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PARIS OLYMPICS 2024?

SPORT

What an Olympic Games in Paris would look like

With the French capital now on the official shortlist to host the 2024 Olympic Games, The Local takes a look at what a Paris Games could look like. Beach volleyball under the Eiffel Tower sound good?

Published: 23 June 2015 11:00 CEST
Updated: 16 September 2015 11:16 CEST
What an Olympic Games in Paris would look like
Beach volleyball in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower? Photo: Istvan/Flickr
While 2024 might feel a lifetime away, plans are already being drawn up for how Paris could host the Olympics in nine years' time.
 
So how would it all work and what about the cost?
 
Financing the Games could be a major hurdle, especially given the state of the French economy. Authorities in Paris will be uneasy at the thought of London splashing out €9.1 billion on the cost of the 2012 Olympics, even if the event widely considered a huge success.
 
A feasibility study carried out this week found that there is such an abundance of potential locations that only an Olympic swimming pool and an athletes' village to cater for 10,000 people, would need to be built. 
 
New infrastructure would cost €3 billion and the operating budget another €3.2 billion but the study said Paris could hope to get back €1.8 billion from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Here are the finer details about the locations:
 
The Stade de France, which played host to the 1998 World Cup, could host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as the athletics: 
 

(The Stade de France during a Depeche Mode concert. Photo: Cyril/Flickr)
 
Roland Garros, the venue for the French Open, would host the tennis – just as Wimbledon was the setting of London's Olympic tennis tournament.
 
The Champs de Mars, the grassy area by the Eiffel Tower, would host the beach volleyball.
 
The Invalides Esplanade near the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte would play host to the archery competition.
 

(The Invalides Esplanade. Photo: Mary Lane/Flickr)
 
The Grand Palais museum would hold the fencing and Halle Carpentier in the 13th arrondissement, the combat sports, table tennis, and/or badminton
 
The Parc des Princes, home of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and PSG, would host the final of the football tournament
 

(Could Zlatan's home grounds be the home of Olympic football? Photo: Psgmag.net/Flickr)
 
Stade Jean-Bouinin the 16th arrondissement in the west of Paris would host the final of the rugby.
 
Bercy Arena, in the 12th arrondissement for the basketball and/or handball
 
Golf National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines for the golf, which will enter the Olympics as a sport in the next Olympics in Rio.
 
Base nautique de Vaires-sur-Marne, in the Seine-et-Marne department to the east of Paris, will host Rowing, canoeing, kayaking
 
 
The Hippodrome de Longchamp, to the west of Paris will host equestrian events.
 
The velodrome at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines will hold indoor cycling races.
 
Arena 92, the new stadium in Nanterre, the western suburbs of Paris, will see the gymnastics and weightlifting events
 
Château de Versailles: The famous Château will host the cycling road races.
 
If Paris decides to enter the running Lapasset, the president of World Rugby, and Tony Estanguet, triple Olympic canoeing champion, would lead the bid campaign, which is already supported by President Francois Hollande.
 
Bids must be submitted to the IOC by September 15 and a shortlist of qualified candidates will be announced in 2016. A final decision will be taken by an IOC congress in Lima, Peru in mid-2017.
 
 
 
 

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CRIME

Spain women’s World Cup players demand more heads roll as Rubiales in court

The crisis within Spanish football deepened Friday as the women's World Cup winners demanded more heads roll at its scandal-hit RFEF federation whose disgraced ex-boss appeared in court on sexual assault charges.

Published: 16 September 2023 07:56 CEST
Spain women's World Cup players demand more heads roll as Rubiales in court

Just hours after Luis Rubiales was quizzed by a judge for kissing midfielder Jenni Hermoso, all but two of Spain’s 23 World Cup players said they would not don the national shirt without deeper changes within the RFEF, demanding its current interim head also resign.

The statement came as the squad’s new coach Montse Tome was to announce the lineup for two upcoming UEFA Women’s Nations League matches against Sweden and Switzerland, which was promptly postponed, federation sources said.

“The changes put in place are not enough,” said a statement signed by 39 players, among them 21 of the 23 World Cup winners.

Demanding “fundamental changes to the RFEF’s leadership”, they called for the “resignation of the RFEF president” Pedro Rocha, who took over as interim leader when FIFA suspended Rubiales on August 26.

But the federation insisted Rocha would “lead the transition process within the RFEF until the next election”, insisting any changes would be made “gradually”.

A federation source said a leadership election could take place early next year.

“This institution is more important than individuals and it’s crucial it remains strong. We’ll work tirelessly to create stability first in order to progress later,” Rocha said in the statement.

Despite a string of recent changes, the federation remains in the hands of officials appointed by Rubiales, and the players are demanding structural changes “within the office of the president and the secretary general”.

Brought to court by a kiss

The bombshell came after days of optimism within the RFEF that the players would come round after it sacked controversial coach Jorge Vilda, appointed Tome in his stead and pledged further changes, not to mention Rubiales’ long-awaited resignation on Sunday.

On August 25, 81 Spain players, including the 23 world champions, had started a mass strike saying they would not play for the national team without significant changes at the head of the federation.

Earlier on Friday, Rubiales appeared in court where he was quizzed by Judge Francisco de Jorge who is heading up the investigation into the kiss, which sparked international outrage and saw him brought up on sexual assault charges.

At the end of the closed-door hearing, in which Rubiales repeated his claim that the kiss was consensual, the judge ordered him not to come within 200 metres of Hermoso and barred him from any contact with the player.

At the weekend, the 46-year-old had described the kiss as “a spontaneous act, a mutual act, an act that both consented to, which was… 100 percent non-sexual” in an interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan.

Hermoso, 33, has insisted it was not, describing it as “an impulsive, macho act, out of place and with no type of consent on my part”.

Speaking to reporters outside court, Hermoso’s lawyer Carla Vall said they were “very satisfied” with the hearing.

“Thanks to this video, everyone can see there was no consent whatsoever and that is what we will demonstrate in court.”

Allegations of coercion

Hermoso herself will also testify before the judge at some stage, who will then have to decide whether or not to push ahead with the prosecution. No date has been given for her testimony.

The complaint against Rubiales, which was filed by the public prosecutors’ office, cites alleged offences of sexual assault and coercion.

Under a recent reform of the Spanish penal code, a non-consensual kiss can be considered sexual assault, a category which groups all types of sexual violence.

If found guilty, Rubiales could face anything from a fine to four years in prison, sources at the public prosecutors’ office have said.

In their complaint, prosecutors explained the offence of coercion related to Hermoso’s statement saying she “and those close to her had suffered constant ongoing pressure by Luis Rubiales and his professional entourage to justify and condone” his actions.

At the hearing, Rubiales also denied coercion.

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