Inside ‘just sensational’ Olympics swimming venue with more than 25,000 fans ready to cheer Adam Peaty to Olympic gold
WELCOME to the La Defense Arena – the £147m multi-purpose venue that has undergone a stunning transformation to host swimming at Paris 2024.
The exceptional centre, situated in Seine Saint Denis in central Paris, will welcome the world’s greatest athletes – including British ace Adam Peaty.
The Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre is a truly exceptional facility in terms of its scale, capacity and technology.
Meanwhile the 10km marathon swimming and triathlon swim-leg events will be held in the River Seine, in central Paris, on August 8-9.
In the leadup to the Olympics, there has been ongoing controversy surrounding the staging of these two competitions in the river.
Which, until recently, was not recommended by local authorities as a waterway suitable for human bathing.
In contrast, the Olympic swimming arena has everything – it’s high-tech, clean and modern.
Former competitive swimmer Andy Jameson lifted the lid on the stunning 25,000 seat complex.
It was chosen for its accessibility – the site is connected to the Stade de France by a walkway above the A1 motorway.
The arena first opened its doors in 2017, and has been used as a concert hall and a rugby stadium for Racing 92 – the French side Owen Farrell just signed for.
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It has the world’s largest interactive giant screen, with innovative technology and 1,400 sqm worth of display area – the equivalent to seven tennis courts.
And is within a 10 mile radius of the Olympic Village.
Did you know?
A total of 854 athletes – 463 male and 391 female – from 187 countries, the Individual Neutral Athletes and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, will compete in the swimming events at the Paris 2024 Games.
The world’s top swimmers will compete inside Europe’s largest indoor venue, the Paris La Defense Arena.
The swimming competition will begin on 27 July, and for the first time, the finals will span nine days and conclude on 4 August.
It also played host to Taylor Swift’s Parisian concert as part of her Eras Tour just two months ago.
Meanwhile, Peaty returned to Team GB after re-establishing his credentials at the British trials in April.
The Loughborough-based swimmer booked his place in Paris with his quickest time since 2021.
With the most turbulent period of his career behind him, the 29-year-old has his sights set on conquering the world once again.
Peaty has talked of the battle he has faced and come out the other side of as “three years of hell”, a time in which he sunk into depression and became reliant on alcohol.
He told The Standard: “It’s still very hard and it’s still changing slowly.”
At the Paris Olympics, people tune in to watch his attempt to seal a hat-trick of 100metre breaststroke titles.
On his torso is a large cross with the words ‘Into the Light’ inked beneath it.