PARIS (Reuters) – Paris is well on track to host this year’s Summer Olympics as all the infrastructures will be ready in time for the extravaganza despite some minor hiccups.
The athletes village will be delivered on March 1 by SOLIDEO, the public company in charge of infrasctructures, its president Nicolas Ferrand told a panel of French senators on Wednesday.
“Some 500 beds that were expected for the Olympic village will only delivered during the months of April (a handful of weeks behind schedule),” Ferrand said, pointing out “important efforts made” to deliver the Grand Palais to Paris 2024 on time.
Fencing and taekwondo events will be held at the Grand Palais, a few steps away from the Champs Elysees.
“In total, there are three topics out of 70 that caused minor problems, without changing the global programme,” Ferrand said, adding that the building of the Aquatic centre where the diving and synchronized swimming competitions will be held would be delivered a month ahead of schedule, in March.
Ferrand stressed that the works were made almost within budget “in constant euros”, for a price of 1.412 billion euros -against an expected 1.378 billion.
The Olympics will be held from July 26-Aug. 11 and the Paralympics will take place from Aug. 28-Sept 8.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
