Paris, France, June 23, 2015: Paris formally announced today its intention to bid to become the Host City for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The bid was launched at the headquarters of Comité National Olympique et Sportif Français [CNOSF], the National Olympic Committee of France, with the Bid Committee leaders, more than 50 leading French athletes and hundreds of representatives from France’s sports movement.
The Paris 2024 bid was launched on the occasion of Olympic Day – the annual global celebration of the foundation of the International Olympic Committee on 23 June 1894.
Launching the bid, Bernard Lapasset, Chairman of Paris 2024, said:
“Paris is delighted to officially confirm its bid for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games – an important first milestone as our Host City campaign journey commences.
“We believe that this bid and our goal to host the 2024 Games will excite, unite and enthuse the people of Paris, our entire nation and lovers of Olympic and Paralympic sport all over the world.
“As we move forward with our bid, it is very pleasing to see today that we already have the full support of the city, regional and national governments as well as the CNOSF and the French sports movement – it is wonderful to also receive significant public support and real backing from our athletes.”
Denis Masseglia, President of CNOSF, added:
“In line with the IOC’s Agenda 2020 strategy, Paris 2024 promises a feasible and flexible Games concept that will be an authentic reflection of the diverse and dynamic cultural, social, environmental and sporting traditions of our local communities, the city and the French people.”
Emmanuelle Assmann, President of CPSF [French Paralympic Committee], said:
“Bringing the Olympic and Paralympic Games to Paris would have a huge positive impact on the lives of disabled people in the city. The Games would help to increase accessibility towards disabled sport, improve facilities and change the public perception and attitudes towards disability.”
Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, stated:
“By bidding for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Paris is looking forward to an exciting and bold future whilst remaining true to its rich sporting and cultural traditions. We will be designing an integrated project with all the talents of the City of Paris and its suburbs and with young people playing a key role. We aim to highlight the unity and the solidarity of a cosmopolitan city, which I am sure will be one of the key strengths to win.”
Paris 2024 will now continue to work on developing its plan for the Games in 2024 and further announcements will be made in the coming months in line with the formal bid application submission on 15 September 2015.
Other senior figures of the Bid Committee at the event today included:
Tony Estanguet, French International Olympic Committee [IOC] Member and three-time Olympic Gold Medallist and Guy Drut, French IOC Member and Olympic Gold and Silver Medallist, Etienne Thobois, Chief Executive of Paris 2024, who is also an Olympian.
The President of France, François Hollande, has also given his full backing to the bid.
The bid leadership weas also joined at the event by high-profile French sportspeople including:
Renaud Lavillenie, Olympic Gold Medallist and Pole Vault world record holder;
Marion Bartoli, the 2013 Wimbledon Champion;
Teddy Riner, Judo Olympic Gold Medallist [a list of other notable attending athletes and other significant figures is provided below].
Also present at the launch event were former France Sports Ministers and Olympic Gold Medallists David Douillet [two Gold Medals and one Bronze in Judo] and Jean-François Lamour [two Gold Medals and one Silver in Fencing].
Notable attending athletes at the Paris 2024 launch event included:
Marion Bartoli – Tennis, Nicolas Batum – Basketball, Pierre-Ambroise Bosse – Athletics, Amélie Caze – Pentathlon, Stéphane Diagana – Athletics, Nathalie Dechy – Tennis, Cyrielle Delamare – Archery, Mamedy Doucara – Taekwondo, Gwladys Epangue – Taekwondo, Tony Estanguet – Canoe, Laura Flessel – Fencing, Jean-Philippe Gatien – Table Tennis, Guillaume Gille – Handball, Brice Guyard – Fencing, Muriel Hurtis – Athletics, Frédéric Jossinet – Judo, Renaud Lavillenie – Pole Vault, Christophe Legout – Table Tennis, Mickael Llodra – Tennis, Laure Manaudou – Swimming, Sarah Ourahmoune – Boxing, Nathalie Pechalat – Skating, Marie-Jo Perec – Athletics, Teddy Riner – Judo, Isabelle Severino – Gymnastics, Jimmy Vicaut – Athletics, Sébastien Vieilledent – Rowing, Romain Wattel – Golf, Jon Zwickel – Ice Hockey. —- Rob Fawdon
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