Paris 2024 welcomes world’s media for key updates ahead of Olympic and Paralympic Games

The Organising Committee’s President, Tony Estanguet, welcomed attendees. Looking ahead to the Games, he said: “We have the chance to tell stories together in a way that engages the whole world, at a time when people really need to come together.”

Acknowledging the contributions of the media, he continued: “We know the athletes, fields of play, spectators and social media are not the only way to tell the Paris 2024 story. What the athletes and fans also need is you, the representatives of the press, to relay it. We at Paris 2024 value your role immensely, and we are determined to make sure you have everything you need for your upcoming Games-time operations.”

Between 18 and 21 October 2022, the comprehensive agenda allowed the Paris 2024 team to showcase their plans to deliver a new era of Olympic and Paralympic Games, fully embracing the recommendations of Olympic Agenda 2020. This is highlighted by their commitment to delivering the world’s first Games that will make a positive contribution to the climate, reducing emissions linked to the events by 50 per cent compared to previous editions.

Key to achieving this is a cost-effective and compact venue concept – 95 per cent of Paris 2024 venues are existing or temporary. Many of them featured on the World Press Briefing venue tour, including:

• Stade de France (athletics, rugby and para-athletics);
• Olympics Aquatics Centre (swimming, water polo)
• Paris La Défense Arena (swimming, water polo [finals], para-swimming);
• Stade Roland-Garros (boxing [finals], tennis, wheelchair tennis
• La Concorde (basketball 3x3, breaking, BMX freestyle, skateboard street, skateboard park)
• Grand Palais (fencing, taekwondo, wheelchair fencing, para-taekwondo);
• Pont Alexandre III (triathlon, marathon swimming, road cycling, para-triathlon);
• Invalides (athletics [marathon], road cycling, para-archery, para-athletics)
• Arena Champ-de-Mars (judo, wrestling, para-judo, wheelchair rugby)
• The Eiffel Tower (beach volleyball, para-football).

Earlier in the week, the opening Plenary Session took place at Le Palais des Congrès de Paris, which will used as the Main Press Centre during the Olympic Games. This meeting gave attendees an overview of the progress being made by Paris 2024, and updates on a number of topics, including accommodation, accreditation, transport, press and photo operations, while highlighting upcoming key milestones. These include the launch of ticketing and hospitality sales, as well as the opening of the volunteer recruitment process.

Attendees were also provided with an overview of the Ceremonies. During the World Press Briefing, Paris 2024 confirmed plans for the Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony. This builds on the Games slogan – “Games wide open” – and follows the announcement that the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony will be held on the river Seine.

The four days of activities were well received by participants, whoalso included representatives from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Paralympic Committee, the Organising Committees of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 and the Olympic Games LA28. Around 90 representatives from National Olympic Committees and the summer sports International Federations also joined on the ground and remotely.

World Press Briefings in the host cities of the Olympic Games are a key part of the approach taken by the IOC and the Organising Committees for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in their efforts to ensure the athletes' performances are given the attention and coverage they deserve.

The final Paris 2024 World Press Briefing is due to take place later in 2023 with the Olympic Games taking place from 26 July until 11 August and the Paralympic Games between 28 August and 8 September.