At the end of a Volunteers’ Convention orchestrated in the heart of the Paris La Défense Arena in Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine), the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee and decathlon presented the clothing range that each of the 45,000 volunteers will wear this summer during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Paris 2024 Games volunteer uniform (Credits – Paris 2024 / Decathlon)
Drawing on his experience as an athlete and his responsibilities at the time, Sebastian Coe summed up in his own way the importance of the Volunteer Program in the run-up to the Games.
The man who chaired the Organizing Committee for the London 2012 Games, after having been double Olympic Champion in the 1,500 meters in 1980 and 1984 – and who is today President of World Athletics – said:
Volunteers represent the blood system of the Olympic Games.
In fact, volunteers have a multifaceted role and a capital importance in the orchestration of the Games, from the preparation of the events to the actual holding of the latter, including of course the support of delegations and officials or even by informing spectators.
Also, with a view to the Paris 2024 Games, the Organizing Committee (COJO) had presented an ambitious objective of achieving the recruitment of 45,000 volunteers, or 30,000 people mobilized for the Olympic Games (July 26 to August 11) and 15,000 people contacted for the Paralympic Games (August 28 to September 8).
After the selection process began in spring 2023, more than 300,000 candidates ultimately applied in France and around the world, living the Games from the inside constituting a possible unmissable experience for many of them. them.
Comforted by this massive contingent of applicants, the COJO subsequently took care to examine each of the applications, excluding certain profiles and retaining in fine 45,000 people who will, during the summer of 2024, be the face of the Games for the thousands of expected athletes and the millions of visitors who will arrive in France.
In order to give substance to this armada, it was still necessary to present the uniform that everyone will wear during the Games to be perfectly identifiable by all the players in the global event, whether they are competitors, officials, media and of course spectators, the training of volunteers must now take place in the coming weeks in person and remotely, before their accreditation and uniform are granted from May 2024.
The last few months have in any case made it possible to protect the Volunteer Program, in particular by undertaking the design of the uniform, the result of collaborative work of more than a year and a half with the teams of decathlonOfficial Partner of the Games.
The said design was not at all obvious to the stylists of the French company present in more than 70 countries, both in view of the issue linked to the showcase that is the Olympic and Paralympic meeting. , that in the light of the specifications set to establish a unisex uniform adapted to all missions, to all body types, but also to all particular situations and conditions.
Ultimately, a rich array of 15 pieces was presented during the Volunteers’ Convention organized this Saturday, March 23, 2023 in the monumental setting of the Paris La Défense Arena which, this summer, will host the swimming events, the final stages of the water polo tournament and the para-swimming competitions.
For the occasion, more than 20,000 volunteers were welcomed on sitewhile several thousand others were connected online to follow the progress of this major event with a view to the Games and attend the unveiling of a uniform whose highlight was a revisited sailor top.
A staple of French fashion, the sailor top is resolutely modernized here in a turquoise variation, while retaining the characteristic stripes.
Beyond this t-shirt with three-quarter sleeves and a delicate neckline which will be distributed at the rate of four copies per volunteer, the rest of the range consists of a bob-type hairstyle, a jacket/vest windbreaker, two pairs of pants that can be converted into shorts, four pairs of socks – two pairs of blue and two of pink –, a pair of shoes, a fanny pack and a so-called bag. conditioning.
Ce kit of the volunteer obviously takes up the chromatic palette of the Look of the Games of Paris 2024 with, in addition to the marked presence of blue in different tones, touches of pink and yellow, white also being an important component for jackets and shoes in particular.
Paris 2024 Games volunteer uniform (Credits – Paris 2024 / Decathlon)
Proof of the logistical challenge that had to be taken up over the months by the 400 designers of decathlon and the hundreds of employees mobilized, a whopping one million parts to be produced had been ordered, knowing that 53% of the production was carried out in France, on four sites located in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône ), Orléans (Loiret), Roubaix (North) and Troyes (Aube).
Each piece has been designed to be both comfortable and practical on a daily basis, with the aim of offering a 100% eco-designed collection.
For example, with regard to the t-shirt – produced in 250,000 copies – the choice of recycled polyester from recycled plastic and used textiles was made, while the shape reminiscent of team sports outfits was integrated to allow a ease of movement also supported by the provision of three-quarter sleeves.
Also designed from recycled polyester, the windproof jacket/vest is also ergonomic, practical and breathable, with the possibility of wearing it as a vest or jacket and the integration of four front pockets as well as ‘a large pocket at the back.
The pants – which can be transformed into shorts thanks to a zip system – have for their part been made from a fabric composed of 84% recycled polyamide, in order to once again offer ease and ease of movement.
Concerning this time the bob, it was here printed in all-over and according to a random cut offering in fact a unique hairstyle for each volunteer, knowing that the practicality of the accessory is coupled with protection from the sun’s rays provided by the use of a UPF50+ fabric.
Another example of the practicality of the parts making up the dressing Paris 2024 volunteers, the banana offers them a capacity of 5 liters, with three pockets and a net for a 75 centiliter bottle.
Finally, as for the socks, the mid-high design of these allows you to enhance the silhouette with a colorful touch, while protecting the malleolus, with the addition of the use of organic cotton in a knitting airy.
As pointed out by Barbara Martin Coppola, General Director of decathlon :
Designing the outfits for the 45,000 volunteers for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games is a matter of great pride for Decathlon, because they are passionate women and men who, like us, provide access to sport and allow everyone to fully experience this planetary event.
Through a range of eco-designed clothing that is both trendy and functional and displays our new visual identity, we will be keen to share our expertise and our passion for sport with millions of people around the world..
It must also be said that the implication of decathlon was not limited to the design of the uniform, no less than 335 company employees having been recruited as volunteers for the Games.
More generally, of the 45,000 Paris 2024 volunteers – more than 5% of whom have a disability – almost 50% will be mobilized for the Paralympic Games after having worked on the Olympic Games.
A third of them come from the sports movement, they also come from 101 departments, also knowing that 20% of international candidates represent no less than 150 countries around the world.
As summarized by Tony Estanguet, President of the OCOG:
All day long, alongside the Paris 2024 teams, the project ambassadors, with this large gathering of volunteers, we felt and shared the energy of the Games.
The calendar is accelerating: on April 17, there will only be 100 days left before the Games, 100 days to prepare to welcome the world.
At the Paris La Défense Arena in Nanterre, which will host swimming, para-swimming and water polo competitions this summer, we gave […] the kickoff to a unique and unforgettable experience. We are proud to welcome the 45,000 volunteers to the great Paris 2024 team!
