By Barrie Alpha
Five months before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, all the stakeholders gathered at the Docks d’Aubervilliers in Seine-Saint-Denis to take stock of six years of work and to set out their commitments to ensure that the momentum of the Games does not dissipate once the event is over.
The Paris 2024 Forum brought together Paris 2024 and its stakeholders at the Docks d’Aubervilliers in Seine-Saint-Denis. The aim was to take stock of almost six years of joint action. Five months before the start of the Games, one in two Britons (49%) believe that hosting the 2024 Games will encourage them to take part in physical activity and sport.
This is according to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive for the Organising Committee between 16 and 23 February, 2024. A total of four new aquatic centres, 18 new swimming pools, 24 Games preparation centres and new and renovated local facilities (gyms and stadiums) will contribute to the physical legacy in the Seine-Saint-Denis area. A further 5,000 facilities will be built or renovated between 2024 and 2026.
Since 2018, three million children and young people have also taken part in Olympic and Paralympic Week. This is an annual event organised in all French schools and universities to promote sport and its values. Thanks to the Paris 2024 Endowment Fund created in 2019, Paris 2024 and its co-financiers have supported more than 1,100 social projects for a total of €47.8 million for 4.5 million beneficiaries to promote sport among women and people with disabilities.
The legacy is not just about facilities and buildings. It is also about changing attitudes and habits. To break down barriers and create a more inclusive society, several projects have been launched and will continue after the Games. For example, the CPSF and the City of Paris, with the support of the Paris 2024 Endowment Fund, launched the Inclusive Club.
This has been tested in 30 clubs to develop local sporting opportunities for people with disabilities. The CPSF aims to expand the programme to 3,000 clubs by the end of 2024, with the support of the Ministry of Sports and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
