The organising committee for the 2024 Olympics in Paris has today (Thursday) announced plans for a new 35,000-seat arena that will showcase urban sports during the Games.
While Paris 2024 said it is too soon to confirm exactly which sports and disciplines will be contested at the venue, it promised the arena will provide a “totally new experience” and attract “new types of spectators”.
The arena will be located in the Place de la Concorde square, which connects the Champs-Elysées to the Tuileries Gardens. The venue will seek to showcase Parisian heritage while offering “exceptional” images of the Games.
Although the sports that will be contested at the venue are yet to be finalised, it is likely that the arena will stage urban sports such as breakdancing, sports climbing, skateboarding, BMX freestyle and 3×3 basketball.
Paris 2024 said in a statement: “This unique concept in the heart of Paris will foster the sharing of resources in a way that is completely in line with the new norm promoted by the IOC (International Olympic Committee).
“This mutualisation of resources will keep costs and impact down and facilitate the set-up, supply and transport operations, unlike the scattering of these activities over several sites.”
The announcement of the new arena coincided with Paris 2024’s confirmation that surfing events during the Olympics will be held in Tahiti, French Polynesia – almost 16,000km from France. Tahiti was selected ahead of Biarritz Pays Basque, Lacanau-Bordeaux Métropole, La Torche and Hossegor-Seignosse-Capbreton.
The Tahiti site and Place de la Concorde will need to be validated by the IOC Executive Board, which will meet in the Swiss city of Lausanne in January ahead of the winter Youth Olympic Games. The final version of the events programme for Paris 2024 will be revealed in December 2020.
Image: Paris 2024
Share this