugely rewarding one,” Bach remarked. “We have a wonderful Olympic Village, and all the ingredients for a great Olympic Games are here.”
“The venues are not only breathtaking; they are of the highest standard. You feel how the enthusiasm in France is growing, and I hope you have the same feeling,” the IOC President added.
The village contains an estimated 80 buildings, including a 3,200-seat dining hall serving different food from different cultures around the world, a 24-hour fitness centre, a 3,500-square-metre polyclinic, a multi-faith centre, and a mini-market.
“It’s a Village that was built by athletes, for athletes,” Laurent Michaud, director of the village, said. “We’ve been able to provide all these services in an optimal way so that the athletes have only one thing to do, and that is to focus on their competitions.”
The 2024 Olympic Games will begin on July 26 and end on August 11, as about 10,500 athletes from 206 national Olympic committees around the world and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team will compete in 329 events in 32 sports.
