OLYMPIC GAMES: THE WORLD’S SPORTING ELITE ARE INVITED TO THE CÔTE D’AZUR TO TRAIN!

Paris 2024

From 26 July to 11 August and from 28 August to 8 September, theParis 2024 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will be the biggest events ever organized in France. An adventure that will involve the entire world in a combination of sporting and cultural meetings, artistic programmes and various performances. Up until summer 2024, no less than 10,500 Olympic athletes and 4,350 Paralympic athletes will come and train in France.

And the Côte d’Azur, a sporting land that sees it share of sports events take place every year, is a true antechamber for success. Through its exceptional landscapes betwixt sea and mountains, welcoming the athletes of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in its preparations centres allows it to take part in the greatest event in the world, a symbol of openness, diversity and universality.

Values that are dear to the Côte d’Azur

THE PREPARATION CENTRES FOR THE 2024 GAMES

ANTIBES JUAN-LES-PINS

There are seven sporting complexes in Antibes that have been preselected to host athletes.

The Azurarena is home to the Antibes Sharks, a major national club progressing in pro B. The gym regularly welcomes the basketball and wheelchair basketball elite. In particular, the French wheelchair basketball cup final took place in this famous spot in 2019! Located within the complex, the trampoline hall welcomes the world’s best in the discipline. On the other side of the street, the municipal shooting range in Antibes welcomes the Olympic and Paralympic shooting champions.

The training for Olympic and Paralympic swimming takes place at the Jean Bunoz nautical stadium. Florent Manaudou, three times Olympic medallist in the 50 m, is training in Antibes with a view to the Paris 2024 Games.

With its grandiose setting, the Ponteil nautical base enjoys a perfect position for sailing practice. This site trained champions like Nicolas Charbonnier, Sofian Bouvet and more recently, the Delerce-Rossi crew, world runners up in 2019 in the 420 Juniors, who train in Antibes every day.

The ramparted town is also welcoming the cream of the grass hockey world at the Fernand Léger stadium, and those from artistic gymnastics at the Pierre Brochard gymnasium, whereas the Jules Grec tennis courts see the world’s tennis and wheelchair tennis elite pass though.

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Cagnes-sur-mer

A universal iconic symbol of the history of France, the Chateau of Versailles will lend its grandiose setting to the Paris 2024 Games for the Paris 2024 equestrian trials.

It is in another exceptional setting that the top athletes, on two or four feet, come to train! Located beside the sea, the Côte d’Azur Hippodrome is the privileged playground of Olympic and Paralympic dressage riders as well as showjumpers.

While show jumping requires agility, technique and control over the horse-rider pairing, dressage is the most advanced expression of horse training. The pair are staged artistically in a series of movements executed during a routine. In this case, the show really is everywhere.

With the Mercantour mountains that overlook the Mediterranean in the background, champions will have an idyllic setting in which to perform and a unique opportunity to enjoy a location that meets the technical specifics of their discipline.

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Cannes

Lastly, in Cannes, no less than three sports complexes will see the cream of world sport come to surpass themselves. While the best in football train at the Coubertin complex, the Maurice Chevalier complex is hosting the Olympic and Paralympic athletics champions.

In particular, it has a 400 m athletics track, three shotput circles, two discus circles, two javelin runways, a high jump, a pole vault and three long jumps.

The Palais des Victoires will allow the world’s best in Olympic badminton, basketball, wheelchair basketball, handball, volleyball and sitting volleyball to train under exceptional conditions.

The facility hosted the French Men’s Handball Championship quarter final and the national women’s teams from England and Norway within the framework of the Women’s Football World Cup in 2019.

What better than giving the future champions optimum conditions for their training, before entering the arena for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games!

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Cap d’Ail

Awarded the “Terre de Jeux 2024” [2024 Sports Ground] label, Cap d’Ail has seen the Olympic and Paralympic flag and the flag for Paris 2024 fly since 2021.

With two great champions for the occasion, Samir Aït Saïd, one of the two French flag bearers in Tokyo, and Fanny Horta, the captain of the French Rugby Sevens team, and a silver medallist in the last Olympic Games in Tokyo. A strong symbol for the town with a sporting disposition, for which the photo of a group of children on a 3×3 basketball court taken by drone during the Open Plus had already caught the jury’s eye.

Furthermore, a truly sporting land, the town bordering the Principality of Monaco has seen numerous events take place: a triathlon, an international junior tennis tournament, the Course du Soileil (race), and above all the 3×3 basketball Open Plus organized for several years on Marquet beach in Cap d’Ail and which is a major stage in the Superleague. And with top-flight training facilities, it was almost evident that Cap d’Ail would be chosen as a host training site by 3×3 basketball athletes! Considered as the leading urban sport in the world, its popular success rapidly led to the International Olympic Committee including it on the Tokyo Olympic Games programme as of 2017.

This new dynamic, creative and spectacular format, which is played on a half court and in teams of 3, will doubtless enthuse the crowds at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games!

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Nice

In Nice, it’s the cité des sports complex that has been chosen as the preparation centre for the Paris 2024 Games.

The true sporting heart of the town, the new complex boasts brand new facilities and latest generation equipment. Everything needed to welcome the athletes under the best conditions so they can refine their preparations! The complex includes the athletics centre, developed around the Charles Ehrmann stadium, and which allows Olympic athletics champions to train, or the aquatic centre, which welcomes the Olympic and Paralympic swimmers, in particular with its Camille Muffat Olympic-size swimming pool, named in honour of the Olympic champion from Nice who died in 2015. The team sports and racket sports centre welcomes the tennis, wheelchair tennis, Olympic road cycling, handball and Olympic triathlon champions. Lastly, the rugby and American football centre is welcoming the rugby sevens elite for the occasion. Rugby fans will appreciate this, knowing that the rugby sevens will be present as of the first day of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, on 24 July. Recognition for a young Olympic sport! Know too that the 2024 Olympic Games will pass through Nice! In fact, the Allianz Riviera is one of the 7 stadiums selected to host the men’s and women’s football tournaments during the 2024 Olympic Games. Among those billed is the French team, which will come on 27 July 2024. A major event that is numbered among the biggest meetings in world football!

To celebrate the return of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to France, the National Sports Museum of Nice is inaugurating a new temporary exhibition in 2023: “Olympiennes”.

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Saint-Laurent-du-Var

The Hervé Allari dojo undeniably makes Saint-Laurent-du-Var as a true judo institution in France.

Its wooden architecture incontestably gives the sports complex a zen atmosphere. The Olympic and Paralympic judo elite, as well as the best athletes from Olympic and Paralympic tae kwon-do are coming to train in the complex’s four combat arenas, benefiting from the large weights room at the training centre. The Hervé Allari dojo has had the honour of welcoming David Douillet, then Minister for Sport, and Teddy Riner. At the highest level for almost fifteen years, the three-time Olympic champion is returning to international competition and tackling the home stretch of his career.

Unless there’s a surprise, the Paris 2024 Games will be the last for Teddy Riner! Wrestlers from the world over are also at the Hervé Allari dojo to train before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. In Tokyo in 2020, wrestling offered an enthusiastic and unforgettable show, with high points such as the great comeback by the American David Taylor in the last seconds to win his first gold medal, the historic fourth Olympic title for Cuban superstar Mijain Lopez Nunez, and the very first Olympic medals in wrestling for Nigeria and San Marino. The Five-times French champion in freestyle wrestling, Valentin Damour from Réunion Island is also setting his sights on the 2024 Olympic Games. Objective: the gold medal. Expect other striking moments!

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Villeneuve-Loubet

Recognized as a high-performance sports centre, the Monique Maurice gym in Villeneuve-Loubet has been appointed the Regional and Departmental Weightlifting Centre.

With a large space, the facility includes a weightlifting room with seventeen platforms, a weights room, fitness room, and a massage room for athletes’ recovery, all approved by the International Weightlifting Federation.

In particular, it welcomed the Welsh rugby team in 2019, who came to perfect their physical condition before the match against the French rugby team during the Six Nations tournament.

Between the sea and river, beaches and village, and overlooked by one of the most beautiful chateau in the department, Villeneuve Loubet is a jewel on the Côte d’Azur where athletes can train under the best conditions with a gym suited to the discipline.