Axel May with AFP / Photo credit: FRANCK FIFE / AFP 13:40 pm, May 04, 2023

The organizing committee of the Paris Olympics registered "more than 300,000 applications" to become volunteers for the Games at the close of the registration period opened six weeks ago. A third of the candidates are under 25 and 55% are women.

The organizing committee of the Paris Olympics has registered "more than 300,000 applications" to become volunteers at the Games at the close of the registration period opened six weeks ago, he told AFP on Thursday. The committee welcomed this "strong enthusiasm around its program", a third of the candidates are under 25, according to a statement to AFP, and 55% are women. In total, it needs 45,000 volunteers, 30,000 for the Olympic Games (26 July-11 August) and 15,000 for the Paralympic Games (28 August-8 September).

"This figure is higher than previous editions of the Games, with the exception of the Beijing Games. We expected a slightly lower figure but we are super happy. We are very proud to see that 101 French departments are represented, more than 190 countries represented among the candidates, we have almost as many male candidates as women. It will allow us in the end to have 45,000 volunteers who will represent society, "said Alexandre Morenon-Condé, head of the Paris 2024 volunteer program, at the microphone of Europe 1.

Candidates will be selected by the end of 2023

Some "were already volunteers at the Albertville Olympics and want to engage again," also said the Cojo. "More than 3,000 candidates declared a specific need due to a disability, an unprecedented level for a volunteer program in France, and in line with the objective shared by Paris 2024 and the State," the Cojo also notes. And one candidate in two wants to intervene on both the Olympics and the Paralympic Games. At the last count, last week, the Cojo had reported more than 200,000 applicants.

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He will now proceed to the selection of candidates, some "candidates will be offered interviews or additional tests, especially when the desired missions require specific skills (languages, knowledge of a sports discipline ...), he said. Candidates will be selected by the end of 2023.