The Saint-Denis Olympic aquatic center is officially up and running. This Thursday, Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the new venue, which will host the synchronized swimming, diving and water polo events during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. He notably congratulated the workers for the construction of “this completely new and which was thought out boldly, built in a unique way", recalling that it was also "exemplary from an environmental point of view".
The President of the Republic attended a sporting and artistic performance carried out by 130 young graduates of the Federation. Beautiful images… and a little hitch which made the rounds on social networks with the fall of diver Alexis Jandard. More fear than harm for the athlete, qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, who preferred to take the incident in a joking tone.
VIDEO. Paris 2024 Olympic Games: the fall of diver Alexis Jandard at the inauguration of the Olympic aquatic center
With just over 100 days until the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, preparations are accelerating. “Site reviews” are notably planned, the ministers will go to the different competition venues to “ensure that everything is in compliance” with the schedule. Emmanuel Macron in any case welcomed the architecture of the aquatic center which, with the largest concave wooden frame in the world, will “reduce the building's energy consumption by 30%. »
However, its construction was not simple. In the application file, the Olympic swimming pool was to cost less than 70 million euros, a figure revised upwards and brought to 90 million euros during the final project. This budget was ultimately exploded since 188 million euros were spent including the footbridge which spans the A1 motorway to connect the aquatic center to the Stade de France.
Teaching children to swim “is one of our challenges”
This site, the only permanent one built for the Olympic Games, with the Adidas Arena at Porte de la Chapelle, is however very important because it must create a legacy. After the Olympics, it will be redeveloped with a view to its official opening in June 2025. The site will then be shared between residents, schools, clubs and the French swimming federation, which will install its national diving center there. For the general public, entry will be 5 euros for adults and 3 euros for children.
The President of the Republic, who greeted from afar the 200 school children of Saint-Denis invited to the stands for the inauguration, also turned to the elected officials of 93 during his speech: “After the Games, this center aquatic will be yours, he insisted. It will allow us to learn to swim because it is one of our challenges: we want us to learn swimming more and more at school, in middle school and high school and even outside. » In Seine-Saint-Denis, more than one child in two still does not know how to swim when they enter sixth grade.
Also read: Inauguration of the Olympic aquatic center in Saint-Denis: what will it be used for after the Games?
Taking advantage of his presence and the Olympic and Paralympic week at school, Emmanuel Macron also returned to the various controversies which have emerged in recent days. “She has every place in an opening or closing ceremony of the Games,” he said in particular, referring to Aya Nakumara and her possible role during the opening ceremony. “We will be ready!” “, he then assured, referring to the terrorist threat that hangs over this great sporting festival.