It’s Official! Paris will host the Summer Olympics in 2024

A new chapter has opened here in Paris. 100 years after it hosted its last Olympics (1924), the city is tasked once again to be host to the world’s most prestigious international competition.

Needless to say, there is excitement in the air. Public buses are flying Olympics flags, the Olympic rings are showing at the Place de Trocadero, providing excellent photo ops, everywhere you go, there are reminders of Paris 2024. Now that it’s official, it’s time to start building and organizing.

The project strikes a fine line between ambition and reason. The goal: use current facilities in Paris as much as possible, but also use the event to accelerate Paris’ integration with it’s neighboring cities. With that in mind, we should look forward to a more integrated metro, RER and bus system, a long-standing project in need of a political boost.

Here’s a short list of Paris Sites :

• The Grand Palais. Mostly an expo center during the year (and skating rink during Christmas holiday), it will be the site for Taekwondo and Fencing.

• Place des Invalides : host of the Army Museum, will be dedicated to Archery

• Eiffel Tower : The most iconic Monument of Paris will host the Beach Volley tourney at its neighboring park : Champs de Mars.

• Seine River : Freestyle Swimming. Perhaps most ambitious of all projects: cleaning the river to make it swimmable for everyone. A promise the mayor Anne Hidalgo took if Paris were chosen to host.

• Champs Elysees : The largest Avenue in France will be hosting Cycling competitions.

The hard work begins. Paris and Parisians are excited their city will be on the map. The challenges remain difficult but surmountable. We can’t wait to see what happens next!