Paris 2024 World Press Briefing: Media and Olympic Movement stakeholders hosted by OC to finalise coverage plans  

PARIS, September 14, 2023 – The Paris 2024 Organising Committee (OC) played host to around 320 media representatives last week at the World Press Briefing, providing them with important information about Games-time media operations and an opportunity to visit some of the iconic venues for next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games.

WORLD PRESS BRIEFING Paris 2024 Organising Committee President Tony Estanguet welcomed the delegates, underlining that, with less than 12 months to go until the Games: “We have known in our minds and in our hearts that our plans have the potential to be incredible. Thanks to the test events, we understand more and more that we can make something magical happen.”

Acknowledging the important contribution of the media to the success of the Games, he continued: “Of course, we are excited that millions of people will see the sport up close. But we also know most people in the world will rely on you. You are the ones that will tell the stories of the athletes, with your passion, with your savoir-faire, with your ability to come back every day during the Games with enthusiasm and artistry.”

PARIS 2024 PROGRESS REPORT Participants from across the world joined the Briefing in the French capital between 4 and 7 September 2023, with a few hundred more followings remotely. This gave the Paris 2024 team the opportunity to showcase the innovative plans to deliver a new era of Olympic and Paralympic Games. It also provided attendees with an overview of the progress being made by Paris 2024, and updates on a number of topics, including the sport and competition schedule, accommodation, accreditation, transport, press and photo operations.

VENUE CONCEPT Paris 2024’s venue concept fully embraces the Olympic Agenda 2020 reform programme. To reduce costs and the environmental footprint, Paris 2024 minimised any construction to the extent that 95 per cent of Paris 2024 venues are either existing or temporary.

World Press Briefing participants were able to witness this concept with their own eyes during a venue tour, which took in existing venues such as the Bercy Arena (which will host gymnastics, basketball and wheelchair basketball); the Nautical Stadium – Vaires-sur-Marne (rowing, canoe, Para rowing and Para canoe); and the Velodrome and BMX Stadium (track cycling, BMX racing and Para-cycling).

PARALYMPIC VENUES In addition to Versailles (equestrian, modern pentathlon and Para equestrian (dressage)), iconic locations in Paris city centre that will serve as a background for temporary venues also formed part of the tour, including the Grand Palais (fencing, taekwondo, wheelchair fencing and Para taekwondo); La Concorde (basketball 3×3, breaking, BMX freestyle, skateboard street and skateboard park); Pont Alexandre III (triathlon, marathon swimming, road cycling and Para triathlon); Invalides (athletics, road cycling, Para-archery and Para-athletics); and Champ-de-Mars (with a temporary arena for judo, wrestling, Para Judo and wheelchair rugby, and the Stade Tour Eiffel for beach volleyball and five-a-side football).

PARTICIPATION Some 70 communications representatives from the National Olympic Committees and International Summer Sports Federations also benefited from a specific briefing on media operations and an interactive communications workshop delivered by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

World Press Briefings in the host cities of the Olympic Games are a key part of the approach taken by the IOC and the Organising Committees for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in their efforts to ensure athletes’ performances are given the attention and coverage they deserve.

The Olympic Games will take place from 26 July until 11 August 2024 and the Paralympic Games between 28 August and 8 September.

Source AIPS