Etienne Thobois, CEO of Paris 2024, says Paris has "all the assets" to host "wonderful" Games, including the commitment of all three levels of government -- from the president down -- to offer "certainty and security." Paris' bid for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games is the city's fourth since '92. The French captial last hosted the Olympics in 1924. Thobois answered a series of questions about the city's qualifications and chances of winning its bid to host the 2024 Games in the fourth of a five-part SBD Global series with bid city representatives. Budapest, Hamburg and Los Angeles kicked off the series at the beginning of the week. We will finish the series on Friday with a look at Rome. [Thobois answered the following questions before Friday's terrorist attacks in Paris.]
Q: What do you think makes your city the best choice for the IOC?
Etienne Thobois: We believe Paris has all the assets, the creative thinking and the forward-looking approach to host wonderful Games fit for a modern world and in line with the vision of Olympic Agenda 2020. This includes having almost 80% of our possible Games venues already built or under construction, which offers certainty to the IOC, the International Federations and the Olympic Movement. And these venues are not ordinary sports arenas -- they are world-famous destinations with incredible history and prestige that evoke decades of sporting culture. They include Roland Garros, Stade de France and Grand Palais -- venues that have already hosted countless events before and our plan is integrate the additional iconic landmarks of Paris, such as the Champs Elysees and the Chateau de Versailles, as further Games locations that will provide an amazing visual backdrop for the Olympic action.
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Paris 2024 has the commitment of all three levels of government from the president down, which offers us further certainty and security. The high levels of cross-party political and public support ensures that our bid, more than ever before, is a national and city priority and our sporting and public institutions are working together seamlessly so we can create the ideal Games environment for athletes, fans and the Olympic Family.
We also believe that the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris would grow the appeal and interest in Olympic sport across the nation and around the world.
Paris and France are passionate about all Olympic sports -- from archery to handball to wrestling -- and our enthusiastic fans will fill the venues at every session and every event on the Games schedule. We can therefore showcase and promote Olympic sport in every global territory with broadcast shots of cheering supporters beamed into every home. And with Paris’ new recreational facilities and programs in the inner city, we will develop a true sporting hub in the heart of the urban environment that will help local communities, particularly young people, make sport truly a way of life.
Paris is a city with strong heritage and traditions but is also excited about its future as a modern, diverse, innovative, sustainable and cosmopolitan capital city -- underpinned by a positive culture of sharing and collaboration that drives forward the city’s growth and development. Our city of 11 million people embraces 130 nationalities with one in five French residents born outside our borders. This diversity and the creativity it produces will be at the heart of a Paris Games and provide a home away from home for all Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
2024 will mark 100 years since Paris last hosted the Games and it would be our great honor to invite the world for a wonderful party that is a genuine celebration of Olympism and will showcase the relevance of Olympic values in the modern world through inspiration, education and innovation.
Q: Your bid and L.A. are the early frontrunners, why do you think that is? And how can you stay ahead of the competition?
Thobois: The starting pistol has just been fired for the 2024 bidding race and Paris is focused right now on growing and strengthening an excellent bid committee team, developing and communicating its unique vision for a modern Games and building the ideal Games plan that will provide the best results for the competing athletes, fans, the inhabitants of the city and the Olympic Family. Our bid is led by the sports movement and just like athletes in a competition, we are only concentrating on our own race and making sure we are fit, sharp and ready. Like all the bidding cities we are at the beginning of a long journey full of opportunities and challenges. We now look forward to the long campaign ahead and creating a Games model and message that positively resonates with the Olympic Movement.
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Etienne Thobois
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Q: How important were Thomas Bach’s “Agenda 2020” reforms in your decision to bid for the Olympics?
Thobois: The vision of Olympic Agenda 2020 was a key motivating factor in Paris’ decision to bid for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. These reform proposals offer great opportunities to evolve our plan for the Games through useful stakeholder discussion and consultation, helping to ensure our project is in perfect harmony with the city’s long-term sports, economic, social and environmental strategies, and the aims of the Olympic Family.
We are committed to bidding for these Games with new ideas and fresh concepts, to learn from the lessons of our past bid campaigns and to set a new bar in delivering both a stunning and appropriate Games in 2024 that delivers a true return on investment for all. Central to our thinking is the use of Paris’ wonderful and iconic existing venues -- 80% of which are ready or under construction -- that would provide the perfect platform to showcase the Games and create a great experience for athletes and fans. Furthermore, as a global, dynamic and popular capital city with a large and diverse youth population, Paris can help to promote the Games and Olympic sport to younger generations which will further enhance the Olympic brand.
On every front -- sporting, social, environmental and cultural -- we have developed joined-up thinking to deliver sustainable plans and create the potential for amazing legacies. We therefore believe Paris 2024 is a unique opportunity to return Olympism to the heart of our city and make it central to the lives of our citizens -- reflecting a key goal of Agenda 2020.
Q: Cost overruns have been a big issue with recent and future Olympics, i.e. Sochi and Tokyo. What measures would you put in place to control spending?
Thobois: Paris has been considering this bid and working on developing its plans for more than two years. In that time, we have been analyzing, sharing ideas, and working in partnership with our stakeholders in sport, in local neighborhoods and in politics and as a result we are in a good position to devise a robust project that delivers cost-efficient and appropriate Games to maximize the return of investment for all stakeholders, especially the public of Paris.
Our bid for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games is Paris’ fourth since 1992 so we are harnessing all this past experience, listening and learning from the international sporting community and working seamlessly with our national, regional and local public institutions to achieve the best Games project that is underpinned by cost-effectiveness and diligent financial planning. As mentioned, with the vast majority of our venues ready or under construction, Paris 2024 promises certainty and a Games model that is sensible and fully in line with the IOC’s Agenda 2020 strategy.
Q: What are the biggest issues facing your bid?
Thobois: Like all the bidding cities we are at the beginning of a long journey full of opportunities and challenges. As the campaign progresses, we’re sure that we’ll be faced with issues that will need to be tackled. That’s why we’re focused right now on building the right team for this project, led by our co-Presidents Bernard Lapasset and Tony Estanguet, who will be equipped with the attributes to channel any challenges to create positive effect.
Q: How would classify your chances in the race for the 2024 Olympics?
Thobois: It is not for us to comment on our chances to be selected. We just want to reiterate that the Paris 2024 team is excited to be a part of this race and we are looking forward to mapping out our plans in greater detail in the coming months, listening and learning each step of the way.
