They did not know it yet but Romain Cannone, Clarisse Agbegnenou and the other heroes of Tokyo took part in a life-size rehearsal two years ago, when they strolled through the Trocadéro on their return from Japan. Celebrated with medals around their necks, they had extended the Olympic experience by these walkabouts, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.
Next year, the festivities will take on another dimension, with the establishment of a Parc des Champions (Champions Park) on the Trocadéro esplanade. The idea is simple: celebrate the medalists of the Games of the XXXIIIᵉ Olympiad on a daily basis. The French, of course, but also the other happy Games. The day after their podium and the medal ceremony, they will be invited to parade in the heart of the crowd. The COJO (Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games) hopes for a thousand athletes over the Olympic fortnight, with a possible peak of 300 medalists on a given day.
Medals and Finals
15,000 people are expected daily, between July 29, the opening date of the Parc des Champions, and August 10. The launch of the event is not concomitant with the opening ceremony in order to observe a transition period for the reconfiguration of the premises. From August 2 to 4, due to the organization of road cycling and walking events, the park will also have a break.
The Parc des champions de Paris 2024 seen from the stands
Credit: DR
Inspired by the “Medals Plaza” of the Winter Games, the Parc des Champions will be open from 4 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. and free. After the parade of medalists, organized between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., spectators will be able to watch the main finals of the evening on giant screens.
“Champions Park is a completely new concept at the Summer Olympics, designed to make the athletes’ experience unforgettable,” said Martin Fourcade, president of the Paris 2024 Athletes’ Commission. The medal and the iconic photo in front of the Eiffel Tower, with the crowd around. The icing on the cake for the medalists.
The evenings imagined at the Parc des champions with broadcast of major events on giant screens
Credit: DR
2023-07-24 12:29:51
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