Kenya Insights

Tag: Olympic Games in Paris

  • Estimates: Paris Olympics To Significantly Impact French Economy

    Estimates: Paris Olympics To Significantly Impact French Economy

    One of the biggest sporting events worldwide, the Paris 2024 Olympics is estimated to significantly boost France’s economy.

    With the participation of approximately 10,700 athletes, the games are scheduled to take place on July 26–Aug. 11.

    The investments made in France’s construction sector prior to the event have revived the industry, while the high number of visitors led to an increase in demand and activity in the service sectors.

    Paris 2024 becomes most ticket-selling Olympic game in history

    Having sold 9.3 million out of 10 million tickets so far, the Paris 2024 Olympics became the most ticket-selling Olympic game in the event’s history.

    Ticket prices range from around $97 to over $2,900, and the most expensive ticket holders have also bought a package for included catering at $4,200.

    Tourists in the French capital are estimated to spend $2.8 billion during the event, according to the Paris Tourism Office.

    The tourist spending is expected to give a boost to the French economy while inflation and the cost of living are on the rise.

    The official budget of Paris 2024 Olympics is estimated at $9.5 billion, and the hosting country’s expenditures for the duration of the event is estimated to reach $10.8 billion.

    The games are expected to contribute around $7.2 billion to $12 billion to the Paris Region, data from the French-based research organization Center for Law and Economics of Sport (CDES) showed.

    The event will create 181,000 jobs and act as a lever to boost economic activity and employment, according to the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

    A study conducted by the consultancy firm Asteres revealed that the spending associated with the organization of the Olympics is equivalent to public spending, as the study estimated that France will generate $5.7 billion in tax and social security revenues from the event.

  • 200,000 Condoms And Lubricants Distributed At The Paris Olympics Village

    200,000 Condoms And Lubricants Distributed At The Paris Olympics Village

    All athletes need protection.

    The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris officially kicks off on Friday, July 26, and the athletes in the Olympic Village will be provided with a place to sleep, food and, of course, condoms.

    As the 14,500 athletes and staff begin to arrive in the City of Love, room tours are popping up on social media, showing off the infamous anti-sex beds and a huge supply of Olympic-branded condoms in every room.

    The bright and colorful condoms given to the athletes have images of the official mascots of the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics, the Phryges, and have little messages on each packet.

    Messages on the condoms include: “On the field of love, play fair. Ask for consent,” “Don’t share more than victory, protect yourself against STDs,” “Score a win: Yes to consent, no to STDs,” and “No need to be a gold medalist to wear it!”

    200,000 male condoms, 20,000 female condoms and 10,000 oral dams will be available in the Olympic Village. Maja Hitij/Getty Images

    Condoms are usually provided to athletes — even during the unofficial “intimacy ban” of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, where organizers ordered 160,000 condoms to be handed out, according to NPR.

    This year, Laurent Dalard, who will coordinate first aid and health services for the Paris Games, previously said in a news conference that 200,000 male condoms, 20,000 female condoms and 10,000 oral dams will be available in the Olympic Village.

    That’s about 230,000 protection options, and if you do the math, that’s about 20 condoms per person for each of the 10,500 athletes. However Olympic organizers don’t actually expect those in the Village to use their entire supply of condoms.

    In fact, it appears that they might even try to deter athletes from getting busy outside of the Games — thanks to the “anti-sex beds.”

    According to Inside the Games, sustainability is cited as the primary reason why Olympic officials opted for the beds this year — not preventing wild sex from occurring among Olympic athletes.

    The twin-size beds discourage people from snuggling up with another competitor, and though the polyethylene mattresses and cardboard bed frames are 100% recyclable, they likely aren’t going to immediately attract horny Olympians.

    But the 16,000 modular mattresses made by Japanese company Airweave are safe for sex regardless of size and material.

    Airweave US’ Chief Operating Officer Brett Thornton has said that the cardboard frames are actually “designed far sturdier than typical wooden bed frames,” meaning athletes are safe to take advantage of the condom supply.

    Besides, athletes don’t need beds to get kinky.

    Over the years, there have been plenty of stories about Olympians’ wild sexcapades in the media — and they take place anywhere and everywhere.

    One athlete had sex on a balcony at the 2004 Games in Athens, while others have seen people “getting down and dirty” out in the open on the grass or between buildings — and there’s even been a reported orgy in a hot tub.

    Safe to say, horny Olympians who want to take full advantage of their provided condoms will have no logistical issues doing so.

  • FACTBOX – Summer Edition Of Olympic Games Returns To Paris After 100 Years

    FACTBOX – Summer Edition Of Olympic Games Returns To Paris After 100 Years

    • The French capital went through a near-decade-long process since its application to host this year’s Summer Games, setting aside a budget of over $6B

    • The 2024 Olympics will feature medals embedded with fragments of the Eiffel Tower’s iron, as well as a unique 10-peice design of the Olympic torch

    The 2024 Summer Olympics will see the Games return to Paris after a century, with the French capital previously hosting the world’s biggest sporting event in 1900 and 1924.

    The 33rd edition of the Summer Olympics will kick off on Friday, with an opening ceremony on the River Seine, and run until Aug. 11.

    The closing ceremony will take place at the Stade de France.

    Since 1896, the modern Games have been held every four years aside from 1916, 1940 and 1944, when they were canceled because of World Wars I and II.

    Alongside 29 traditional sports, the Summer Olympics will feature breakdancing, sport climbing and wave surfing. Over 17 days, a total of 10,500 athletes will vie for medals in these events.

    Athletes who win will take with them a part of the Eiffel Tower, as the medals feature fragments of iron sourced from the iconic structure.

    The medalists will display an authentic segment of the Eiffel Tower on their chests, as each medal will feature a central piece of iron weighing 18 grams.

    The metal comes from parts of the monument’s structure removed during renovation work during the 20th century.

     

    Candidacy process

    On Sept. 13, 2015, France formally submitted its bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

    The letter outlining the application highlighted that “the Olympic spirit and the Parisian identity are defined by unity in diversity, tolerance of differences, and a collective commitment to peace.”

    It was endorsed by Denis Masseglia, then-president of the French Olympic Committee (CNOSF), and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.

    At the time, Paris, which had set aside a budget of €6.2 billion ($6.7 billion), for the Games, was considered a more formidable contender in 2015 compared to its competitors.

    Paris had last hosted the Olympics in 1924 and had bid for the Games in 1992, 2008 and 2012.

    Alongside the French capital, other cities that declared their candidacy for the 2024 Summer Games included Los Angeles, Hamburg, Budapest and Rome. They announced their bids at various times throughout 2014 and 2015.

    After Hamburg, Budapest and Rome withdrew their bids, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) urged Los Angeles and Paris to reach a compromise.

    The Committee proposed that Los Angeles host the 2028 Olympic Games and offered $1.8 billion in support for their preparation.

    With Los Angeles accepting this proposal, Paris then agreed to host the 2024 Summer Olympics.

     

    Paris 2024 Olympic mascot

    The Organizing Committee unveiled the designs for the mascots of the Olympic and Paralympic Games on Nov. 14, 2022.

    Named Olympic Phryge, the Paris 2024 mascot is based on the traditional small Phrygian hats that the mascots are shaped after.

    Its name and design were chosen as symbols of freedom and to represent allegorical figures of the French Republic.

    The mascot’s eyes were designed to be both mischievous and expressive and were also compared to the cockade of France, the French national ornament.

    Its features, attire and gestures reflect the mascot’s passion for sports.

     

    Olympic torch

    The Olympic torch relay, a central tradition of the event, was introduced at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games.

    The Paris 2024 Games torch was designed by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur.

    Unlike traditional designs, this year’s Games feature a torch with a unique structure, composed of 10 distinct parts.

    Carried by 10,000 people over thousands of miles, the torch, crafted from metal by steel giant Arcelor Mittal, resembles an oval iron pipe with a rounded center.

    Upon its arrival, the torch will have been carried to more than 400 locations, including France’s overseas territories, until the opening of the event on July 26.

     

    Russian, Belarussian athletes to compete as neutrals

    According to the International Olympic Committee, athletes from Russia and Belarus will compete under neutral status and will not participate in the opening ceremony.

    The flags, emblems and anthems of Russia and Belarus will not be used, and athletes from these countries must adhere to the same anti-doping regulations as all other participants.

    No officials from the governments of either country will be invited or accredited as part of the games.

    The closing ceremony will take place at the Stade de France national stadium on Sunday, Aug. 11.

  • ‪What Nike Has Done To Eliud Kipchoge Is A War Crime, His Lawyer Says‬

    ‪What Nike Has Done To Eliud Kipchoge Is A War Crime, His Lawyer Says‬

    Kenyan lawyer Donald Kipkorir DBK has angrily reacted to marathoner Eliud Kipchoge’s Nike kit for the Olympics.

    DBK who has been a legal representative for the athlete in some cases here in Kenya was not amused by the kits terming it as an act of war, “what NIKE has designed for Kenya’s 2024 Paris Olympics casual & what it has designed for US & others. It is like NIKE asked Kanye West to design our uniform when drunk! NIKE underpays our athletes by as low as 1% what they pay US athletes. Then they give us alien clothes!” He wrote in a tweet attached with photos for comparison.

    A screenshot of the post.

    Kenyan star athletes Faith Kipyegon and Eliud Kipchoge showcase the Team Kenya running kits for the 2024 Paris Olympics at the Nike Product Launch in the French’s capital.

    Kipchoge plans to win third Olympic Games marathon

    Kipchoge expects to make history with his third consecutive Olympic marathon gold medal at this year’s Games in Paris, he told Reuters in a interview on Thursday, adding that there were no thoughts about retirement yet.

    Ethiopia’s Abebe Bikila, East Germany’s Waldemar Cierpinski and Kipchoge are the only athletes to have won two Olympic gold medals in the marathon when they retained their titles.

    “My huge expectation actually is to win the Olympics for the third time,” said Kipchoge, who turns 40 in November and finished 10th at last month’s Tokyo Marathon.
    That result and his relatively vintage age has not made him doubt his chances in Paris, Kipchoge said.

    “I think I just got tired … I don’t know what happened but it’s life, it’s sport, it’s the beauty of sport.”

    Retirement plans
    As questions swirl over whether Kipchoge plans to retire soon, he reiterated his commitment to trying to inspire people of all levels to keep on the move, saying: “If you can convince me that the moment I will be crossing the finishing line the whole world has become a running world then I will retire.”

    Asked whether he could race at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Kipchoge said: “You know in Kenya we say you don’t chase two rabbits at a time, you will miss all of them. You chase one. So the rabbit of the Olympic Games is what I’m chasing now. After that I go back to the drawing board, see what’s in my bucket list and start again to chase the next.”

    Kipchoge at the Nike Product Launch. Photo/Pool.
    Kipchoge at the Nike Product Launch. Photo/Pool.

    In 2019 Kipchoge became the first person to cover the 42.2km marathon distance in under two hours, though the record was unofficial as he had teams of pacers and was not in open competition.

    Athletics Kenya named their marathon shortlist for Paris last week, including Kipchoge, Benson Kipruto and Timothy Kiplagat, and defending women’s marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir alongside Birgid Kosgei and Hellen Obiri.

    A tragic absentee was Kelvin Kiptum, who died in a car crash in Kenya’s Rift Valley in February and, having destroyed Kipchoge’s world record by over half a minute last October with a time of 2:00:35, had been widely seen as the sport’s best hope to break the two-hour marathon mark in an official race.

    Asked whether he sees that milestone being hit soon, Kipchoge said: “We have a lot of talented athletes … first is to dare to think to break, secondly is to dare to do it. I have shown them the way.”

    In a first for the Olympic Games, the head of World Athletics, Sebastian Coe, announced on Wednesday that athletics gold medallists in Paris will earn $50,000 each, with silver and bronze also set to get prize money from LA 2028 onwards.

    “I don’t run because of money but I run because I want to perform,” Kipchoge said, adding: “It was a great idea for Seb Coe and World Athletics … for the young generations I think it’s a good idea to develop – it makes sport more interesting.”

    Additional reporting by Reuters.

  • World Athletics Introduces Cash Prize For Gold Medalists At Paris Olympics

    World Athletics Introduces Cash Prize For Gold Medalists At Paris Olympics

    World Athletics has announced that it will offer a massive USD50,000 (Approx Sh6.5mn) for every gold medalist at the Olympic Games in Paris this year, a massive announcement that will definitely spark intense competition.

    Previously, medalists at the Olympic Games have not been handed cash rewards but World Athletics now becomes the first governing body to offer financial incentive at the quadrennial games.

    According to a Statement, a total prize pot of USD2.4mn has been ring fenced from the International Olympic Committee’s(IOC)  revenue share allocation, which is received by World Athletics every four years.

    There are 48 athletics disciplines at the Olympic Games.

    The news will be a further welcome financial boost for Kenyan athletes, as a gold medalist will now be assured of at least Sh11mn from their sweat, with the Kenyan government having announced that every global gold medalist will be awarded Sh5mn.

    “The introduction of prize money for Olympic gold medallists is a pivotal moment for World Athletics and the sport of athletics as a whole, underscoring our commitment to empowering the athletes and recognising the critical role they play in the success of any Olympic Games,” World Athletics boss Seb Coe said in the statement.

    World Athletics says it will start by rewarding gold medalists in Paris, but the plan is to reward all medalists starting from the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

    The payment of prize money will depend upon the World Athletics ratification process, including athletes undergoing and clearing the usual anti-doping procedures.

  • Man Jailed For Implicating Kenyan Top Athletes In Doping Scandal

    Man Jailed For Implicating Kenyan Top Athletes In Doping Scandal

    Elias Kiptum Maindi, a retired athlete together with coach Paul Kibet Simbolei have been jailed for 18 months’ for forgery and conspiracy to implicate Kenyan top athletes in mass doping scandal.

    The Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Court has on Tuesday sentenced Kiptum for forgery and conspiring to give false allegations against top Kenyan athletes to foreign media.

    The duo prepared documents purporting that doping was being promoted and encouraged by several state agencies in the country to have Kenya suspended from participating in the Olympic Games, among other international events.

    Kibet and Kiptum forged documents purportedly signed by officials from the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (Adak) and Athletics Kenya (AK) that they shared with Europe-based journalists who have been part of the ring.

    The court noted that the two, with help from influential and powerful people outside Kenya, attempted to present a picture that there was government-sponsored doping.

    Kiptum was found guilty of 13 offences and has been given an 18-month jail term for each offence, which runs concurrently.

    The second accused person in the case, Paul Simbolei a former athlete , was found guilty of on one account of the 13 offences of conspiracy to cause harm and has been released after the court ruled that he has already served a two-year jail term during the pre-trial period.

    In her ruling delivered on Tuesday, JKIA Senior Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku said Kenya has never had any state-sponsored doping cases as portrayed by the two accused.

    The judge added that the case carried the gravity of damaging Kenya’s reputation if the documentary was aired.

    “Such a move would potentially prove disastrous for Kenyan sport. Athletes would lose the opportunity of participating in the most prestigious event,” she said, adding that months, even years of planning, would go to waste.

    The magistrate added that the reputational damage would be an enormous shadow cast over the country’s involvement in other international events.

    “Worse still is that a ban on Kenya as a country would affect all sports and not just those caught in doping,” she said.

    Adak took the firm stance because of the possible consequences had the country been banned from participating in all athletics events internationally, including this year’s Olympic Games in Paris.

    Kiptum has, however, been given two weeks to appeal against the ruling.

    The court, however, declined the maximum sentence of 3 years for Kiptum as requested by the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya in the case, which was filed in June 2021.