logo
ENFRع
#

Latest news with #LéonMarchand

A Year On, Paris 2024 Belongs to Everyone
A Year On, Paris 2024 Belongs to Everyone

Associated Press

time12 hours ago

  • Sport
  • Associated Press

A Year On, Paris 2024 Belongs to Everyone

International Olympic Committee news A year ago, beneath a stormy summer sky, history unfolded along the River Seine. For the first time ever, the Opening Ceremony broke free from stadium walls and embraced the city itself. Athletes from over 200 National Olympic Committees and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Refugee Olympic Team floated down the river aboard a fleet of boats, transforming the Seine into a majestic stage. Despite the rain, over 300,000 spectators lined the riverside in person, and hundreds of millions watched from around the globe – witnessing a city reimagined through sport: proud, creative and inclusive. Following the opening, for 17 days, Paris came alive with sport and celebration. With nearly 90 per cent of people in the Paris region engaged with the Games, the celebrations were spilling out into every street, venue and screen. From dramatic finishes at the Stade de France to roaring crowds at La Défense Arena, the city pulsed with emotion. Simone Biles staged a stunning comeback, Léon Marchand lit up the pool with five medals, and Armand Duplantis soared to a new world record. In Tahiti, surfers conquered the waves of Teahupo'o, showing how Paris 2024 expanded both the reach and meaning of the Games. Around five billion people around the world, 84 per cent of the potential audience, followed the magic of Paris 2024, making them the most followed Olympic Games ever. In keeping with its motto, 'Games Wide Open', Paris 2024 was the first edition fully aligned with the principles of the Olympic Agenda reforms – the IOC's strategic roadmap to make the Games more inclusive, more sustainable and better tailored to the needs of their host. And Paris showed this Agenda in action – from planning and procurement to delivery and legacy. Every decision was guided by the question: how can the Games serve the city, its people and generations to come? More sport for more people Paris 2024 put sport at the heart of daily life – especially for young people. Through the 'Bouger Plus' campaign, 30 minutes of daily physical activity are now being introduced into all French primary schools. Over 38,000 children have so far received free swimming lessons through the '1,2,3 Nagez!' programme. Since 2017, more than five million young people have taken part in Olympic and Paralympic Week, with 700,000 participating in 2025. The 'Impact 2024' Fund supported grassroots projects that brought sport and social innovation to 4.5 million people. Over 5,000 municipalities across France took part in the 'Terre de Jeux' programme, hosting over 50,000 sport-related events since 2019. Some 370 of those municipalities have been awarded the 'Ville Active et Sportive' label, which recognises innovative sports policies and, to date, has been granted to towns and cities that between them are home to more than a third of France's population. The Paris 2024 Organising Committee's EUR 76 million budgetary surplus will help carry the Olympic and Paralympic legacy further, with the Paris 2024 Endowment Fund responsible for the promotion and development of sport across France. An inclusive celebration Inclusivity ran through every detail of the Games. One million tickets were distributed free of charge to local residents. Every venue was designed or upgraded to improve their accessibility. Those with disabilities participated not just as athletes, but as fans, volunteers, organisers and performers. Gender equality was a defining feature. Paris 2024 was the first Games to achieve full gender parity on the field of play – thanks to the quota places being distributed equally by the IOC to men and women. Twenty-eight of 32 sports reached full gender balance, and 196 delegations selected both a male and female flagbearer for the Opening Ceremony. Across the country, thousands of community celebrations brought the Games into everyday life – proving that Paris 2024 truly belonged to everyone. Delivering social and economic impact The Games generated an estimated EUR 7 to 11 billion in net value for the Greater Paris region, boosting local industries, skills development and long-term investment. This impact was widely shared, making sure the Games contributed positively to local communities and integrated social considerations into economic opportunities. Over 181,000 people were employed across sectors and 90 per cent of suppliers were French, 80 per cent of which were small or medium-sized enterprises. More than 800 local businesses from the social and solidarity economy helped deliver the Games, bringing visibility and momentum to inclusive entrepreneurship. Seine-Saint-Denis, one of France's most diverse and disadvantaged departments, was at the heart of the Games, hosting the Olympic Village and the Olympic Aquatics Centre. The Village is now being converted into a permanent eco-neighbourhood, with private and social housing, schools, nurseries and green public spaces. Having recently re-opened to the public, the Aquatics Centre is now a permanent public facility, creating opportunities for everyday sport in one of France's most underserved areas for sports infrastructure. To mark the first anniversary of the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony, the centre will be open for free to the public on 26 July 2025, thanks to an initiative by the Greater Paris Metropolitan Area and Saint-Denis authorities. Major upgrades to transport, green infrastructure and community services were accelerated. A former Paris 2024 fan zone, Parc Georges-Valbon, located in the heart of Seine-Saint-Denis, underwent its own transformation, becoming France's largest new urban park and offering residents long-overdue access to nature and recreation. One of the most powerful symbols of regeneration is the Seine itself. After a century of pollution, the river was cleaned and reopened for public swimming – a major effort that was accelerated by the Games. On 5 July 2025, three new natural swimming areas – at Bras Marie, Bercy and Grenelle – opened to the public. Throughout the capital, new green spaces, revitalised streets and a calmer urban environment are improving the quality of life – not just for visitors, but for Parisians themselves. A lighter footprint These benefits were delivered while also raising the bar for sustainability. Paris 2024 was the first edition of the Games aligned with the Paris Agreement on climate change, cutting the carbon footprint in half compared to the average of London 2012 and Rio 2016. Ninety-five per cent of venues were existing or temporary, with just three low-carbon new builds. Nearly all six million assets used were reused, recycled or donated. The entire event was powered by renewable energy – with no diesel generators in use and even solar panels floating on the Seine. Some 87 per cent of spectators used public or active transport, thanks to expanded bike lanes, better infrastructure and a Games plan designed around accessibility and efficiency. A model, not a template Paris didn't just host the Games – it redefined what hosting can mean. At the core of this shift were the reforms of Olympic Agenda: a commitment to flexibility, relevance and long-term value. The Games are not a fixed model. Instead, they are shaped around the host's priorities – whether that's social inclusion, climate action, economic development or urban regeneration. Paris 2024 brought that vision to life, proving that sport can be a catalyst for systemic change – when it is integrated, intentional and inclusive from the start. Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from International Olympic Committee

Leon Marchand narrows his World Swimming Championships focus with world record in sight
Leon Marchand narrows his World Swimming Championships focus with world record in sight

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Sport
  • Yahoo

Leon Marchand narrows his World Swimming Championships focus with world record in sight

Since the Paris Olympics, Léon Marchand has surfed in Australia and been asked for a picture while dining in Greece. Back in France, he estimated his fame is 10 times greater than anywhere else he's been. Marchand, who won four swimming gold medals last summer, returned to his training base of Austin, Texas, in late March to prepare for the World Championships. The meet begins this weekend in Singapore (live daily on Peacock). The 23-year-old from Toulouse initially entered the same four events he won in Paris: the 200m and 400m individual medleys, the 200m breaststroke and the 200m butterfly. On Monday, French media reported that Marchand dropped the 200m breast and 200m fly, his two closest races in Paris (the two Olympic finals were about 1 hour, 45 minutes apart). 2025 World Swimming Championships: How to watch, schedule, preview The World Swimming Championships air live on Peacock from July 26-Aug. 3. Nick Zaccardi, "It's a choice we made because we are in a post-Olympic year, and he has never had the opportunity to present a 200m medley without having a race before or after the same day," Marchand's France-based coach Nicolas Castel said in comments reported by France Info that Castel reposted on social media, according to a translation. "He wanted to test this isolated 200m medley and see what he was capable of." The 200m fly final is the day before the 200m IM final. The 200m breast semis are in the same session as the 200m IM final. Dropping them would mean Marchand has no individual races before the 200m IM. He could be capable of breaking the world record: 1:54.00, set by Ryan Lochte at the 2011 World Championships. In Paris, Marchand swam 1:54.06, missing the record by six hundredths of a second. If he can take it down, Marchand will become the second man to own both individual medley world records in the last 30 years. The other: Michael Phelps, whose 400m IM record Marchand broke in 2023 after Phelps held it for 21 years. "I have a lot of things to improve," Marchand said in the spring, reflecting on the Paris Olympics as a whole. "It's not over. I also did a lot of mistakes, so I can do better for sure." Marchand has said the four years of work leading into Paris were the hard part. Swimming at his home Games, despite the pressure, was like spending the money he banked over thousands of training hours, to take a metaphor that his Austin-based coach, Bob Bowman, adopted in his years guiding Phelps. So, how much has Marchand deposited since Paris that he can withdraw in Singapore? Bowman said he's been swimming near his top level in practice. "I'm very happy with how he's been since he's come back," Bowman said. "He's been perfectly normal. He's tried hard. He's made the improvements." Marchand took six weeks of vacation after the Olympics, according to L'Equipe. Then on Nov. 1, he broke Lochte's 200m IM world record for 25-meter short course pools, which are used less frequently than the 50-meter pools at most major meets like the Olympics. He swam and surfed in Australia over three months early this year (during which he cracked a rib, missing a week) before settling back down in Austin. Marchand has yet to swim at a high-stakes meet in 2025, unlike Americans who had to qualify through trials. So there is little race data to gauge how close he is to summer 2024 form. "I think that his year has unfolded — other than the injuries — it's kind of been what he wanted," Bowman said. "I think he needed a mental break. I think he needed to go away to Australia to get out of France for a while. And then when he was ready to come back, he's done very well in Texas." Léon Marchand is France's new swimming star in perfect timing for Paris Olympics France's Leon Marchand developed into the world's best male all-around swimmer under Bob Bowman, who sees similarities between Marchand and Michael Phelps. Nick Zaccardi,

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store