Q: The Paralympic Games start in 500 days, are you on schedule?
A: "Everything is fine. Of course, we have some challenges, the most important being that of costs and inflation, including the war in Ukraine. All of these inevitably affect the economics of the Games. And the main challenge is to support the Organising Committee (OCOG) to succeed in simplifying these Paralympic Games, in finding a more rational organization. This will change a little bit the way we apprehend the event. I'm very confident, these Games are going to be absolutely incredible, because we have a lot of assets. One of them is obviously Paris, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with superb facilities, iconic brands... The next major step for us is going to be the promotion of ticketing."
Q: Precisely, you followed the controversy after the launch of the Olympic ticketing about ticket prices. Has this led you to lower your prices?
A: "Ticket prices between the Olympics and the Paralympic Games are obviously different at each edition. We are working with Paris-2024 on the price list which will obviously be cheaper. The audience is completely different. For the Paralympic Games, there are usually more local spectators, almost 90%. So there should be a lot of French and Parisians compared to the Olympics. It's also a much more family-friendly audience. It's been twelve years since there has been a Paralympic Games in Europe, since London in 2012, so there is a huge expectation, which I was able to measure during my visits to Europe. They all want to buy tickets, not only to support their para-athletes but also because it's in Paris. There may be a little more foreigners in the audience than in previous editions.
Q: Nearly 350,000 people with disabilities are expected for these Games and one of the black spots in Paris remains access to transport, especially the metro...
A: "People with disabilities would like to see improved access to the metro. We already know that this will not happen between now and the Games, but we would like to at least help change the legislation. There are laws in France that help make an entire subway line accessible, not just one or two stations. We would like it to be more flexible. For example, we have had to amend the legislation in Japan on access to hotel rooms, and we would like to accompany this same legislative change in France. The city of Paris has already announced 125 million euros over the next three years to make the city more accessible. Beijing in 2008 spent the equivalent of seven years on the Games to improve accessibility. It's huge."
Q: It also seems that there are only 3,500 hotel rooms adapted in Paris, which seems insufficient...
A: "Of course we want this figure to increase. And it is a subject that will remain one after the Games. Paris is probably the most touristic city in the world, so having more rooms adapted for people with disabilities will be a good thing. So if we can help with that, great."
Q: Do you think Paris will live up to the success of the London 2012 Paralympic Games?
A: "Of course. We have a lot of data that confirms a very high interest in the Paralympic Games in Paris, even a little higher than the numbers we had before London. Paralympic sport competition has become attractive. Para-athletes are making tremendous progress. It also highlights people with disabilities, and it's a time when perceptions can change. This is probably the most important legacy."
Interview by Cyril TOUAUX
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