In just 40 days time, the Stade de France will provide the backdrop to the glittering Opening Ceremony of the 9th IAAF World Championships in Athletics. Meanwhile, the Organising Committee is putting all its efforts to ensure the 20th anniversary of this international sporting event proves to be a great success. The 380,000 tickets already sold testify to a degree of public interest which continues to swell as the Opening Ceremony approaches.
The Paris 2003 Saint-Denis teams are putting the finishing touches to the different organisational areas. From the transport plan and medical system to the fitout of the official venues. The festive atmosphere at the Stade de France® will also spill out across Paris and Saint-Denis thanks to the many fun activities planned in and around the event. Nothing has been left to chance.
The Athletes Village, within the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, is also a hive of activity, for it is here that close to 210 delegations will set up temporary home. And every last one will find ideal conditions in which to make their preparations. There are weight-training rooms, training grounds, not to mention the nearby Charléty Stadium for those last-minute adjustments, plus a multimedia area, library, cinema and even a hairdressing salon to relax. And to get to the Stade de France®, the athletes can take a secured, dedicated RER train from a specially reserved platform, which will transport them there in just 17 minutes.
Feeding the athletes also constitutes a priority; the different catering areas within the Village will consequently be offering buffet-format meals to suit all diets and faiths, available 20 hours a day. “I am really pleased to see that the Organising Committee is attaching particular importance to this vital aspect. The menus are appetising, everything is very well organised and tailored perfectly to the athletes,” says IAAF Medical Delegate Juan Manuel Alonso (ESP). In just one month’s time, the first athletes will take up residence, and the final countdown will really begin.
