Photo: FFCK.
The temporary stands were gone, but the energy of the crowd was still there in Vaires-sur-Marne from September 3rd to 6th for the Canoe Slalom World Cup. A year after the European Championships, the Olympic stadium welcomed back canoeists and kayakers for its second major international competition after the Games. The perfect opportunity to keep the Paris 2024 spirit alive.
Major events, but not only that
Over 16.000 spectators flocked to the Île-de-France Olympic Nautical Stadium during the four days of competition. There were plenty of reasons to come, starting with the lineup, featuring stars like Jessica Fox and numerous French athletes. The latter didn't disappoint in their return to the Olympic venue and thrilled the crowd: Marjorie Delassus, Camille Prigent, Joris Hello, Mathurin Madore, Titouan Castryck, and Martin Cornu all reached the podium. The event also aimed to promote paddle sports to the public, not just from those seated in the stands: new equipment was tested, free paddling sessions were offered to take advantage of the Olympic basin, and there was an open team challenge for all participants.
« We want to host more events here, more World Cups and European Championships. But we also want to offer a wide range of activities on-site so that people can come and have experiences.explains Pierre Martens, head of events at the FFCK. It's great to see athletes from all over the world, but it's equally great that there's always something going on. “Local schools were involved in this World Cup, and around 10.000 schoolchildren were able to attend. This raised their awareness of paddle sports and perhaps encouraged some of them to take up the water.”
« Our goal for the next ten years is for everyone to be able to come and train on the water here. Whether it's at the stadium or on the lake, we want people to come. “,” adds Sébastien Tester, head of competitions within the organizing committee. A partnership agreement has been signed between the Île-de-France Region, the French Canoe-Kayak Federation, and the regional committee in order to formalize a long-standing collaboration committed to the development and promotion of paddle sports in Île-de-France This is reassuring, even though the leisure park, which includes the water sports center, loses money every year.
« It's a gem, and we want to continue offering Parisians the leisure activities they desire. It has always been the region's policy not to privatize or sell it., Patrick Karam confided, vice-president of the regional council in charge of sports, at the beginning of the year. The site has been extensively modernized for the Games, and the elected official announced new investments based on the models of the leisure parks of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (Yvelines) and Bois-le-Roi (Seine-et-Marne) "to ensure its sustainability."
