Latest news with #Games'
LeMonde
5 days ago
- Sport
- LeMonde
One year later, the contested legacy of the Paris 2024 Olympics
It was Friday, July 26, 2024, at dawn. Just hours before the opening of the Paris Olympic Games, panic spread among organizers. Trains were paralyzed by a "massive attack" on the TGV high-speed rail network, and torrents of rain were forecast for the capital. The Games had not even begun, and were already turning into a nightmare. But by midnight that same day, France was rubbing its eyes in disbelief, dazzled by the opening ceremony imagined by Thomas Jolly along the Seine. Soon after, the first gold medals for the French team poured in before sold-out arenas. France quickly plunged into a fervor that, for a fortnight, restored a sense of national pride to a country divided by the snap elections earlier that summer. One year later, what remains of that "enchanted interlude," apart from memories of shared jubilation in transformed venues? The Games' organizers promised a physical legacy. The Olympic Aquatics Center opened to the public on June 2, 2025, in Saint-Denis, north of Paris. The seven other swimming pools built or renovated in Seine-Saint-Denis for the Games helped address the underpriviliged Paris suburbs' shortage of sports facilities, and the athletes' and media villages gave rise to 4,000 new homes.
RTHK
5 days ago
- Sport
- RTHK
Bid to facilitate travel for National Games spectators
Bid to facilitate travel for National Games spectators Eric Chan, second left, says Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong have set up a multi-tiered coordination system for the National Games. Photo: RTHK Chief Secretary Eric Chan said on Friday that Hong Kong is actively pursuing measures to simplify travel arrangements for mainland residents wishing to attend the National Games in November, calling it key to promoting convenient travel and deeper integration in the Greater Bay Area. For the first time, Hong Kong is co-hosting the Games alongside Guangdong and Macau. At a joint press conference in Beijing with representatives from all three hosting regions, Chan said the Games will further create new opportunities for sports exchanges, people-to-people connections and economic collaboration in the Greater Bay Area. "To facilitate mainland visitors coming to Hong Kong to watch the events, the organising committee is actively seeking measures for mainland residents to easily obtain travel permits to Hong Kong, allowing tourists to travel alongside the competitions and further promoting the integration of sports and tourism in the Greater Bay Area," he said. Chan said the three regions have established a multi-tiered coordination system, including regular meetings and cross-border working groups, to streamline logistics like spectator mobility. Echoing the focus on accessibility, Macau's Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, O Lam, revealed plans to extend travel permits for visitors attending events in Macau, aiming to enhance "connectivity of hearts" through "soft connectivity". Meanwhile, Wang Xi, standing committee member of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, said the online ticketing platform will be launched in early August. "In late August, we will release ticket resources in phases and by events according to the progress of the competition organisation. The prices of popular events are generally affordable, and some events adopt a reservation system," he said. Wang also noted that plans for the opening ceremony in Guangzhou and closing ceremony in Shenzhen are nearly finalised. Both events will spotlight Greater Bay Area culture, including Cantonese opera and music, and feature a unified entrance for athlete delegations from all three hosts. A 100-day countdown begins August 1 with Guangdong and Macau holding special events that day. The following day, Hong Kong will host a large-scale celebration, followed by a city-wide sports day. Tong Lixin, deputy director of the General Administration of Sport, said all competition venues are nearing readiness, the Games schedule is finalised and more than half of 68 test events have been completed. He said mass participation events are also underway, reinforcing the Games' community focus.
Los Angeles Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Former Disney boss to run L.A. 2028 Olympics ceremonies
Former 21st Century Fox and Walt Disney Co. executive Peter Rice has been named head of ceremonies and content for the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Los Angeles, LA28 organizers said Wednesday. In this role, the longtime TV veteran will be in charge of the physical production and creative oversight of the opening and closing ceremonies for both games. The 2028 Summer Olympics' opening ceremony will be held at two venues — the Coliseum and SoFi Stadium. The Games' closing ceremony will be held at the Coliseum. In a statement, Rice said he looked forward to producing ceremonies that would honor the legacy of the Coliseum and 'celebrate the cutting-edge future' of SoFi Stadium. 'These venues have hosted some of the most legendary moments in sports history,' Rice said. 'I'm thrilled to deliver a powerful artistic experience that adds a new chapter to LA's Olympic and Paralympic story.' LA28 President and Chairperson Casey Wasserman said Rice's background in 'creativity, operational insight and production excellence' made him ideal for the position. 'He's been a leading figure in shaping the modern television and film landscape and is the perfect asset to reimagining the delivery of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the digital age, leaving a legacy well beyond the Games,' Wasserman said in a statement. Rice spent decades at Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox, eventually rising to the role of president. After Disney acquired the entertainment assets of 21st Century Fox in 2019, he became chairman of Disney's TV content division. At one point, analysts and insiders speculated that he could become Disney's CEO. He was ousted from that role in 2022 over issues of 'cultural fit,' insiders said at the time. He was replaced by Dana Walden, his top lieutenant who is now seen as one of the frontrunners to succeed Bob Iger as Disney's next chief executive.
ITV News
15-07-2025
- Sport
- ITV News
Channel Islanders swim to success as Bown bags triple gold and Nowacki breaks Island Games' record
Guernsey's Chloe Bown made her Games' debut and won three races, including the 200m freestyle, while Jersey's Filip Nowacki set three records in one day.
Sydney Morning Herald
15-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Rowers prefer new Olympic site, as premier digs in over Rockhampton
World Rowing has backed further investigation into a potential Olympic rowing site in Greater Brisbane, but Queensland's premier has again insisted his government will not budge from its plans to host the event on Rockhampton's Fitzroy River. This masthead has obtained an Urbis report commissioned by the Lake Kurwongbah Flatwater Centre Coalition, which laid out the case for a venue at the dam just north of Brisbane, within the City of Moreton Bay council area. 'Lake Kurwongbah presents an unparalleled opportunity for the Games' regatta venue, promising legacy, accessibility, and sustainability in one compelling package,' Urbis says. Speaking from his current base in Canada, former Rowing Queensland chairman Richard Paterson – a co-chair of LKFCC, along with prominent Brisbane businessman Steve Wilson – said the proposal was presented to both the Quirk and Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority reviews. Paterson said the venue would have the potential to attract international-standard events to Brisbane for decades. 'It will be a very fair course. Its proximity to the third-largest city in Australia is an advantage – it's in a growth corridor that's one of the fastest-growing areas in urban Australia,' he said. The report finds it would cost $21.6 million and generate an additional $55 million in economic activity for the region over 10 years, noting almost a quarter of a million people live within a 10-kilometre radius of the site. There would be grandstand seating for 1000 spectators, with a further 9000 to be seated in temporary stands during Olympic competition. 'Lake Kurwongbah's proximity to other Olympic and Paralympic facilities, such as the Moreton Bay Indoor Sports Centre, underscores its ability to enhance connectivity and logistical efficiency across the Games infrastructure network,' Urbis says.
