Paris Olympic Village Ready On Time As Confidence Grows

The organisers of the Paris Olympics took possession of the newly built athletes' village on Thursday on schedule, reinforcing growing confidence that they will be ready for the Games

Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Feb, 2024) The organisers of the Paris Olympics took possession of the newly built athletes' village on Thursday on schedule, reinforcing growing confidence that they will be ready for the Games.

At an inauguration ceremony in northern Paris, chief organiser Tony Estanguet received a symbolic key for the complex in front of VIPs including President Emmanuel Macron.

The roughly 40 low-rise tower blocks will house around 14,000 people over the course of the Olympics, which kick off on July 26, and another 9,000 during the Paralympics afterwards.

The handover target of March 1 for the crucial piece of Olympics infrastructure was exceeded by a day, with all sides keen to stress that the construction work was finished on time and only marginally over budget.

"It's a demonstration that we have honoured our commitments," Macron told reporters after meeting workers who he said should be "proud" of taking part in what he called "the adventure of a century".

The village was a major test of whether the Paris Games could avoid the pitfalls of past editions.