The brand-new Saint-Denis Aquatic Center thrilled its first spectators. Sports competitions, introductory swimming lessons, meetings with Olympic athletes... A promising foretaste of the excitement to come, less than 100 days away from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The shudder of the public as the athletes enter, the shouts of encouragement and the thunderous applause... There's no doubt about it: the Centre Aquatique is well and truly up and running. Inaugurated by Emmanuel Macron at the beginning of April, this emblematic new facility welcomed its first athletes between May 3 and 10. Among them were top-level athletes, as well as children introduced to the pleasures of water by Team EDF swimmers.
Full-scale tests
The sporting calendar was packed over the last few days. On the program: a leg of the Artistic Swimming World Cup, the French Water Polo Championships and the International Diving Open. The ideal opportunity for these competitors to get their bearings in the brand-new pools, which will host Olympic events in each of these disciplines this summer.
1, 2, 3 Swim!
Athletes aren't the only ones enjoying the new Aquatic Center. On May 4, 30 children from the town of Dugny discovered the site and what goes on behind the scenes. The event was organized as part of the French Swimming Federation's "1,2,3 Nagez!" program, in partnership with EDF. Its aim: to contribute to the legacy of the Paris 2024 Games by teaching tens of thousands of children to swim.
Athletes who play along...
The 30 lucky youngsters were able to watch an artistic swimming competition and meet athletes from the French artistic swimming and diving teams. Among them was Alexis Jandard, who could well see himself on the Olympic podium in the 3-meter synchronized diving event. In the meantime, he was happy to sign autographs and take photos, in front of delighted schoolchildren...
