Three Days to Go to Olympic Day: French Olympians to inspire next generation in mass Olympic Day event

20 | 6 | 2017

The French Olympians Association (FOA) has collaborated with the National Olympic Committee of France (CNOSF) to help engage Olympians ahead of Olympic Day as the City of Paris prepares to be transformed into a giant sports park.

More than 250 athletes and Olympians will lead activities on June 23 and 24, offering the public a chance to taste up to 30 different sports in the city centre. The sports park, which will stretch from the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame along the River Seine, will include a cycle track in the city centre, a high diving board from a bridge above the Seine and a floating running track on the river.  Hundreds of children from across Paris and France are expected to take part in the celebrations.

Newly appointed French Minister of Sport, five-time Olympian and double Olympic fencing champion, Laura Flessel, is one of the many Olympians who will be heavily involved, helping to inspire young athletes and ensure sport remains at the heart of French society.

Other high profile Olympians include:

• Teddy Riner – three-time Olympian including double Olympic champion in Judo (Beijing 2008, London 2012 & Rio 2016)
• Marie-Jo Pérec –four-time Olympian and triple gold medal winner (Athletics, Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000)
• Renaud Lavillenie – Gold medal winning pole vaulter (London 2012, Rio 2016)
• Sarah Ourahmoune – Olympic silver medal winning boxer (Rio 2016)
• Emilie Andéol – Olympic Judo Champion (Rio 2016)
• Valerie Barlois –Gold and silver medal winning fencer (Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000)

President of the French Olympians Association and Olympic freestyle skiing champion, Edgar Grospiron, has been working with the CNOSF and incoming FOA President Valerie Barlois to ensure Olympians are fully engaged in Olympic Day.

He is proud of the way so many Olympians are supporting this important occasion:

“Olympic Day is a fantastic occasion to share the Olympic values with our society and to get people active”, Grospiron said. “The day is especially significant in France, where our countryman Pierre de Coubertin founded the modern Olympic Movement and re-imagined the Games for a modern era. We look forward to sharing the Olympic Day pillars of move, learn, discover and getting people engaged in sport at all levels.”

The WOA would like to share your NOA‘s inspirational Olympic Day stories, events and pictures on our digital and social platforms so please let us know about any planned Olympic Day activities by contacting sarah.vanballekom@thewoa.org.

Olympians are also encouraged to engage on social media using the hashtag #OlympicDay.

Photo credit: IOC