This Saturday, September 30, 2023, the Rhône department will experience a great first. After Mornant, last March, Saint-André-la-Côte is preparing a sporting, festive day full of symbols. This commune, the highest in the department, will proudly brandish the Paris 2024 flags.
The Community of Communes of Pays Mornantais was labeled “playground” in 2022. The objective was to bring the Olympic Games to life in the territories so that the population and associations take ownership of the “Paris 2024” event.
“We have two Olympic villages per year in the territory, explains Laurent Canonico, responsible for territorial development of the Mornantais country. We started last March in Mornant, the flagship town of the community of towns with an Olympic village where we organized a cross country. Our godmother, Elodie ClouvelOlympic pentathlon champion in Rio came to kick off the cross country and present the medals.“
Saturday will be an opportunity to party before the party. The program includes initiations for the youngest who would like to try their hand at sport. For this second edition, the Paris 2024 organizing committee was asked to host the flag tour.
“Making the games your own is the key word, explains Laurent Canonico. To have, even on a small scale, the feeling of participating in this global Olympic movement with all the values that this entails”, he said.The 2024 Olympic and Paralympic flags are touring France. Usually, the flags move from their last location (Beijing) to the new host city, remaining in the city mayor’s office. For Paris 2024, the organizing committee wanted the flags to travel throughout the territory.
The flags will follow different routes and fly in different places, notably in the town of Saint-André-la-Côte, this Saturday, June 30, the town hall located highest in this territory.
The parade of Olympic standards will leave the town to arrive at the Signal belvedere. • © Photos: Community of Communes of Pays Mornantais
“There is a gazeboexplains Laurent Canonico, the signal belvedere which dominates the entire Rhône valley. Opposite, there are the Alps and the weather is going to be nice, which promises to be magnificent. We were chosen from a certain number of municipalities. We will therefore have an Olympic symbol in the heart of the Rhône overlooking a small village of 250 inhabitants.“
A mixed orienteering race, combining classic teams and teams made up of people with disabilities punctuated by puzzles, is organized. Demonstrations of judo, basketball and disabled archery with an Olympic disabled sports champion are also planned in the presence of Floria Gueiathletics gold medal in 4 × 400. William Joli of the French handball team will also be present.
We want a big sports festival, even on a small scale. The place is hypersymbolic, the flags will fly above Lyon facing Mont Blanc in a small town, it promises to be a beautiful moment.
Laurent Canonico
Responsible for territorial development
Exceptional champion, Elodie Clouvel, Olympic vice-champion in modern pentathlon in Rio in 2016, accompanies the event. The first stone of a multi-sport plateau will be laid on Saturday September 30 in Saint-André, named after him in his honor. • © DR
On Saturday, the first stone will also be laid for the Saint-André-la-Côte multisport plateau which will be named Complex Élodie Clouvel in her honor.
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