The International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave its approval on Thursday for the relocation of several Olympic sites for the Paris 2024 Olympics. These new locations include shooting, boxing, and modern pentathlon competitions. However, the preliminary basketball events are still scheduled to take place in Lille.
The game of musical chairs, which mixes logistical and political factors, was unveiled in July by the organizers of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. As was to be expected, the body’s executive committee has smoothly accepted the game.
The shooting competitions that were at first supposed to take place on the ground of Essences in La Courneuve will now take place at the National Center for Discipline in Chateauroux. This is because the Seine-Saint-Denis site will not be ready in time for the events.
As a means of making up for this loss, the semifinals of the boxing competition have been relocated to Seine-Saint-Denis, to Villepinte, as has the classification round for the fencing event in the modern pentathlon. Roland-Garros will continue to serve as the host venue for the boxing semifinals and the finals.
However, the most contentious issue for the past few months—namely, the qualifying phases of basketball before the final in Bercy (Paris)—has not been resolved, according to Mark Adams, a spokesman for the International Olympic Committee. Adams referred to the situation as “very positive” and expressed hope “for a decision shortly.”
The initial meeting location, which was to take place in a chamber at the Parc des expositions de la Porte de Versailles in Paris, was met with widespread disapproval from several French basketball players. As a result, the organizers decided to relocate the meetings to Lille.
However, the selection of the northern metropolitan area does not in the least bit please the International Federation of Basketball (FIBA). NBA star Evan Fournier, who was the Olympic vice-champion in Tokyo, was particularly disappointed by the decision.
Pierre-Olivier Beckers, the president of the IOC coordinating board, had pledged a “short-term” decision given the technical components “on air conditioning” from the room who are in conversation with the FIBA the week prior, following three days of discussions with the organizers.