Czech Olympic Committee launches calculator as Paris 2024 report published

The calculator will be available from January, with the Czech Olympic Committee having measured its own impact since 2022. 

The Committee’s footprint is largely attributed to fan travel to events, matches and championships. 

Elsewhere, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 recently delivered its final report. 

The report featured achievements across social and environmental sustainability, from grassroots sports through to a reduction in carbon emissions when compared to previous Olympic and Paralympic events. 

Speaking at the IOC Executive Board meeting at Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, IOC President Thomas Bach commented on the Paris 2024 Insights and Audience Report. 

“Paris 2024 were the most followed Olympic Games ever. They were Games with the highest marks of appreciation ever given by the stakeholders and the public,” he said.

“In 2014, we had a vision for the future of the Olympic Games. This was established in our Olympic Agenda 2020, and it has one principle at the very top: Olympic Games where the athletes and sport take centre stage. More urban, more youthful, more sustainable, more inclusive. Olympic Games with full gender parity, with the same number of quota places for female and male athletes.”

Paris 2024 prompted the French Government to pump €300m of funding into improving physical activity, while 4.5 million people directly benefited from 1,500 grassroots projects using sport to improve lives.

Some 3,600 children across France undertook free swimming lessons and 5,000 community sports facilities helped to bring more opportunities for practicing sport closer to people’s homes. Over 600 projects focused on sports and cultural activities, reaching almost two million beneficiaries thanks to Paris 2024 endowment funds.

Additionally, 4,800 cities and regions across the country were awarded the ‘Terre de Jeux 2024’ label, which helped to get people more active on a daily basis.

In terms of environmental sustainability, Paris 2024 saw a 50% reduction in carbon emissions in comparison with London 2012 and Rio 2016.

Three-quarters of the two million pieces of sports equipment was rented or provided by sports federations and 100% of energy was from renewable sources. Almost all (95%) competition venues were pre-existing or temporary and a total of 400km of new bike lanes were introduced. Sixty percent of food options for spectators were plant-based, while 80% of food was sourced from local agriculture.

All catering equipment and infrastructure will continue to be used following the Games, and 700 water and soda fountains were installed to help reduce reliance on single-use PET bottles.

In 2025, it is hoped that 23 swimming areas on the River Seine will be opened.

There were some issues around the water quality and competing in the River Seine, but Paris 2024 events were eventually able to go ahead.

Bach added: “Paris 2024 was on board with Olympic Agenda 2020 already in the planning phase of the candidature, in seamless cooperation with the IOC. The Organising Committee of Paris 2024, under the great leadership of Tony Estanguet, perfectly assisted by Etienne Thobois and their entire team. They added their creativity, their sense of innovation, their vision of French history and culture, and their great engagement with the French people.

“They prepared the ground for the wonderful excitement we all experienced this summer, and for which you cannot plan. In this way, our Olympic Agenda vision became a reality. Paris 2024 met the expectations of the world. These were truly Olympic Games of a new era. People were longing for something that gives them hope, that gives them joy, that makes them proud. Something they can believe in and something that brings us all together. And this was the Olympic Games Paris 2024.”

Image: Xavier Praillet on Unsplash