The Olympic and Paralympic Sports Week aims to extend the momentum of Paris 2024. According to Jean-Luc Bidart, president of the Gironde Departmental Olympic and Sports Committee, this legacy should live throughout the year through schools, municipalities, and local champions.
Sustaining the Olympic spirit beyond the 2024 summer is the goal of the Olympic and Paralympic Sports Week. This initiative started a decade ago when France secured the hosting rights for the Paris Games. Bidart emphasizes the importance of embedding this dynamic into the daily lives of young people. “The objective is to sustain the benefits of sports among youth and extend the legacy of the Games,” he insists. This week primarily targets educational institutions, from preschool to university, aiming to implement actions promoting sports participation and Olympic values such as equality, inclusion, health, and violence prevention. “We want the educational community to embrace these themes, allowing young people to identify with models close to them,” explains Bidart.
The challenge also lies in making lesser-known sports disciplines visible outside of the Olympics. Fencing and BMX, for example, gain valuable exposure. “There are champions right next to us, in our neighborhoods. Young people can watch them train, understand their journey,” highlights the CDOS president. The example of BMX champion Joris Daudet, who participated in the “Cahier des Jeux – Mission Sport,” illustrates efforts to attract youth to sports. Beyond schools, municipalities designated as Terre de Jeux continue the adventure by organizing events throughout the year, particularly around the Olympic Day on June 23. “Every year, cities reach out to us. We’ve already held events in Saint-Jean-d’Illac, Saint-Émilion, or Soulac,” Bidart recalls.
For him, the key is clear: to keep the momentum of Paris 2024 alive. “The idea is not to talk about the Olympic spirit only every four years, but all the time,” he asserts. This approach aims to turn sports into a real educational, social, and civic driving force beyond the podiums.
