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Vitality and openness!
For those watching from home or for those present in Paris, it seems safe to say that we have literally been blown away by the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. We are now enthusiastic for round two of this celebration of sport and friendship with the Paralympic Games having just begun in brilliant fashion! These Games have succeeded in combining the sublimation of historical buildings with the simplicity of public celebration and excitement. Beyond these spectacular images and these memorable moments, the Paris Games have been replete with creative ideas, effective solutions and motivation. We have the opportunity to reproduce, duplicate, and adapt these tools to our cities and our sports events, especially in areas such as inclusiveness, sustainability, and accessibility.
As part of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the City of Paris is offering field visits/ tours to international delegations and the network of Olympic cities to promote the legacy of the Paris 2024 Games (accessibility, sport in the city, legacy for Parisians after the Games, etc.) as well as the major transformation projects undertaken by the City of Paris over the past 10 years (sustainable urban planning and mobility, adaptation to climate change, social inclusion and solidarity, culture, etc.). These tours are free of charge and led by experts from the municipality. The “Tours in the City” programme is available here and the City of Paris would be delighted to welcome you on any of these tours.
The Word Union of Olympic Cities has also embarked on the path of openness, by inviting the Olympic legacy stakeholders to join the Association as Affiliate Members. We will be even better positioned to respond to the mission of our organisation if we are more numerous and more diversified. We look forward to meeting again in November and welcoming new members, broadening our horizons, and sharing inspiring ideas and best practices. The time has come to register to join us in Lausanne!
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On the spot
Interview with
Marie Sallois
IOC Corporate and Sustainable Development Director
Member of the Executive Committee of the World Union of Olympic Cities
As the Paris Olympic Games have just ended, with a sound legacy already on track, what are the main messages you would like to share with Olympic Cities?
Paris 2024 has set new benchmarks for the positive impact and legacy the Games can create for the local people and community and their environment. These were spectacular Olympic Games that were also more responsible, more sustainable and more inclusive.The Games were fully aligned with Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC’s strategic roadmap which shifts the focus from the hosts adapting to the Games, to the Games adapting to the hosts and their economic, social and environmental needs.Millions of people and businesses have benefitted from the Games initiatives even before the event’s kick-off: from children at French schools enjoying 30 minutes of sport every day to the more than 500 social businesses that were contracted to deliver the Games.With a strong focus on social impact and sustainability, Paris 2024 proved that it is possible to host a global event with a reduced environmental impact, while creating social and economic benefits for generations to come.
Once the Games momentum is over, work continues with the Host city and Olympic legacy stakeholders. To ensure that Olympic legacy is valued, how is this “transfer” to the various Olympic legacy stakeholders being organised?
Paris 2024 was a team effort from the start. The organizing Committee collaborated very closely with cities, regional and local authorities and the French National Olympic Committee to implement initiatives that would have a lasting impact beyond the Games. All impact and legacy programmes were either in partnership or co-constructed with legacy stakeholders.For example, Paris 2024 joined forces with the French Ministry of National Education and healthcare experts to implement 30 minutes of physical exercise at school every day – a progamme which has been adopted as a national policy.In partnership with cities in Seine-Saint-Denis and Marseille, Paris implemented the 1,2,3 Nagez! (1,2,3 Swim!) programme, which has provided free swimming lessons to over 36,000 children across France, including 9,400 from Seine-Saint-Denis, helping develop essential swimming skills and promoting water safety.The Impact 2024 programme, supporting social innovation through sports at the grassroot level, was co-financed with the city of Paris, the Seine Saint Denis department and the national sport agency, amongst others.The Olympic and Paralympic Week, which, over eight editions, engaged five million young people in sport, was implemented as a joint initiative between the French Ministry of National Education and Youth, the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, the Ministry of Sport and the sporting movement (CNOSF, CPSF), as well as school and university sports federations (UNSS, USEP, UGSEL, FFSU), and the Olympic and Paralympic Federations.Efforts to open opportunities to social business in Paris 2024 tenders were supported from by the city of Paris and the association Les Canaux.The legacy entities had a seat at the Paris 2024 Board and, in December 2023, a roadmap for the transition was decided and approved by all.
In 2023, the World Union of Olympic Cities opened its membership to all Olympic legacy stakeholders, now able to join as Affiliate members. What are the opportunities for Olympic legacy stakeholders in joining the Union?
In line with Agenda 2020+5 Recommendation 2 “Foster the delivery of lasting benefits to the Host communities prior to and after the Olympic Games”, the IOC explored ways to strengthen multi-stakeholder collaboration on Olympic Legacy while also strengthening the collaboration with the World Union of Olympic Cities.The World Union of Olympic Cities initiative to open its membership to legacy entities was the perfect solution. We are very pleased with this development.Joining the Union allows legacy entities to stay connected with their Olympic history and with others sharing a similar path. It means having access to a strong, dynamic and well consolidated network of organizations with similar interests, opportunities and challenges. They can have access to activities that engage, inform and promote dialogue, and have an opportunity to exchange on specific topics of interest. They can get inspired by initiatives carried out by Olympic cities and other Olympic legacy stakeholders. In addition, the annual events are an opportunity to expand connections with like-minded people from all around the world and experience Olympic legacies first-hand through visits organised by the Union.
This year in Lausanne, the Annual event of the Union will gather a wide constellation of actors involved in activating the Olympic legacy. This is a demonstration of the vitality and creativity in keeping the flame alive. How does the gathering of all actors in one network allow for a deeper and more comprehensive approach to action on Olympic legacy?
The annual event in Lausanne will be a unique moment to debrief on the experience of Paris 2024 with the host city and other legacy stakeholders, to engage in a dialogue with the International Olympic Committee and International Federations located in Lausanne, to exchange with Olympic hosts from all over the world, and to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the designation of Lausanne as the Olympic Capital.
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From the Legacy Inspiration Box
Remember PyeongChang 2018
To mark the 13th anniversary of the designation of PyeongChang as the host city of the Winter Olympics and the 6th Anniversary of Pyeongchang 2018, large-scale ceremonies and events were held on 6 July 2024.
6 July is the day when Pyeongchang was selected to host the 2018 Winter Olympics at the 123rd IOC session in Durban, South Africa in 2011. Around 3,000 people participated in the event, including former members of the bid committee, former members of the organizing committee, officials from the Winter Sports Federation, and volunteers. Most of the participants strolled the Olympic Road, the location of the Olympic torch, the Opening & Closing ceremony, and the Olympic Museum. In addition, some special guests enjoyed the Olympic Legacy Tour Program on 27 July 2024. In his address, Mr. Jae Kook SIM, Mayor of Pyeongchang stated a commitment to furthering the legacy of the Games: “Thank you for participating in the ceremony to remember and celebrate the Pyeongchang Olympics. As the representative of Pyeongchang that held two Olympics (Pyeongchang 2018, Gangwon 2024), I will continue to commemorate the Olympics and carry out legacy projects.” To play the video of the event, click here and to see additional pictures, click here.
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Stay Tuned with the Union
SUMMIT 2024 The preparation of our annual event is in full swing! We invite you to register online to be part of this unique gathering in Lausanne. Please note that registration will close on 11 October. We kindly ask that you register before this date to guarantee the best organisation for your stay. Create a new profile or login in and get ready to join us in November!
OLYMPIC LEGACY STAKEHOLDERS – JOIN THE UNION !
The World Union of Olympic Cities is delighted to open its doors to all Olympic legacy stakeholders interested in sharing inspirational initiatives, expanding their networks, strengthening collaborations, and stimulating creativity. To learn more about joining the Union as an Affiliate Member and participate in the annual event, visit our website, where the statutes, the membership benefits and the registration form are available, and do not hesitate to contact us!
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On the Cities & Sport Planet
EUROPEAN WEEK OF SPORT
Surfing on the wave of the Paris Games, the 2024 European Week of Sport will take place from 23 to 30 September, in Europe and beyond. With the participation of EU Olympic Ambassadors, the emphasis is on promoting EU values and the values of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games through the #BeActive campaign and European Week of Sport. In 2024, the European Week of Sport will focus on inclusion, well-being, and belonging. To learn more, click here!
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Keep an Eye on Olympic Cities
What’s going on in your cities?
DAKAR The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games unveiled their motto during the 142th IOC Session held in Paris at the end of July. “Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates”. This emphasises that with Dakar as the first city of Host an Olympic sporting event, the whole continent will be in the spotlight to welcome the world. During the Paris Olympic Games, and continuing during a portion of the Paralympic Games, the Île-Saint-Denis, close to Paris, was transformed into an “African station”, including the Dakar 2026 House, a fan zone, an African village with sports exhibitions, conferences, food, and concerts. To learn more about the Dakar 2026 motto, click here.
RIO DE JANEIRO FGV – the leading Brazilian think tank, according to Global Go To Think Tank Index – released a study on 23 July revealing the economic impacts of investments made or planned in the context of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. It is the first study to quantify the economic impacts of the Games from a broader perspective. Eight years after the event, it is possible to observe that the Rio de Janeiro City Hall delivered one of the most efficient Olympic Games in history in terms of the rational use of public money. To learn more, click here to read the summary and here to read the full study.
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To share news, communicate relevant information or suggest inspiring ideas, please write to info@olympiccities.org
Contact us
World Union of Olympic Cities
info@olympiccities.org
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