Almost exactly two years to the day before the start of the Summer Olympics in Paris (July 26 to August 11, 2024), IOC President Thomas Bach met French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the preparations.
In addition to the geopolitical situation, they also discussed the ambitious opening ceremony at the venue, which is not to take place in the athletics stadium but on the Seine.
Bach expressed his confidence in the French authorities to get the prelude safely off the stage. The fiasco in the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool at the Stade de France has severely damaged France’s reputation as a reliable host.
As the news agency “AFP” reported on Monday, the President also met with the main players in the organization of the games. Among these was Tony Estanguet, President of the Organizing Committee. Macron is said to have tried to allay concerns about security and budget issues.
“There are exactly two years to the day until the games start. Now it’s really a race against the clock,” Macron told the sports daily “L’Équipe” (Tuesday edition). The President stressed that there would be no Olympic tax (“The Games must finance the Games”). In addition, the state wants to buy 400,000 tickets to go to young people and schoolchildren.
Meanwhile, the organizers published the official motto of the games. “Games Wide Open” is the slogan under which the Olympic and Paralympic competitions are held. The organizers also announced that a total of 13 million tickets for the two events will go on sale.