Emmanuel Macron and Tony Estanguet inaugurate Paris 2024 Athletes' Village
France President Emmanuel Macron and Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet have inaugurated the Olympic and Paralympic Village alongside Olympic champions Marie-José Pérec and Brahim Asloum. With 82 buildings housing 3,000 apartments and 14,250 beds, here's everything you need to know about where the stars will stay in the City of Light this summer.
The wait is over for thousands of athletes eager to see where they will stay in Paris for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Following the inauguration ceremony today (Thursday, 29 February), the world's greatest athletes are now set to enter its boulevards, buildings and bedrooms on 12 July ahead of the Olympic Games (26 July – 11 August) and the Paralympic Games (28 August – 8 September).
In total, around 15,000 athletes from around the world will stay in the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Village, which is conveniently located on the banks of the River Seine between Saint-Denis, Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine and the Île Saint-Denis, in the north of the French capital, a short distance from the Stade de France.
“We are, I am, proud of the work you've done, within budget and on time," Macron told workers, via Reuters.
"Our athletes will be able to experience the Games in the best conditions and you contributed to changing the lives of the inhabitants of the area. You are part of an adventure that will mark our century.
"What has been done on time and within budget as we finalise the reconstruction of Notre Dame is nothing short of remarkable," he added.
“We will welcome the world here, to a place that showcases the best of France,” said Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet.
“We're filled with emotion and look forward to seeing the transformation of the village, with 200 delegations, 10,000 Olympic athletes and 5,000 Paralympic athletes.”
Based on the concept of heritage, the Athletes' Village is centred around five residential areas and will provide all the necessary services for athletes competing at the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer.
Paris 2024 Athletes' Village: Adapted residencies
Each apartment has between one and four bedrooms with bathrooms and living areas coming as standard. Within each building, athletes will benefit from housekeeping services, laundry facilities as well as resident and multi-faith centres.
At the end of Paralympic Games, the apartments, which will each be used to house between two and eight athletes, will be handed back to the city.
Away from the living quarters, athletes are set to enjoy a wide variety of catering options with several on-site restaurants accommodating various dietary requirements. The main restaurant, which will have space for a staggering 3,200 diners, will be open 24 hours a day.
And that’s not all. To make sure athletes are in top shape as they vie for medals, the Athletes' Village also includes seven training sites, a polyclinic and a village club.
The inauguration of the village was also attended by several stars of French sport, including Brahim Asloum, who won boxing gold for France at Sydney 2000, judoka Aurélien Diesse and three-time Olympic champion in athletics, Marie-José Pérec.
“The village is the first place you visit.. it stays in the memory of any athlete”, said Asloum, reflecting on his own memories of the Games.
“It’s a real pleasure to be here on this important day,” added Diesse, who has been selected to compete for France in the -100kg category at Paris 2024 and grew up in the same district as the Athletes' Village. “The village will soon be our home, in a few months from now, so it’s nice to see that the area is taking shape. And as it does, the image of the Games is taking shape in my mind.”
Pérec spoke about the importance of the location of the village for athletes competing at the Games. “80 per cent of the events will take place within 10km of the village and that is amazing,” she said.
The Paris 2024 Athletes' Village in numbers
- 82 residential buildings
- 45,000 keys
- 3,000 apartments
- 7,200 rooms
- 14,250 beds for the Olympic Games
- 9,000 beds for the Paralympic Games
- 14,250 blankets, bedside tables and reading lights
- 8,200 fans
- 5,535 sofas
- 7,600 drying racks
- 1,681 shelves
- 10,879 chairs
- 3,200 seats in the main restaurant
- 40,000 meals served every day
Village des athlètes. JO de Paris 2024.
The Paris 2024 Athletes' Village calendar
- July 12: Pre-opening of the Athletes' Village for the Olympic Games
- July 18: Opening of the Olympic Village
- August 13: Closure of the Olympic Village
- August 14-17: Transition from the Olympic Games to the Paralympic Games
- August 18: Pre-opening of the Athletes' Village for the Paralympic Games
- August 21: Opening of the Paralympic Village
- September 10: Closure of the Paralympic Village
- November 1: The Athletes' Village is handed over to the city