The most spectacular Olympic and Paralympic Games to date

Did you know that Visa’s commitment to the Olympic and Paralympic Games extends all the way back to 1986?
For almost 40 years’ now, 20 for the Paralympic Games¹, Visa has brought the latest payment innovations to the Olympic and Paralympic Games and their host cities. And this unique partnership will continue until at least 2032 – over 40 years leaving legacies for the cities, communities, athletes and spectators who visit then and in the future.

The Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 promises to be the most responsible, inclusive, equal and spectacular edition to date – and that’s the kind of stuff that gets us excited about the opportunities to work with our clients, partners, teams and communities to deliver even more.

Here are ten intriguing facts about Paris 2024 that might surprise you:

• Paris 2024 will kick off exactly 100 years, almost to the day, since Paris last hosted the Olympic Games in 1924². It makes the French capital the second city to have hosted the Summer Olympic Games three times, along with London.

• For the first time ever, the opening ceremony won’t be held in a stadium…it’s going to be held on one of Paris’ most iconic landmarks, the Seine³. In a bid to think differently, holding the opening ceremony on one of France’s largest rivers will give more people the opportunity to attend. With an aim to make this the most inclusive Olympic and Paralympic Games yet, this unique opening ceremony certainly makes for a great start.

• 10,000 torch bearers will take part in the torch relay – each covering an average of 200m⁴. Some of these torch bearers will be Visa colleagues, who will be representing Visa’s shared values and aspirations for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Giving our European Visa colleagues the opportunity to celebrate and participate in Paris 2024 is all part of the mission to create a strong sense of community, both within Visa and throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

• The Olympic and Paralympic Games will take over Paris, of course, but also venture out to cities like Marseille and Lyon, and even as far afield as the French territory of Tahiti⁵– where the surfing will be held, 15,000km from Paris. This aligns with the goal of creating an event that includes the entire French nation, creating a truly connected Olympic and Paralympic Games.

• In the place of extensive and expensive construction and building projects, the Olympic and Paralympic Games will use 95% existing or temporary venues⁶ – in a move to create a more sustainable Olympic and Paralympic Games. In fact, Yves-du-Manoir Stadium, the principal stadium of the Olympic Games 1924, will become the only venue to have hosted Olympic events twice when the hockey events are underway.

• The Olympic and Paralympic Games are constantly innovating and reflecting the society of the day – this year’s new sport is breaking, more commonly known as breakdancing⁷. Reflecting on the last 36 years of partnership with Visa, innovating together to bring accessibility and inclusivity has played an integral part in having a positive transformational impact on the world.

• Paris 2024 will be bringing three new mixed events to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, where men and women will compete alongside each other. This is part of a strong commitment to equality and inclusion⁸.

• The Team Visa athletes, who are supported in their quest for glory by Visa, will be the most balanced team ever in Europe, with equal representation of Olympic and Paralympic athletes, and an equal split of men and women. At Tokyo 2020, two Team Visa athletes were also Visa employees⁹.

• 45,000 volunteers will be there to support people throughout Paris 2024¹⁰ – including 1,000 Visa colleagues, as they rally behind Visa’s call to “Get in the Games”.

• Nearly 13.5 million tickets for the Olympic and Paralympic Games will go on sale – all through a single website¹¹. Visa technology will power each of these transactions, ensuring seamless and secure payments. This commitment will extend into Paris 2024 itself as Visa partners with the organisers to bring innovative and convenient payment methods to the thousands of visitors over the course of the events.

Visa and the Olympic and Paralympic Games’ partnership is showing the world the Games are more than just a spectator sport, with both the Olympic and Paralympic Games and Visa constantly evolving and innovating each year. With visions of Paris 2024 becoming a catalyst for change, Visa’s seamless payment technology aims to provide unique customer experiences alongside convenient and secure payment solutions. The powerful payment solutions Visa is implementing in each host venue will enable everyone, everywhere to be involved in the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024.