Waterpolo (and Emmanuel Macron) debuts the eco-friendly Paris Aquatics Center
SportsIn
April 5, 2024

Last Thursday, April 4, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, inaugurated the Olympic Aquatic Center, a wooden building in the shape of a wave that stands next to the Stade de France in Sant Dennis in the city of light. This infrastructure, which exceeded 188 million euros and with a capacity for 5,000 spectators, will host the preliminary phase of men’s and women’s water polo, followed by the quarterfinals, semis and finals at the Paris La Défense Arena, the latter a multi-sports stadium that will be transformed into an aquatic venue for the first time.

The medal race will be concentrated on the powerhouses and protagonists of past Olympics, but leaving the door open to teams that may surprise. Serbia is the men’s favorite, going for its third gold medal, it did it in Rio 2016, repeated in Tokyo 2020+1 and will seek to reedit its great performance in Paris 2024, for its part, the United States in women is going for an unprecedented record, achieving its fourth consecutive gold medal since London 2012.

THE GROUPS

Men’s water polo has 12 teams competing. Group A: Croatia, United States, Greece, Italy, Montenegro and Romania. Group B: Australia, Spain, France, Hungary, Japan and Serbia.

Women’s water polo has 10 teams, Group A: United States, Spain, France, Greece and Italy. Group B: Australia, Canada, China, Hungary and the Netherlands.

The Paris Olympic Aquatics Center is ready, construction is underway.

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