‘Games Wide Open’ revealed as Paris 2024 Olympics slogan

French President Emmanuel Macron is flanked by French prime minister and foreign minister, as he leads a meeting with members of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organizing Committee at the Elysee Palace in Paris on July 25, 2022. (Reuters)
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Updated 28 July 2024
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‘Games Wide Open’ revealed as Paris 2024 Olympics slogan

  • The slogan was released alongside a video promising the Olympics and Paralympics would be “faster,” “higher” and “stronger” — as well as “more inclusive, more brotherly, more beautiful”

PARIS: Organizers of the 2024 Paris Olympics unveiled “Games Wide Open” as their official slogan on Monday and announced prices for tickets fans can start to apply for from December.

The slogan was released alongside a video promising the Olympics and Paralympics would be “faster,” “higher” and “stronger” — as well as “more inclusive, more brotherly, more beautiful.”

It is “an invitation to the entire world to come to experience new emotions, together. Our games are a promise of unprecedented experiences and powerful feelings,” the organizers said.

A total of 13 million tickets will be sold for the two events, with nearly half of tickets reserved for the public set to be sold at less than €50 ($51).

Outside the opening and closing ceremonies, prices for events will range from €24 to a maximum of €950, organizers said in a press statement.

Fans are invited to enter a draw for tickets from December. Packages comprising tickets for three separate events will be available from €72 and will go on sale from February.

Also on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron gathered senior ministers to discuss growing concerns about costs and security for the mega event.

France’s top audit body, the Cour des Comptes, warned in a recent report that it was “imperative” to ramp up preparations for the “considerable” security challenge of the games.

It suggested scaling down the ambitious opening ceremony, which is set to take place on the River Seine and feature an armada of 200 boats and some 600,000 spectators.


Alonso fears more pain in China with struggling Aston Martin

Updated 58 min 45 sec ago
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Alonso fears more pain in China with struggling Aston Martin

  • Fernando Alonso said Thursday he expects another difficult weekend wrestling with his new Aston Martin at the Chinese Grand Prix after failing to finish the season-opener in Australia

SHANGHAI: Fernando Alonso said Thursday he expects another difficult weekend wrestling with his new Aston Martin at the Chinese Grand Prix after failing to finish the season-opener in Australia.
Silverstone-based Aston Martin endured a horror start after serious issues with their Honda power unit and a lack of spare parts.
Two-time world champion Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll had to endure extreme vibration in the chassis caused by the power unit, which was feared could cause the drivers permanent nerve damage.
“The situation unfortunately didn’t change within four or five days since Melbourne, so it will be a difficult weekend,” Alonso told reporters at the Shanghai International Circuit.
“We’ll limit the laps in one or two sessions as we are short on parts. We need laps, to find the window on the chassis side.
“I’ll be happy if we leave China with a more or less normal practice, more or less normal qualifying.”
The Spaniard could not put a timeframe on when improvements might come.
“What can I do within the team? Work harder, help Honda as much as I can,” said Alonso.
“We can allocate resources to help Honda with the power unit. We are one team, it is a bumpy start that I hope won’t last too long.
“We are pushing, we have very talented people in the team, so I hope within a couple of grands prix, we can have a normal weekend.
“To be competitive will take more time. Once we fix the reliability, we will be behind on power and things.”
The 44-year-old veteran has been in Formula One for more than two decades and has driven vastly different iterations of cars from the old V10 petrol engines through to the current complex hybrid configuration.
Despite the issues he said was embracing the challenge of the new cars enthusiastically in what could be his final season on the grid.
His Aston Martin contract expires at the end of 2026.
“Do we enjoy driving these cars? Yes, because we love racing,” Alonso said.
“I do four or five 24-hour races because I love racing and I love driving. So if you jump into an F1 car, you enjoy going fast.
“But it is a challenge, a different challenge.
“I was super lucky to race in (the last) era and I feel lucky to race in both.”