What an Olympic Games in Paris would look like
Oliver Gee - [email protected]
Published: 23 Jun, 2015 CET.
Updated: Wed 16 Sep 2015 11:16 CET
With the French capital now on the official shortlist to host the 2024 Olympic Games, The Local takes a look at what a Paris Games could look like. Beach volleyball under the Eiffel Tower sound good?
While 2024 might feel a lifetime away, plans are already being drawn up for how Paris could host the Olympics in nine years' time.
So how would it all work and what about the cost?
Financing the Games could be a major hurdle, especially given the state of the French economy. Authorities in Paris will be uneasy at the thought of London splashing out €9.1 billion on the cost of the 2012 Olympics, even if the event widely considered a huge success.
A feasibility study carried out this week found that there is such an abundance of potential locations that only an Olympic swimming pool and an athletes' village to cater for 10,000 people, would need to be built.
New infrastructure would cost €3 billion and the operating budget another €3.2 billion but the study said Paris could hope to get back €1.8 billion from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Here are the finer details about the locations:
The Stade de France, which played host to the 1998 World Cup, could host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as the athletics:
(The Stade de France during a Depeche Mode concert. Photo: Cyril/Flickr)
Roland Garros, the venue for the French Open, would host the tennis - just as Wimbledon was the setting of London's Olympic tennis tournament.
The Champs de Mars, the grassy area by the Eiffel Tower, would host the beach volleyball.
The Invalides Esplanade near the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte would play host to the archery competition.
(The Invalides Esplanade. Photo: Mary Lane/Flickr)
The Grand Palais museum would hold the fencing and Halle Carpentier in the 13th arrondissement, the combat sports, table tennis, and/or badminton
The Parc des Princes, home of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and PSG, would host the final of the football tournament
(Could Zlatan's home grounds be the home of Olympic football? Photo: Psgmag.net/Flickr)
Stade Jean-Bouinin the 16th arrondissement in the west of Paris would host the final of the rugby.
Bercy Arena, in the 12th arrondissement for the basketball and/or handball
Golf National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines for the golf, which will enter the Olympics as a sport in the next Olympics in Rio.
Base nautique de Vaires-sur-Marne, in the Seine-et-Marne department to the east of Paris, will host Rowing, canoeing, kayaking
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The Hippodrome de Longchamp, to the west of Paris will host equestrian events.
The velodrome at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines will hold indoor cycling races.
Arena 92, the new stadium in Nanterre, the western suburbs of Paris, will see the gymnastics and weightlifting events
Château de Versailles: The famous Château will host the cycling road races.
If Paris decides to enter the running Lapasset, the president of World Rugby, and Tony Estanguet, triple Olympic canoeing champion, would lead the bid campaign, which is already supported by President Francois Hollande.
Bids must be submitted to the IOC by September 15 and a shortlist of qualified candidates will be announced in 2016. A final decision will be taken by an IOC congress in Lima, Peru in mid-2017.
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While 2024 might feel a lifetime away, plans are already being drawn up for how Paris could host the Olympics in nine years' time.
So how would it all work and what about the cost?
Financing the Games could be a major hurdle, especially given the state of the French economy. Authorities in Paris will be uneasy at the thought of London splashing out €9.1 billion on the cost of the 2012 Olympics, even if the event widely considered a huge success.
A feasibility study carried out this week found that there is such an abundance of potential locations that only an Olympic swimming pool and an athletes' village to cater for 10,000 people, would need to be built.
New infrastructure would cost €3 billion and the operating budget another €3.2 billion but the study said Paris could hope to get back €1.8 billion from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Here are the finer details about the locations:
The Stade de France, which played host to the 1998 World Cup, could host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as the athletics:
(The Stade de France during a Depeche Mode concert. Photo: Cyril/Flickr)
Roland Garros, the venue for the French Open, would host the tennis - just as Wimbledon was the setting of London's Olympic tennis tournament.
The Champs de Mars, the grassy area by the Eiffel Tower, would host the beach volleyball.
The Invalides Esplanade near the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte would play host to the archery competition.
(The Invalides Esplanade. Photo: Mary Lane/Flickr)
The Grand Palais museum would hold the fencing and Halle Carpentier in the 13th arrondissement, the combat sports, table tennis, and/or badminton
The Parc des Princes, home of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and PSG, would host the final of the football tournament
(Could Zlatan's home grounds be the home of Olympic football? Photo: Psgmag.net/Flickr)
Stade Jean-Bouinin the 16th arrondissement in the west of Paris would host the final of the rugby.
Bercy Arena, in the 12th arrondissement for the basketball and/or handball
Golf National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines for the golf, which will enter the Olympics as a sport in the next Olympics in Rio.
Base nautique de Vaires-sur-Marne, in the Seine-et-Marne department to the east of Paris, will host Rowing, canoeing, kayaking
The Hippodrome de Longchamp, to the west of Paris will host equestrian events.
The velodrome at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines will hold indoor cycling races.
Arena 92, the new stadium in Nanterre, the western suburbs of Paris, will see the gymnastics and weightlifting events
Château de Versailles: The famous Château will host the cycling road races.
If Paris decides to enter the running Lapasset, the president of World Rugby, and Tony Estanguet, triple Olympic canoeing champion, would lead the bid campaign, which is already supported by President Francois Hollande.
Bids must be submitted to the IOC by September 15 and a shortlist of qualified candidates will be announced in 2016. A final decision will be taken by an IOC congress in Lima, Peru in mid-2017.
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