The matter seemed settled. Obviously, it is not. According to Le Parisien, the question of the aquatic center for the Paris 2024 Games continues to make waves between the different stakeholders in the Olympic project. A soap opera whose last episode has a few surprises in store.
At the end of April, Tony Estanguet believed he had put an end to the controversy by assuring, with a hand on his heart, that the organizing committee would keep its commitments by leaving Seine-Saint-Denis a “ strong and lasting legacy ». In short, a permanent aquatic center, destined to become the training center for the French swimming elite, as written in black and white in the application file.
Forgotten, therefore, the scenario of temporary equipment, brandished a few weeks earlier in a report from the General Inspectorate of Finance. To hell with the risk of cost overruns raised by the experts.
In reality, the idea continues to gain ground. According to Le Parisien, it even remains extremely topical. At the end of numerous meetings between Jean Castex, the interministerial delegate to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the elected officials of Seine-Saint-Denis, several options will be proposed before the next visit of the IOC Coordination Commission .
The first concerns the future aquatic center. Among the ideas mentioned, that of a semi-demountable aquatic center is the most popular. It foresees that the 50m pool used for the racing swimming events would be removed after the Games, as would the stands. The equipment would thus take on a “temporary” character. As such, its financing would no longer be ensured by Solideo, therefore by the public authorities, but by the COJO.
Upon discovering the news, the French Swimming Federation (FFN) did not hide its surprise. “ We're more confused than worried because it all seems a bit big.", told Team Patrick Perez, president of the marketing and communications committee. Before specifying that it should not “ ask the Federation to be associated with the Olympic Games under these conditions. »
The other proposed modifications appear less radical. But they foreshadow a map of sites which could well move away little by little from the initial project. Water polo, planned in the application file at La Courneuve, would be repatriated to the Saint-Denis aquatic center, with swimming and diving.
The media village, announced at Le Bourget and at one time threatened, would be retained, but with a capacity reduced to 1.300 housing units, compared to 1500 in the initial plan. The athletes' village in Saint-Denis could also be reworked, mainly due to the difficulty in recovering certain plots of land.
Volleyball will remain at Le Bourget, unlike badminton, which has been relocated to a temporary site in the heart of Paris. This could be the future hall to be installed in the capital to host certain cultural events during the renovation work on the Grand Palais.
At this stage, this new plan B remains conditional. It has the merit of reducing costs, but still needs to be discussed. The debate promises to be tense. But time is running out. Tony Estanguet has often repeated: he wants to be able to present the most complete copy possible during the first visit of the IOC Coordination Commission, from June 18 to 19, 2018.
