Macron vows full backing for 2024 bid

PARIS: Emmanuel Macron promised full and enthusiastic support for Paris’ bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games, following his inauguration as French president on Sunday.

As an International Olympic Committee (IOC) assessment team began a three-day bid inspection, Macron told Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo the plan stimulated the kind of national optimism he hopes to generate during his mandate.

“I’m right with you on your venture for the Olympics, Paralympics and the 2024 objective,” Macron told supporters at Paris City Hall.

Paris bid co-chairman and threetime Olympic slalom canoe champion Tony Estanguet revealed his team had been invited to the Elysee Palace — the French president’s official residence — today.

“Our team have a new member — the new president of the Republic Emmanuel Macron,” he enthused.

“He’ll be with us on this adventure all the way to Lima, and hopefully, beyond,” Estanguet said in reference to the September meeting when the IOC will nominate Paris or Los Angeles as host of the 2024 Olympics.

“Not only is he doing us a major honour, but this is a perfect opportunity to answer some serious questions, it’s a crucial meeting for the future,” said Estanguet’s fellow bid co-chairman Bernard Lapasset.

The pair also revealed they had been grilled by the evaluators concerning the identity of the organisation committee head in case of a Paris victory.

“Tony EStanguet will be the leader,” said the 70-year-old Lapasset.

“And Bernard will be the honorary president,” revealed the 39-year-old Estanguet. “The IOC demanded to know our plans,” he said.

Paris Mayor Anne will lead the group overseeing the building of the village and the Olympic pool.

The evaluation committee leader Patrick Baumann said Sunday’s meetings had revealed ‘an exceptional and finely detailed project’.

“The project looks tangible in a sporting, social and economic sense,” he said.

“We also wanted to look as closely as possible at the Athletes Village plans,” he added.

“Paris 2024 had worked very hard getting athletes involved in the planning.” The IOC evaluation visited the city’s iconic and sporting sites set to feature during the Games yesterday, before concluding their visit today.

Baumann was keen to stress on Sunday that the lavish visits to bid cities of old were a thing of the past.

“We sit in a room we exchange. There is no need for any particular special treatment. We are absolutely happy with that. In order to help the biding committee not to have too many expenses, the IOC have decided to take this costs over,” he explained.

He also congratulated Paris for going ahead and building the residential are that would have been the 2012 Olympic village had they beaten London.