Paris will become the second city to host the Olympics three different times when the 33rd Games officially open on July 26. Here, the PA news agency looks at the venues in the French capital and beyond.
AQUATICS CENTREcTypeface:> Neighbouring the Stade de France, the new 2,500-seater Aquatics Centre will host artistic swimming, water polo and diving.
BERCY ARENA: This distinctive pyramid-shaped arena, known for the ATP Paris Masters and concerts from the likes of Madonna and Paul McCartney, will welcome basketball, trampoline and artistic gymnastics.
CHAMPS DE MARS ARENA: Built in 2021 in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, this temporary venue will stage judo and wrestling.
PALACE OF VERSAILLEScTypeface:> The modern pentathlon and equestrian events will get the grandest of settings at the former home of French royalty.
CHATEAUROUX SHOOTING CENTREcTypeface:> Some 200km south of Paris, the Chateauroux Shooting Centre is the largest facility of its type in Europe.
EIFFEL TOWER STADIUMcTypeface:> You can always count on beach volleyball to land a special setting and Paris will be no different with this temporary stadium on the Champs de Mars boasting the Eiffel Tower as its backdrop.
ELANCOURT HILL: Forty kilometres west of the Olympic village, Elancourt Hill is the highest point in the Paris region, and its forests will be the setting for the mountain bike races.
GRAND PALAIS: Following major renovation work, Paris’ magnificent Grand Palais – built for the Universal Exhibition in 1900 – will be the venue for fencing and taekwondo.
HOTEL DE VILLE: The marathons will start from Paris’ city hall on the banks of the River Seine.
INVALIDES: The vast garden of the Hotel des Invalides in the city centre will host archery.
LA CONCORDE: The vast square at the eastern end of the Champs d’Elysees has been converted into an open arena, giving urban sports BMX freestyle, skateboarding, breaking and 3×3 basketball a home in the heart of the city.
LE BOURGET SPORT
CLIMBING VENUEcTypeface:> This new climbing centre in Seine Saint-Denis features five climbing walls for the Games – one indoor and four outdoor.
GOLF NATIONALcTypeface:> Southwest of the city in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Golf National has hosted several major events, including the 2018 Ryder Cup.
MARSEILLE MARINA: Some 650km south-east of Paris, sailors will compete on the Mediterranean with the Roucas-Blanc Marina the point of departure.
NORTH PARIS ARENAcTypeface:> Rebranded for the Games, the Villepinte Exhibition Centre has nine halls where the preliminary boxing rounds and fencing ranking round of the modern pentathlon will be contested.
PARIS LA DEFENSE ARENA: Among the more remarkable venues at these Games, the home of Racing 92 rugby club has been converted with a temporary pool for swimming and water polo.
PIERRE MAUROY STADIUMcTypeface:> An hour north of Paris, the home of Lille’s football club will have its roof closed to welcome basketball and handball.
PONT ALEXANDRE III: One of Paris’ most magnificent bridges across the Seine, built for the 1900 Universal Exposition, will provide the finish line for cycling’s time trials, the swimming marathon, and triathlon.
PORTE DE LA CHAPELLE ARENA: The newly-built 8,000-seater home of Paris Basketball will host badminton and rhythmic gymnastics.
STADE ROLAND GARROS: The home of the French Open was the nailed-on choice for the tennis, but will also welcome boxing.
SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES VELODROME: South-west of the city, the home of the French Cycling Federation will host track cycling, with the BMX racing stadium a five-minute walk away.
SOUTH PARIS ARENA: Part of the Paris Expo, the South Paris Arena will be a major hub, staging handball, table tennis, volleyball and weightlifting.
STADE DE FRANCE: Built for the 1998 World Cup, the famous Stade de France will be the home of athletics and rugby sevens before the curtain comes down with the closing ceremony.
TEAHUPO’O, TAHITI: Not without controversy, organisers have come up with a novel solution in finding some waves to surf, heading to the heart of the Pacific ocean in French Polynesia, some 16,000 kilometres from Paris.
VAIRES-SUR-MARNE NAUTICAL STADIUM: Rowing and canoeing will be focused on this new facility at the Vaires-Torcy leisure complex.
YVES-DU-MANOIR STADIUM: The stadium that hosted the opening ceremony and the athletics at the 1924 Olympics will return to the schedule a century later as the home of hockey.
:: The football will be spread around France, with matches to be staged in Bordeaux, St Etienne, Nantes, Lyon, Marseille, Nice before finals at the Parc des Princes in the capital.
(DPA)
