The 100-day countdown to the Paris Olympics begins
Practicing a low-carbon Olympics and showcasing cultural demeanor (from an international perspective)
The Paris Olympic Aquatics Centre is the main venue for the water sports at Paris 2024 and can accommodate up to 6,000 spectators.
Photo by reporter Shang Kaiyuan
Recently, celebrations and warm-up events related to the Paris Olympics were held on the square in front of the Paris City Hall.
Photo by Gülen Gervo
On April 17, the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics ushered in the important moment of the 100-day countdown. The day before, the Olympic flame was successfully lit at the ancient Olympia site in Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic movement. Exactly a century later, the Olympic Games return to Paris, and the French capital will become the second city after London to host the Summer Olympics three times.
Recently, the Paris Organising Committee and the French government held a series of celebrations and warm-up activities, including the launch of an original documentary series and the release of official posters of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, to further enhance public awareness of the Olympic Games and create a strong Olympic atmosphere. Preparations for the Paris Olympics are also in the sprint stage. At present, the construction of various Olympic infrastructure has been basically completed, and Olympic elements can be seen everywhere on the streets of Paris. The event organization, safety assurance, volunteer training, event planning and other links have entered the final refinement and rehearsal stage. According to the Paris Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, the Olympic Games will present the world with a grand celebration of sustainable development and innovative thinking, fully presenting the unique charm and cultural customs of Paris.
The first "carbon budget" was set up to fulfill the commitment of sustainable competition
A few days ago, the Paris Olympic Aquatics Center in Saint-Denis, France, was officially put into operation, which will host diving, swimming, water polo and other competitions. Together with the Adidas Arena in the north of Paris, it is one of the few new venues for the Games, with the remaining 30 or so venues using existing or temporary infrastructure. "This not only reduces the carbon footprint, but also maximizes and preserves Paris' rich architectural heritage and historical culture. The Paris Olympic Organizing Committee said.
After a series of temporary renovation works, spectators will be able to watch the Olympic events in Paris against the backdrop of famous attractions: BMX freestyle, breakdancing, skateboarding and 3x3 basketball on the Place de la Concorde, beach volleyball, judo and wrestling in front of the Eiffel Tower, archery competitions on the Place de la Invalides, show jumping and modern pentathlon in the Park of the Palace of Versailles......
The Paris Organising Committee has pledged to host a green and sustainable sporting event that aims to reduce carbon emissions to half the average of London 2012 and Rio 2016. To this end, for the first time, the Paris Olympics set up a "carbon budget", limiting carbon emissions from the entire event to no more than 1.58 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
To achieve this, it is critical to ensure that transport services operate in a low-carbon manner. The Paris Organising Committee is actively advocating for athletes to travel by train to Paris, and the National Olympic Committees of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Belgium have agreed to do so. In the Île-de-France region, all venues are located within easy reach of public transport. For possible congestion on some routes, the local government encourages people to work from home during the Olympics to reduce traffic pressure.
The Olympic Village, located on the banks of the Seine, is also designed to be environmentally friendly and sustainable. Spanning an area of 52 hectares and spanning three municipalities north of Paris, the complex will welcome around 15,000 athletes during the Games, which will be converted into rental and office space after the Games. Buildings here are made of wood and low-carbon concrete, powered by 100% renewable energy, and prepared for climate change with a ground-source heat pump system to regulate room temperatures.
Explore creative openings to increase participation in the Olympic Games
On 17 April, the 100-day countdown to the Paris Olympic Games will launch a new round of more than 250,000 tickets for the Games, providing more spectators with the opportunity to watch the Games up close. It is reported that about half of the new tickets will be sold for less than 100 euros, reflecting the fairness and inclusiveness of the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee's ticket pricing strategy.
The opening ceremony is the highlight of all previous Olympic Games. For the first time, the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics is scheduled to be held on the Seine in a departure from a traditional stadium. According to reports, delegations from various countries will take more than 90 cruise ships, starting from the Austerlitz Bridge in the east of Paris, passing through the core area of Paris along the way, passing through Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, the Grand Palace and other landmarks from east to west, and finally arriving at the Trocadero Square on the other side of the Eiffel Tower, with a distance of about 6 kilometers, which will bring a visual and cultural feast to the audience.
French Interior Minister Darmanin announced in March that 326,000 people were expected to watch the opening ceremony on the riverbank, equivalent to "the capacity of four French stadiums". In addition, 50,000 people will watch the event on big screens in Olympic fan zones throughout Paris, and about 200,000 people will be able to watch the event from inside a building overlooking the Seine. To ensure the safety of the opening ceremony, the French security services will screen around 1 million people at risk, including staff, volunteers, private security guards, etc. From 10 May, persons entering the security zone around the Seine will be required to register their identity online.
Commenting on the idea, IOC President Thomas Bach said that holding the opening ceremony along the Seine demonstrates the ambition of opening up the Paris 2024 Olympic Games to as many people as possible. "The Opening Ceremony will be an extraordinary experience for all the participating athletes, for Parisians, for the French and for people around the world. French President Emmanuel Macron recently reaffirmed his confidence in the success of the opening ceremony in an interview with French media, but also said that alternative plans are also being studied in view of possible security risks.
The Seine will also be the venue for planned competitions for several water sports. The French government has been deploying the Seine Swimming Program since 2015 and has invested more than 1.4 billion euros in projects to meet water quality standards. For example, the Austerlitz rainwater storage tank, which is scheduled to be commissioned in May this year, will divert excess water from the Seine into the sewer system for treatment, preventing sewage from being discharged into the Seine during heavy rains.
At the same time, the French government is stepping up efforts to establish an integrated monitoring and rapid response system to carry out stricter monitoring of potential pollution sources. With a series of measures in place, the historic river will not only become the venue for the Olympic Games, but it is also expected that several swimming areas will be opened to the public next summer, allowing citizens to swim in the Seine again and recreate the scene of a hundred years ago.
Integrate sports culture and amplify the Olympic effect
After a century, the Olympic Games are once again returning to the homeland of Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games. As the Olympic Games approach, a series of Olympic-related cultural and creative events have been staged in cultural institutions and public spaces across France, continuing to enrich the Cultural Olympiad initiative. The Cultural Olympiad is a major concept of the Paris Olympic Games, launched in 2021 to enrich the link between art and sport.
The Musée du Luxembourg in Paris has recently opened an exhibition around sports design, showcasing the close connection between sports and art design through 150 precious collections: in front of the Palais Bourbon, where the French National Assembly is located, six colorful Venus sculptures appear in various sports postures in front of the palace columns, and in June, a large-scale fashion show hosted by the international Vogue magazine will be held on the Place Vendôme in Paris, bringing together representatives of the fashion and sports worlds...... There are many similarities between sport and culture, and the Culture Olympiad is a great opportunity to showcase the connections and shared values between sport and culture in their entirety. Estanguet, president of the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee, said.
According to the plan, the Olympic flame, which symbolizes light, unity, friendship, peace and justice, will arrive at the Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens, where the first modern Olympic Games were held, on 26 April, after an 11-day relay in Greece, and be handed over to the Paris Organising Committee. On 27 April, the flame will sail from the Greek port of Piraeus to France aboard the famous Berham three-masted ship, and will arrive at the port of Marseille on 8 May to begin the relay in France, where it will be lit in Paris on 26 July. From the Lascaux caves, which represent prehistoric civilizations, to the medieval castle Carcassonne, from the magnificent Mont Blanc to the picturesque Loire Valley, this torch relay tour will not only connect the cultural and natural treasures of various parts of France, but will also be accompanied by a series of wonderful cultural activities, fully showing the customs and customs of each place.
The hosting of the Olympic Games will not only bring direct benefits to the French tourism industry, but also help to enhance the international image and attractiveness of France, and create a new growth point for the tourism industry. According to the French tourism department, the greater Paris region is expected to receive around 15.3 million visitors during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The French Tourism Development Agency stressed that the Paris Olympics are an excellent opportunity to enhance the attractiveness of France and will stimulate new interest in French tourism from all countries.
(Paris, April 17)