128 days before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (July 26-August 11), Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee summed up to Le Monde: “I am more than confident. I think things were anticipated very well. The recent visit of the IOC Coordination Commission, and the reports I received, are very positive. We live in a world of aggression, hatred and confrontation. In people’s hearts, in every conversation – whether you’re talking to a head of state, to someone on the street or to a friend – you feel that everyone is looking for something positive, something a sign of hope, which can crystallize in the Games.”
Regarding the controversies that punctuate the countdown, the German leader slipped: “We knew the French love for discussions and controversies. But we also know their passion for the sport once the competitions begin. Referring in particular to the price of tickets, considered excessive, he was keen to point out: “This is absolutely not the case. If you compare the prices charged this summer in Paris with those in London in 2012, you have the same average prices. And if you take inflation into account, the average ticket price is lower in Paris. A million tickets for less than 24 euros have been put on sale, half are for less than 50 euros, and 90% for less than 200 euros… Honestly, the Olympics are not reserved for a privileged audience. And if you want to balance your budget, you can’t offer free tickets.”
As for the events planned in the Seine (triathlon, open water swimming), Thomas Bach confided to Le Monde: “Swimming in the Seine: It would be an enormous legacy if after, I would say two hundred years, the Seine would be once again open to swimming. I am organizing my schedule and I insisted on being at the start of the men’s triathlon, because it will be the first swimming event in the Seine, an important moment. I spoke with the mayor of L’Ile-Saint-Denis (Mohamed Gnabaly), and he told me what the possibility of opening the banks of the Seine to the public meant for his municipality. There are expected to be more than 200 small beaches or activity areas along the river. And that’s something!”
