With just over a year remaining until the Games, Paris 2024 brought together representatives from the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) this week to share the progress made on preparations for the Games as well as its commitment to delivering optimal conditions for the athletes, allowing them to remain focused on their sporting performances.
During the seminar, the NOC Chefs de Mission, who will provide leadership for their national delegations of athletes and officials, engaged in discussions on important topics including accommodation, ticketing, transport and the ceremonies. They also had the chance to visit both competition and non-competition venues in Paris and its surrounding region in order to familiarise themselves with the city and the conditions for the athletes, as they gathered the information necessary to prepare their delegations for the Games.
Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet highlighted the importance of this seminar in preparing the world’s athletes for the Games: “The Chefs de Mission Seminar plays a pivotal role in the preparation of the Games because behind each athlete stands a National Olympic Committee, and the Chefs de Mission hold a vital responsibility in the success of their nation’s teams. These five days have been instrumental in helping the Chefs de Mission to prepare their athletes for Paris 2024. Ensuring a smooth experience for the athletes and their entourages will be key to the success of the Games and to delivering a sporting celebration like no other!”
Building excitement around the world
Following the seminar, the NOC representatives will bring home essential information for their athletes, but will also convey the excitement and vision of next year’s Games.
The Chef de Mission for the Australian NOC, Anna Meares Oam, said: “I have taken a lot from my time at the Chefs de Mission Seminar in Paris, including detailed information and insights about the preparations. I am excited about the canvas being crafted that will become a masterpiece for the Games next year. I believe Australian Olympic Team members will thoroughly enjoy their experience at these Games. I have every confidence in the Paris 2024 team with its vision that celebrates the athletes and showcases them in the heart of their city and surrounding regions.”
Brazilian NOC Secretary General Rogerio Sampaio said: “To be present at this meeting of the Chefs de Mission is something unique. I believe that the Paris 2024 Games will be like the Barcelona Games in 1992: an event that evolves and has this transformative capacity. Paris 2024 will set a new standard for the organisation of the Olympic Games. The whole world awaits the Paris 2024 Games with impatience and excitement ! I’m convinced that the Paris 2024 team will organise a memorable edition!”
The Chef de Mission for the United Arab Emirates NOC, Ahmad Alblooshi, said: “Paris 2024 showed us a collective of best practices and how all the Paris 2024 teams with the International Olympic Committee and the National Olympic Committees are working together to deliver one of the best Olympic Games with extraordinary venues and Olympic Village. What we see here will shape the future of the Games through sustainability, clean energy and gender equality. Paris will be ready to host the world and the best athletes to break new records and make wonderful memories.”
Léo Moreau, the Chef de Mission for the NOC of Cape Verde, said: “The Seminar was particularly intense and fruitful from all points of view. It enabled us to gather a quantity of valuable information during the plenary sessions and visits, as well as practical details during the individual meetings. I would like to pay tribute to Paris 2024’s determination to share and put into practice the guiding principles of the next Games: creativity, inclusion and sustainability, in particular through the use of public transport and walking. The youth and dynamism of the teams is the best example of this.”
Florin Misca, the Deputy Secretary General for the NOC of Romania, said: “This year’s Chefs de Mission Seminar foresees a Games edition with many innovations that will mark the beginning of a new era. The 2024 edition will provide the Olympic Movement with a new sustainable model to organise the Games, preserving their distinctiveness and grandeur while adapting them for the future. At the same time the slogan ‘Games Wide Open’ is put into action, expanding the Olympic experience for athletes, officials and fans, with various opportunities to immerse themselves in the magnificent French art and culture.”
Jackson Richardson, the Chef de Mission for the French NOC, said: “This Seminar was a rich learning experience, filled with emotions, alongside the Chefs de Mission from many different countries. I feel like a child learning to swim in a new pool. I want to share my knowledge and skills as an athlete and the excitement we experienced. I had the chance to visit the Olympic Village almost a year ago to the day, and I was able to see the developments during this seminar. The Village will soon be ready to welcome the athletes, in a pleasant setting worthy of the event.”
Source: IOC
