HEADING to PARIS

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be a unique event when it comes to its competition venues, not least because one of the venues is located 9,800 miles (15,800 km) away from the French capital

To say that there is a wide variety of competition venues being used for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games is an understatement. For one, there will be plenty of iconic sites which will host events and provide stunning backdrops, including some of the brightest jewels in France’s cultural treasury. There are also brand new sporting venues, purpose-built for the Games, as well as existing, international sports venues which have already hosted some of the biggest events on the planet. The venues are also scattered all over France. The handball competitions will be held in Lille, while the famous marina in Marseille, in the south of the country, will play host to the sailing competitions. The football tournament will be held in stadia across the country, in the cities of Marseille, Bordeaux, Lyon, Saint-Étienne, Nice and Nantes.

A host of famous Parisian landmarks will be transformed to host events. These include the Château de Versailles, the Grand Palais, Les Invalides, the Eiffel Tower, Champ-de-Mars, Place de la Concorde, the Pont d’Iéna and the Pont Alexandre III.

The Games will also set a record which is unlikely to ever be broken – the furthest distance between a venue to the main hub. The best surfers on the planet will compete for Olympic gold on the legendary waves of Teahupo’o in Tahiti – a mere 9,800 miles (15,800 km) away from the French capital.

● BERCY ARENA

Events hosted Olympic Games: Gymnastics and basketball Paralympic Games: Wheelchair basketball

Capacity: Gymnastics: 12,000 Basketball: 15,350 Wheelchair basketball: 15,700

History: Built in 1984, Bercy Arena is a large sports hall and was once the number one concert venue in France (until La Défense Arena opened recently), welcoming a plethora of international artists. Designed by architects Michel Andrault and Pierre Parat, Bercy Arena in the 12th arrondissement of Paris has a distinctive pyramid shape and sloped sides covered with grass. The arena underwent extensive renovations to modernise its technological infrastructure, increase its capacity and enhance the visitor experience in 2014 and 2015. In the past it has hosted athletics, basketball, equestrian, judo, handball, tennis, ice hockey, skiing, sailing and motocross events, as well as shows, conventions and concerts.

● CHAMP-DE-MARS ARENA

Events hosted Olympic Games: Judo, wrestling Paralympic Games: Para judo, wheelchair rugby

Capacity Judo and Wrestling: 9,000 Para Judo and Wheelchair Rugby: 8,200

History: The wooden structure of the arena was installed at Champ de Mars in early 2021, just opposite the École Militaire. Known as the “Grand Palais Éphémère”, the venue is a 10,000 m temporary building designed by architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte. It was built to host events normally held at Paris’s Grand Palais, while it undergoes a major renovation.

● PARIS LA DÉFENSE ARENA PRACTICAL

Events hosted Olympic Games: Swimming and water polo Paralympic Games: Para swimming

Capacity 17,000

History: Open since October 2017, Paris La Défense Arena in Nanterre was designed by architect Christian de Portzamparc. With a usual capacity of 30,000 for matches and 10,000 to 40,000 for concerts, it is one of the largest indoor arenas in Europe. It also has the largest interactive screen in the world, covering 1,400sq m (or about seven tennis courts). Since its launch, it has hosted concerts and shows by major international artists, conventions, seminars, as well as resident rugby club Racing 92’s matches. The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be the arena’s first time hosting swimming events.

● PARIS EXPO (South Paris Arenas)

History: Paris Expo is an exhibition and convention centre at Porte de Versailles in the 15th arrondissement of Paris. It is one of the busiest such centres in Europe and the most visited in France, welcoming 7.5 million people each year. During Paris 2024, it will host three separate venus, named South Paris Arena 1, 4 & 6.

● South Paris Arena 1

Events hosted Olympic Games: Volleyball Paralympic Games: Boccia

Capacity Volleyball: 12,000 Boccia: 6,000

● South Paris Arena 4

Events hosted Olympic Games: Table tennis Paralympic Games: Para table tennis

Capacity 6,650

● South Paris Arena 6

Events hosted Olympic Games: Weighlifting Paralympic Games: Goalball

Capacity Weightlifting: 5,000 Goalball: 3,466

● PORTE DE LA CHAPELLE ARENA

Events hosted Olympic Games: Badminton, rhythmic gymnastics Paralympic Games: Para badminton, para powerlifting

Capacity Badminton: 7,000 Para Badminton: 6,800 Rhythmic gymnastics and para powerlifting: 7,000

History: One of the brand new venues built for the Games, the arena was designed to be eco-friendly: 80% of the building will be covered in greenery. The building also has a recyclable aluminium facade and was constructed using mainly bio-sourced and low- carbon materials, prioritising reuse wherever possible. Following the Games, the multi- purpose venue will be home to the “Paris Basket” club.

● AQUATICS CENTRE

Events hosted Olympic Games: Artistic swimming, water polo, diving

Capacity 5,000

The Aquatics Centre is one of the two permanent sports facilities built for the Paris 2024 Games, the other being Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue. Located opposite the Stade the France in Saint- Denis – less than 2 km from the Olympic and Paralympic Village – the centre was esigned using biosourced materials only. As a result, the Aquatics Centre is a low- carbon facility that is committed to its energy and environmental performance, as demonstrated by the 5,000sq m of photovoltaicpanels installed on its roof. It will house a range of sports facilities after the Games, including a fitness area, a climbing wall, padel tennis courts and pitches for team sports.

● CHÂTEAU DE VERSAILLES

Events hosted Olympic Games: Equestrian, modern pentathlon Paralympic Games: Para equestrian

Capacity Modern Pentathlon, Equestrian - Dressage and Jumping, Para Equestrian: 15,000 Equestrian - Eventing: 40,000 (5,000 seated and 35,000 standing)

The iconic, world-famous Château de Versailles – a symbol of France’s influence on the world stage – has been adapted to host the Paris 2024 Games in a unique setting. The venue’s esplanade will feature a temporary facility where the dressage and jumping events (including for the eventing competition), the modern pentathlon events and the Paralympic dressage events will take place.

● ÉLANCOURT HILL

Events hosted Olympic Games: Cycling (mountain biking)

Capacity 15,000 (2,700 seated and 12,300 standing)

Élancourt Hill in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines is located between Élancourt and Trappes, 7 km away from the track cycling venue Vélodrome National. Reaching 231 m, the summit is the highest point in the Greater Paris region and offers clear views of the Eiffel Tower.

All the work required to stage the Olympic mountain bike events and deliver their legacy has been designed to minimise the impact on local biodiversity. No major infrastructure is due to be built – 95% of the Olympic routes designed by South African expert Nick Floros are based on existing trails.

● GOLF NATIONAL

Events hosted Olympic Games: Golf

Capacity 32,720 (2,720 seated and 30,000 standing)

The Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, around 30 km from Paris, is one of the most prestigious golf courses in Europe. Opened in 1991, it was designed as a permanent venue for the Open de France annual golf tournament and a national training facility. It also hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup.

● GRAND PALAIS

Events hosted Olympic Games: Fencing, taekwondo Paralympic Games: Wheelchair fencing, para taekwondo

Capacity 8,000

Located on on Avenue des Champs-Elysées, The Grand Palais was designed by a group of architects for the 1900 Paris Exposition. The iconic monument has been extensively restored over the years to modernise its infrastructure.

● HÔTEL DE VILLE

Events hosted Olympic Games: Marathon

The marathon will depart from Hotel Ville, a site steeped in history, where Paris’ municipal authorities have sat since 1357. The current building, after the neo- Renaissance style, was rebuilt by architects Théodore Ballu and Édouard Deperthes. Formerly known as Place de Grève, it is a hub for activities, exhibitions and culture.

● INVALIDES

Events hosted Olympic Games: Archery, road cycling, marathon Paralympic Games: Para archery

Capacity Archery and Para Archery: 8,000 Athletics (Marathon): 8,364

The Esplanade des Invalides is a large green space extending from the majestic Hôtel des Invalides in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. It will provide an exceptional backdrop to the Olympic and Paralympic Archery events, marathon and cycling’s individual time trial events.

● MARSEILLE MARINA

Events hosted Olympic Games: Sailing

Capacity 12,262 (2,262 seated and 10,000 standing)

Marseille is recognised internationally for its expertise in organising and hosting water sports events. For Paris 2024, The Roucas Blanc marina will act as the starting point for the boats and has been adapted for the Games. Works on the venue included building around 7,000sq m of structures and reorganising 17,000sq m of outdoor spaces, as well as the redeveloping of the Roucas Blanc basin.

● FOOTBALL VENUES

Parc des Princes, Bordeaux Stadium, Lyon Stadium, Marseille Stadium, Nantes Stadium, Nice Stadium, Saint-Étienne Stadium

The football competition will be held in the stadia of Marseille, Bordeaux, Lyon, Saint-Étienne, Nice and Nantes (along with the Parc des Princes in Paris)

● LA CONCORDE

Events hosted Olympic Games: Skateboarding, cycling (BMX freestyle) Paralympic Games: Breaking, basketball (3x3)

Capacity Skateboarding park: 7,300 Skateboarding street: 6,900 BMX freestyle: 5,100 Basketball 3 x 3 and Breaking: 5,500

One of the major public squares in Paris, Place de La Concorde will temporarily become an open stage where urban sports take place in their original playground, the city centre.

● PONT D’IÉNA

Events hosted Olympic Games: Race walk, road cycling Paralympic Games:

Capacity 3,349

Pont d’Iéna will be part of a broader area where the Games take place, which includes the competition venues of the Grand Palais, the Pont Alexandre III, the Stade tour Eiffel and the Arena Champ- de-Mars. During the Games, Pont d’Iéna will be completely decked out in temporary structures.

● PONT ALEXANDRE III

Events hosted Olympic Games: Road cycling, marathon swimming, triathlon Paralympic Games: Para Triathlon

Capacity 1,000

The Pont Alexandre III will feature temporary infrastructure and play a major part in the ‘Paris centre’ arrangements during the Games. The bridge, which links two competition venues – Les Invalides and the Grand Palais – will, itself, host the triathlon, the cycling time trial (serving as the finish line) and the marathon swimming.

● LE BOURGET SPORT CLIMBING VENUE

Events hosted Olympic Games: Sport climbing

Capacity 6,000 (3,000 seated and 3,000 standing)

Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue will be one of two sports facilities built specifically for the Games, the other being the Aquatics Centre in Saint-Denis. Five climbing walls will be used during the Games: one indoor warm-up wall in a purpose built sports hall (part of the lasting legacy of the Games) and four outdoor walls, including three competition walls (for the two events on the programme, i.e. speed and the combined boulder and lead event) and one warm- up wall. The facility will be at the heart of a Games cluster just a stone’s throw away from the media village in Dugny and La Courneuve Shooting Range.

● SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES BMX STADIUM

Events hosted Olympic Games: BMX racing

Capacity 2,650 (2,450 seated and 200 standing)

Located at the heart of a cycling hub near Élancourt Hill, where the mountain bike competitions will take place. the Saint-Quentinen-Yvelines BMX Stadium is fully covered – a rare feature for BMX venues. The 400m track regularly hosts UCI BMX Supercross World Cup events and has been redesigned specifically for the Games.

● STADE DE FRANCE

Events hosted Olympic Games: Athletics, rugby Paralympic Games: Para athletics

Capacity 77,083

The Stade de France – the Olympic Stadium for the Paris 2024 Games – is the largest stadium in France. Since it opened in 1998, it has been the focal point of all major national and international sporting events held in France. As well as the main stadium, The Stade de France has an annex stadium that can be used for warm-ups and practice sessions. It is connected to the stadium via an underground walkway.

● PIERRE MAUROY STADIUM

Events hosted Olympic Games: Handball

Capacity 27,000

Open since 2012, the Pierre Mauroy stadium in Lille is a modern sports facility that can easily adapt to a wide range of uses. The stadium has hosted a variety of international events, including the Davis Cup finals in 2014 and 2018, EuroBasket 2015, the 2017 IHF World Men’s Handball Championship, the 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, as well as concerts. The stands can hold 50,000 spectators for football and rugby matches. It takes less than 30 minutes to fully open and close the stadium’s retractable roof for indoor events.

● VAIRES-SUR-MARNE NAUTICAL STADIUM

Events hosted Olympic Games: Rowing, canoeing and kayaking (sprint and slalom) Paralympic Games:

Capacity Canoe, kayak sprint and rowing: 24,000 (14,000 seated and 10,000 standing Canoe and kayak slalom (White Water) & para canoe: 12,000 Para rowing: 14,000

The venue has hosted the 1991 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships and Canoe World Cup events in 1992 and 1996. It was extensively renovated ahead of the Games, with work involving building a white water centre with a 250m slalom course, modernising the 2,200m rowing and sprint course, as well as building related infrastructure, a media centre and accommodation for athletes and visitors. The redevelopment was designed with both Games athletes and legacy in mind and is expected to attract up to 500,000 visitors each year post-Games.

● ROLAND-GARROS STADIUM

Events hosted Olympic Games: Tennis, boxing Paralympic Games: Wheelchair tennis, sitting volleyball

Capacity Tennis and wheelchair tennis: 28,229 (Philippe- Chatrier Court: 14,962, Simone-Mathieu Court: 5,289, Outside courts: 7,978 for Tennis and 7,602 for wheelchair Tennis) Boxing and Sitting volleyball: 9,829

Roland-Garros is the home of the French Open Grand Slam tournament and one of the world’s most iconic international tennis venues.

● YVES-DU-MANOIR STADIUM

Events hosted Olympic Games: Hockey

Capacity 18,000

Yves-du-Manoir stadium was the main venue for the Paris 1924 Games and is considered one of the most iconic stadiums in French sporting history. It has been renovated regularly over the years and underwent extensive upgrading works ahead of the Games. After the Games, the French Hockey Federation will set up its headquarters in the stadium and the venue will house the federation’s national training centre (including two artificial hockey pitches for competitions and training) in one of the two new buildings, feature a permanent 1,000-seater stand and provide premises for the federation, the Île-de-France Hockey League, the Hauts-de-Seine Hockey Committee and, eventually, a resident club. Additionally, four football pitches and three rugby pitches with floodlights, a second building for football and rugby, as well as a new athletics track will be built on an existing playing field.

● SAINT-QUENTIN-EN- YVELINES VELODROME

Events hosted Olympic Games: Cycling Paralympic Games: Para cycling

Capacity 4,900

Originally conceived as part of Paris’ bid to host the 2012 Games, the Vélodrome National boasts an innovative Siberian pine track that is 250m long by 8 m wide and has a gradient of 13° on the straights and 43.8° on the turns. The track was designed by Ralph Schürmann, who also worked on the velodrome used for the 2008 Beijing Games. The versatile, modular venue can accommodate a range of activities, including sporting and cultural events.

● LA COURNEUVE SHOOTING RANGE

Events hosted Olympic Games: Shooting Paralympic Games: Para shooting

Capacity 6,875

Spanning 13 ha, the Terrain des Essences – a former fuel storage site owned by the French Ministry of the Armed Forces that is now abandoned – was cleaned up, redeveloped and regenerated for the Games. The 15 Olympic shooting events, as well as the Paralympic shooting events will take place in temporary facilities, namely two indoor competition halls and one outdoor facility. After the Games, the Terrain des Essences will become a natural area connected to the 417 ha Georges Valbon departmental park.

● EIFFEL TOWER STADIUM

Events hosted Olympic Games: Volleyball Paralympic Games: Blind football

Capacity 12,860

A temporary 12,000-seater stadium has been built in the middle of Champ de Mars, the park in which the Eiffel Tower sits. Extensive redevelopment work has also been carried out on the other side of the Eiffel Tower from the Pont d’Iéna to the Trocadéro area to create a long, nature-filled promenade for pedestrians.

● TEAHUPO’O, TAHITI

Events hosted Olympic Games: Surfing

Capacity Approx. 1,000 (on the beach)

Having made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games, the surfing competition will return to its roots in 2024. Tahiti is the birthplace of surfing and its legendary Teahupo’o wave is among the trickiest in the world and certainly one of the most spectacular at that time of year.