The time has not yet come to take stock of the Paris 2024 Games. The flame has been extinguished, of course, and the temporary sites have been dismantled or are about to be. But we will have to wait several more months before we can draw a definitive line, particularly in terms of budget, on the Olympic and Paralympic event.
Pierre Rabadan, for his part, did not wait. Invited to the smart cities & sport summit 2024 in Lausanne, the deputy mayor of the City of Paris in charge of Sports, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Seine, spoke at length on Tuesday 12 November about the reasons for the success of the last Games, particularly in the French capital.
He did it with passion and enthusiasm. It was expected. But the former rugby player also brought out of the tangle of emotions and beautiful images a fine and pertinent analysis of French and Parisian success. Only two months after the end of the Paralympic Games, it was a little less so.
First lesson suggested by Pierre Rabadan, in line with a 2024 edition of the smart cities & sport summit dedicated to relations between host cities and international federations: the need to create unity between all stakeholders, and even more to maintain it. Not easy, especially with a project involving such a large number of private and public actors.
« But it is essential to establish this unity very early, and to continue working together, despite the difficulties and hazards of preparation. We must define a vision and stick to it.", he insisted. Clearly, Paris 2024 has taken up this challenge, which many observers considered impossible.
Another message delivered by Pierre Rabadan at the headquarters of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), where the summit laid out the scenery for its first day: we must an-ti-ci-pate. Elementary, no doubt, but not always easy for an event awarded nearly seven years in advance. Seven years may seem like a long time when the work begins., explained Pierre Rabadan. But things are moving very fast. The last two years, especially, are flying by at breakneck speed. So it is very important to do things as soon as they have been decided. Do not wait for the next step. Act quickly without letting time catch up with you."
Pierre Rabadan also explains the popular success of the Paris 2024 Games by the audacity of the local authorities. It is summed up in one figure, 26, the number of celebration sites proposed in the capital, open to the public and with free access. At least one per district, sometimes several.
« Typically, a host city plans six or seven of these, recalled the deputy mayor of the City of Paris. We set up 26 of them, each with a specific sports and cultural programme. They remained open for 42 days. In total, the celebration sites welcomed 2,5 million visitors. They helped ensure that everyone had an experience of the Games, even without having tickets to the competitions. When spending public money, you have to be bold and creative. People have to understand that their money really serves the territories."
What's next? The legacy? Pierre Rabadan makes no secret of it: the challenge remains immense. Since the end of the Games, the number of people taking part in Olympic disciplines has increased by 15 to 20% in France, with peaks of 25% for sports such as swimming, table tennis, basketball and volleyball. The Paris 2024 effect. It was expected. But Pierre Rabadan acknowledges it: " We knew that the event would create vocations, but without having a precise vision of how things would happen on the ground."
Despite everything, the City of Paris has taken the lead. With one priority: sports sites. The heritage plan was launched in 2018, focusing on young people. "We have renovated more than 80 playground for basket », recalls Pierre Rabadan.
The Sports deputy agrees: the hardest part is just beginning. "Keep all these new practitioners », he sums up. Not a foregone conclusion. "It's all about sports sites", he insists. The places of practice, therefore. And, in parallel, a close collaboration with the sports movement, national and international, initiated well in advance and continued well after the flame has been extinguished.
