With just one week to go until the opening of the Olympic Games, the Olympic Village has opened to welcome the first athletes who have already begun to settle into the 14,000-capacity complex, confirming that everything is ready for the start of the competitions. Although the doors of the Village have officially opened for the athletes in the last few hours, the Olympic Village has been very active over the last few weeks with the heads of each delegation and their teams preparing for the arrival of the entire expedition.
Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Japan, the Netherlands, USA and Switzerland are just some of the countries that have already arrived. Stephanie Kershaw, a member of the Australian delegation said: ‘It looks great, we’re really excited to be inside and to get started.
IOC President Thomas Bach welcomed the first teams to the Olympic Village. ‘We are finally here. It’s been seven years of a long road, but very rewarding. We have a wonderful Olympic Village and all the ingredients for a great Olympic Games are here,’ said IOC President Thomas Bach as he visited the Olympic Village, noting that ’the facilities are not only impressive, they are of the highest standard. You can feel the enthusiasm growing in France and I hope you have the same feeling.
SITUATION OF THE VILLAGE
The Olympic Village is ready for the arrival of the teams. Laurent Michaud, director of the Olympic Village has confirmed that there are still a few minor details to be completed, such as the cleaning and fitting out of spaces.
Situated on a 52-hectare site between Saint-Denis, Saint-Ouen and the island of Saint-Denis north of Paris, it can accommodate up to 14,500 people, 9,000 of whom will be athletes and 4,000 will be cleaning and catering staff, plus 1,500 volunteers to assist all the athletes.
The Olympic Village consists of 82 buildings housing 3,000 living quarters with a total of 7,200 rooms. Medical dispensary, gymnasium, restaurant with a capacity of 60,000 meals per day is all that athletes will find in this village, designed with sustainability in mind.
