Athletes from around the world have begun arriving at their “home away from home” for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, as the Olympic Village officially opened its doors in Paris, the French capital.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach welcomed some of the early arrivals.
Approximately 10,500 athletes from the territories of 206 National Olympic Committee (NOCs) and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team will compete in the Games, with the majority staying in the main 54-hectare Olympic Village, located on the banks of the River Seine in the north of the host city.
Additional athlete villages in Châteauroux, Lille, Marseille and Tahiti will also host those competing in shooting, basketball (preliminary round), handball, sailing and surfing, the organisers said.
Bach was at the opening of the Olympic Village, along with Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet and IOC Coordination Commission chair Pierre-Oliver Beckers Viieujant.
The IOC president welcomed some of the athletes as they were entering the Village and attended the NOC Chefs de Mission meeting.
“Finally, we are here,” he said, as he praised the facilities that will be available to athletes during the Games. “It has been a long journey these seven years, but it has been a hugely rewarding one thanks to our friends at the Organising Committee under the leadership of Tony Estanguet and his team, who have worked closely with our IOC Coordination Commission under the leadership of Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant. We have a wonderful Olympic Village, and all the ingredients for a great Olympic Games are here.”