Tony Estanguet, president of Paris 2024, tackled all the subjects, even the angry ones, during a 2023 back-to-school conference, Wednesday noon at the committee’s headquarters.
For Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024, the year that is beginning will be incredible and very concrete. This is what he explained for more than an hour at the headquarters of the Organizing Committee of the Games in the company of Étienne Thobois, general manager.
Safety: “We are within the passing times”
While the Court of Auditors pointed out in his recent report the lack of private security agents and the almost inevitable recourse to internal security forces by Paris 2024, Tony Estanguet acknowledged that it was a question of “ a real challenge “. But he recalled that the committee, which needs 17,000 security guards a day, was ” in passing times “. Paris 2024 received 700 offers during its first wave of calls for tenders from private security companies and launched the second in order to find “ 50% of needs “, he specified.
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« We will see if we are able to go to the end (of the bidding process) private security “, he continued, emphasizing that all scenarios were possible, including the one in which Paris 2024 would have recourse to internal security forces, that is to say compensated security services (SOI), to overcome lack of private security guards. ” This already exists in football, there is a public scale and it will apply to Paris 2024 said Étienne Thobois, CEO of Paris 2024.
The year of the test event: “Three kinds of test event”
Tony Estanguet indicated that there would be ” three kinds of test between now and the opening of the Games. The test events that Paris 2024 will organize directly, such as the sailing competitions in Marseille from July 9 to 16 or mountain biking on September 24 on the Elancourt hill. Some events will be organized by the International Federations such as rowing and para-rowing from August 2 to 6 or archery and para-archery from August 17 to 20 at the foot of the Tower Eiffel.
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Finally, there will be operational tests organized by the committee, such as handball and weightlifting at the Porte de Versailles from August 8 to 12 or a full horse riding competition on September 19 at the Palace of Versailles.
The presence of Russian athletes at the 2024 Games: “It’s the IOC who decides”
Even before knowing that the IOC Executive Board had set the conditions for the return of Russian athletesannounced this Wednesday afternoon, Tony Estanguet spoke about their presence in Paris: The IOC decides which delegations are allowed to participate in the Olympic Games and the IPC (International Paralympic Committee) for the Paralympic Games “. He added : “ Regarding qualifications, the rules are governed by the International Federations which, for the most part, does not allow Russian athletes to participate. For the moment.
« The Organizing Committee does not have to intervene in the choice of the delegations which must take part in the Games “, insisted Tony Estanguet. “ If we take a step back, the priority is not the qualifying rules but to support the end of this conflict and Ukraine in relation to what is happening. “, continued the leader before” hope that the universal role of the Games can be preserved in 2024 ».
Partnerships: “We are very calm”
While domestic partnership revenue is one of the three main resources of the €4.38 billion budget for Paris 2024, Tony Estanguet pointed out that the objective has been raised to reach 1.226 billion euros. 92% of this objective will be achieved this year.
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« We are very calm “, assured the boss of the committee while the signature of the luxury group LVMH is still awaited. Tony Estanguet met the group’s president, Bernard Arnault, in December with Thomas Bach, the IOC President visiting Paris. The triple Olympic champion indicated that four official suppliers had joined the committee at the start of the year (SCC, GL Events, Loxam and Fnac-Darty) and that his teams had ” discussions (with companies) in a dozen sectors ».
Contracts with sites: “90% of perimeters are secure”
« The report of the Court of Auditors alerted us to the timing recognized Tony Estanguet. Presented in early January to Parliament, the document points to a delay in the signing of agreements for the use of competition sites. Only 11 of the 80 planned had been signed at the beginning of November, underlined the Court, recommending to the COJOP to complete the contracts as soon as possible at the beginning of 2023.
Tony Estanguet clarified that ” date, 90% of perimeters are already secured and that the committee had challenged the model on a case-by-case basis “. The negotiations, which lasted longer than expected, made it possible to ensure better financial conditions confirmed Étienne Thobois, CEO of Paris 2024, stressing that the contracts will be finalized by the end of the year.
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