Beach volleyball at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, horse riding at the Palace of Versailles. As far as competition venues go, France is already golden
Beach volleyball at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Basketball inside Concordia Square. Archery inside Hotel des Invalides. Equestrian inside Palace of Versailles. Paris will have some of its main tourist attractions as the backdrop for the next Olympic Games, from 26 July to 11 August 2024.
In line with the environmental agenda that the French government is committed to pursuing, the Parisian capital intends to make sustainability the key word of the next Olympics. The idea is to make the most of what the city already has to avoid building structures that could become “white elephants”, as in the case of the Barra da Tijuca Olympic Park, abandoned since Rio 2016.
At the same time, there is great concern about mobility. The aim is for spectators to be able to reach any event using sustainable transport, which is very desirable in the country which promises the end of petrol and diesel cars by 2040.
Only the region around the Eiffel Towerwhich was even painted gold for the Olympic Games, will host the marathon, the race walk, the triathlon and the beach volleyball, whose field will be temporarily set up in Field of Marsthat grassy area right behind the monument.
Traveling about two kilometers the tourist already arrives at Hotel des Invalideswhere the archery competitions will take place.
The plan is for the open water swimming events to take place on the Seine, right in front, but the water quality has failed in recent tests.
At one end of the avenue Champs Elyseesor Grand Palace it will host fencing and taekwondo competitions. From there it’s just a ten minute walk to the Concordia Squarewhich will be temporarily transformed into an arena for 3×3 basketball, skateboarding, freestyle BMX and breakdancing, a new Olympic discipline that will debut in Paris-2024.
The other offices are outside the centre, it’s true, but they are practically all existing structures close to the metro stops. The historic stadium Parc des Princes will host football matches. Tennis, of course, will take place Roland Garros where boxing matches will also be held.
The equestrian events, a little further away, will have as their backdrop nothing less than the Palace of Versailles.
Other sports will take place outside Paris, such as sailing, which will take place on the coast of Marseille, and surfing, which will take place in Tahiti, the largest island in French Polynesia.
Yet the next Olympics are already considered innovative. The last edition held in a major European city was London in 2012, when only two modes took place in the tourist area of the city: the triathlon and the water marathon, both in Hyde Park. In Rio de Janeiro, in 2016, the only attraction used during the races was the Copacabana Beachwhich hosted beach volleyball.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
