Paris 2024

[TorchbearerSydney]

Q: Obviously, this was implied in my message for Paris, and more generally for a city that is not by the sea

Tahiti for beach volleyball?

[sebastien1214]

Tahiti hosts surfing events because you necessarily have to have a large water zone (generally: the sea/ocean) to surf, which Paris does not have, so it was necessary to relocate this event.

For beach volleyball, there are no constraints. So there is no point in relocating this sport, we must not forget that relocating sports represents an additional cost.

(and with only 283,000 inhabitants in French Polynesia all spread over islands scattered over nearly 1000km, it will be complicated to fill the stands of a stadium, even temporary...)

[yoshi]

If you can have beach volleyball in the middle of Birmingham you can have it anywhere! Obviously it's also special if you can hold it on a world famous actual beach, like the next two 

[Sir Rols]

40 minutes ago, TorchbearerSydney said:

Tahiti for beach volleyball?

That would severely restrict ticket sales for what has become one of the most high profile sports of the games. And why? Beach volleyball doesn’t NEED a beach. It’s nice if it does, but holding it at spectacular locations like Horse Guards or the Eiffel Tower more than compensate.

[FYI]

I'd really like to know anyway, how many are actually going to make the trek all the way to Tahiti to attend Olympic surfing. I know I for one, if was going to attend any Paris 2024 events that surfing this year would be off my list cause of it's extreme remote location in the South Pacific. 

I know the arguments of the "waves" out there makes it an ideal spot, but I'd still say the venue would've been better served somewhere in the south of France or the Bay of Biscay, simply due for more Olympic exposure & actually more attendees being able to go to the surfing event if it was held much closer to the host city.

[Sir Rols]

5 minutes ago, FYI said:

I'd really like to know anyway, how many are actually going to make the trek all the way to Tahiti to attend Olympic surfing. I know I for one, if was going to attend any Paris 2024 events that surfing this year would be off my list cause of it's extreme remote location in the South Pacific. 

I know the arguments of the "waves" out there makes it an ideal spot, but I'd still say the venue would've been better served somewhere in the south of France or the Bay of Biscay, simply due for more Olympic exposure & actually more attendees being able to go to the surfing event if it was held much closer to the host city.

I dunno. I’ve always liked the idea of Tahiti staging surfing. I think i has the potential to really showcase surfing at its best. And if I’d been able to seriously plan a visit to this year’s games, I might have even planned a route via Tahiti to get there (though I’d expect cost would have dissuaded me in the end).

[baron-pierreIV]

I don't know that they even sell tickets for Surfing.  It's like some Yachting/Sailing events -- because they take place out in the waters, and unless you're a real die-hard fan, I think they sell very few tickets for Yachting/Sailing.  Same goes for Surfing.  It's one of the sports where a COJO should expect to lose some $$ in ticket sales.  

What are the other sports where it is difficult to sell tickets: 
Mountain Bike Racing?? 
Open water swimming? 
Those ridiculous 20K and 50K Walk-Run thingies. 
The marathons--I know they don't sell tickets for those.  

I think Tour de France and all the road races, do they sell tickets for those??

Anything that's not contained in a stadium or arena -- where you cannot have people pay and sit for at least 1/2 hour; are non-ticketable events and write-offs in the box-office income columns for the COJO.  
 

[Sir Rols]

17 minutes ago, baron-pierreIV said:

I don't know that they even sell tickets for Surfing.  It's like some Yachting/Sailing events -- because they take place out in the waters, and unless you're a real die-hard fan, I think they sell very few tickets for Yachting/Sailing.  Same goes for Surfing.  It's one of the sports where a COJO should expect to lose some $$ in ticket sales.  

What are the other sports where it is difficult to sell tickets: 
Mountain Bike Racing?? 
Open water swimming? 
Those ridiculous 20K and 50K Walk-Run thingies. 
The marathons--I know they don't sell tickets for those.  

I think Tour de France and all the road races, do they sell tickets for those??

Anything that's not contained in a stadium or arena -- where you cannot have people pay and sit for at least 1/2 hour; are non-ticketable events and write-offs in the box-office income columns for the COJO.  
 

Apparently that’s the case:

According to Paris 2024 organizers, one-third of the sport event tickets will be €50 or less and almost two-thirds will be under €100. The highest price will be €980 for final events. Prices depend on the event and the location of a seat. Surfing, though, will be accessible for free.

deseret news

[TorchbearerSydney]

If there is a cheeky smiley face on a post () it usually means someone is making a joke or being sarcastic....no need to explain the absolute obvious!!!!!

Did people really think I was suggesting beach volleyball for Tahiti?????

[FYI]

So, since the Opening Ceremony won't take place any in any stadium this time & is gonna be out in the open (& those are usually very pricey tickets anyway), it's going to be free admission this year?? And exactly, unless you're a real die-hard fan of surfing, who's going to bother going all the way to Tahiti for it, even if it is the Olympics?

I know that surfing is taking place opening weekend of the Games, so if one wanted to attend the Opening Ceremonies (& other opening weekend Olympic marquee events) & also watch surfing, there's a conundrum right there. I know which one I'd rather want to go see really bad though, & it wouldn't be surfing. From the U.S, & especially from Europe it would make no sense whatsoever.

[FYI]

People are sometimes oblivious to emojis. But when making a joke, especially a sarcastic one, would probably be better to use this emoji  instead of this one 

[TorchbearerSydney]

Imagine trying to 'quickly' get to Tahiti from Paris....I was wondering if they might fly the medallists in surfing to Paris for a medal ceremony, just as a way of linking the surfing to Paris...I suspect not.

[cfm Jeremie]

There will be no spectator on the site of TeaHupo'o as the wave is actually not on the beach but by the lagoon reef. There will however be a live celebration site in Tahiti with a giant screen to follow the competition.

Should they wish so, athletes competing in surfing will be able to travel to Paris for the end of the Games and the closing ceremony (it is however unlikely as the World Surf League tour continues in the Pacific region after the Games).

[Sir Rols]

I do remember the organisers saying they’ll fly all the surfers after their events to Paris so they can enjoy the rest of the games.

[baron-pierreIV]

5 hours ago, Sir Rols said:

I do remember the organisers saying they’ll fly all the surfers after their events to Paris so they can enjoy the rest of the games.

What if the rest of the athletes prefer to spend their free time in Tahiti?    Will they fly the rest of the athletes to have a taste of Tahiti?? 

[cfm Jeremie]

40 minutes ago, baron-pierreIV said:

What if the rest of the athletes prefer to spend their free time in Tahiti?    Will they fly the rest of the athletes to have a taste of Tahiti?? 

Will LA fly the rest of the athletes to the football venues or Oklahoma 

[baron-pierreIV]

59 minutes ago, cfm Jeremie said:

Will LA fly the rest of the athletes to the football venues or Oklahoma 

All the football venues will be in CA--SoCal and in the Bay Area.  It's not yet certain that White-water Rafting will go to Oklahoma yet but I don't think LA28 has promised that they would fly the White-Water rafters to LA (if indeed WWR goes to OKLA) the way TE has offered that to the Surfers.  

Jeremie -- the statement was rhetorical.  Jeez, by now, I would hope you could tell rhetoric from true intent.  

[sebastien1214]

To return to places a little closer than Tahiti (or further away depending on where you are...), some additional information with a fairly detailed article* on the festivities planned in Marseille on the occasion of the arrival of the Olympic flame in almost a month now (8th May).

- Nearly 2 million euros spent by public authorities for these festivities (not counting the contribution of sponsors like Coca-Cola)
- The arrival of Belem will be accompanied by the Marseille Philharmonic Orchestra
- A floating platform on the Old Port where the flame will land, with the stage on which a 3-hour concert is planned

- sporting and cultural "shows"/events
- An aerial parade, a torchlight descent the next day

I feel like it's almost like a pre-opening ceremony. I don't remember that during previous Olympic Games, the arrival of the flame in the host country gave rise to such celebrations. I find this surprising because it is still a very nice way to open the Olympic festivities (and highlight one of the symbols of Olympism)

I also wonder if it will be broadcast live on television channels abroad France.

------

* https://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2024/04/02/paris-2024-marseille-veut-faire-de-l-arrivee-de-la-flamme-olympique-un-vrai-moment-populaire_6225512_3242.html

[yoshi]

Wow that sounds really impressive, definitely a dry run for the opening ceremony - with a dash of Marseille-Paris rivalry thrown in - & frankly no less a spectacle than we'd expect from France

I guess after such a build up, you should make it a bit special, iirc the arrival in 2012 was really underwhelming, it just landed at Land's End & someone (was it Beckham?) lit a cauldron on BBC Breakfast Obviously the torch arrival would be broadcast live in France anyway, even if it was just that, but I'd assume they're hoping for international live coverage with a show on this scale.

(Or maybe it's more a wet run for the opening ceremony...water innit...)

[yoshi]

Oh oops I must've accidentally deleted the main question I wanted to ask while I was making that post - is Thomas Jolly involved in this ceremony in Marseille?

[sebastien1214]

No, he won't be involved in it. I think that in any case given the work he has, he would never have had the time: he is still the one who takes care of the 4 ceremonies, I don't know if that has already happened in the past ?

Afterwards, for Marseille, there is no real need for a chief organizer. It's not like a ceremony with paintings, a story that is told. There, there will just be shows by local artists, the article talks for example of a dance show given by a local company. We should no longer see it as a big celebration; it is perhaps the most appropriate for the arrival of the Olympic flame.

Otherwise, the Olympic swimming center was inaugurated today in the presence of the president. It is reassuring to see that for these Olympic Games, there is absolutely no major problem of delay in infrastructure, contrary to what we have seen in the past (even though we had the Covid which slowed everything down for two years).

Bonus video :

 

 

[baron-pierreIV]

Uh-oh.  And there wasn't even an earthquake.   Are these Games jinxed?? 

French diver takes a tumble in front of President Macron | CNN

[Guilga]

16 hours ago, baron-pierreIV said:

Uh-oh.  And there wasn't even an earthquake.   Are these Games jinxed?? 

French diver takes a tumble in front of President Macron | CNN

More than the last one?

[panamfan]

I hope this isn't an ill omen of bad things to come in Paris!

 

[Australian Kiwi]

On 4/6/2024 at 10:32 AM, baron-pierreIV said:

Uh-oh.  And there wasn't even an earthquake.   Are these Games jinxed?? 

French diver takes a tumble in front of President Macron | CNN

LOL at the shade of CNN to have the Woodkid Tokyo handover track playing over the footage.