Paris Rushing to Finish 2024 Olympics Construction Work

A worker looks at the Paris2024 Olympics Porte de la Chapelle Arena building site Monday, Jan. 23, 2023 in Paris. (AP)
A worker looks at the Paris2024 Olympics Porte de la Chapelle Arena building site Monday, Jan. 23, 2023 in Paris. (AP)
TT
20

Paris Rushing to Finish 2024 Olympics Construction Work

A worker looks at the Paris2024 Olympics Porte de la Chapelle Arena building site Monday, Jan. 23, 2023 in Paris. (AP)
A worker looks at the Paris2024 Olympics Porte de la Chapelle Arena building site Monday, Jan. 23, 2023 in Paris. (AP)

Paris is rushing to finish construction work in time for the 2024 Olympics with just 18 months to go.

Delays are being experienced in part because of the impact of Russia's war in Ukraine on the steel industry.

A venue, which was due to be finished this summer, won't be completed until the beginning of next year — only a few months before the Paris Games get underway on July 26, 2024.

The arena at Porte de la Chapelle, a multicultural and working class neighborhood of the French capital, will host badminton and rhythmic gymnastics events. The facilities will also be used at the Paralympics before being handed over to local clubs and schools.

The steel that was going to be used for the arena was initially going to be provided by Ukraine, said Christophe Rosa, the deputy general delegate of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic delegation at Paris City Hall.

Ukraine’s steel producers union said this month that output fell by more than 70% last year because of Russia’s invasion and the destruction of major plants.

“We’ve found solutions to source steel from other places in Europe including in the east, in Poland, but also a number of manufacturing plants in Southern Europe in order to contain delays and aim to finish the works in 2023,” Rosa said on Monday.

The construction work, which costs about 138 million euros ($150 million), requires 1,500 tons of steel.

The place will be called Adidas Arena after a deal reported to be worth around 2.8 million euros ($3 million) per year with the sportswear company was approved by city hall last year.

The arena itself will seat up to 8,000 people for sports events and live performances, and it will become the future home of Paris Basketball club.

Two gymnasiums next to the venue will provide sport facilities that are much needed in one of the poorest areas of the capital, according to Paris City Hall. In recent years, the location had been home to hundreds of migrants and asylum-seekers living in squalid conditions in makeshift camps that have been regularly cleared by police.

During the Paralympics, the facilities will host badminton and weightlifting events, and will later be used by a wheelchair basketball club for practice.

“It’s the only venue that we’re having to build in the city of Paris for the Olympic Games,” said Eve Brunelle, equipment project manager at the Paris Olympic and Paralympic delegation at city hall. “We’re renovating many, including training grounds for the Games.”

Other major construction work includes Olympic Village, which will house about 15,000 athletes and officials, and the swimming pool, both located in the suburban area north of Paris.



Swiatek Crushes Anisimova 6-0 6-0 to Win Maiden Wimbledon Crown

Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates with the trophy after beating Amanda Anisimova of the US to win the women's singles final at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Saturday, July 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates with the trophy after beating Amanda Anisimova of the US to win the women's singles final at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Saturday, July 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
TT
20

Swiatek Crushes Anisimova 6-0 6-0 to Win Maiden Wimbledon Crown

Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates with the trophy after beating Amanda Anisimova of the US to win the women's singles final at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Saturday, July 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates with the trophy after beating Amanda Anisimova of the US to win the women's singles final at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Saturday, July 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Iga Swiatek took another stride towards tennis greatness by ruthlessly tearing apart American 13th seed Amanda Anisimova 6-0 6-0 and lifting her first Wimbledon trophy on Saturday.

The big occasion turned into a nightmare for Anisimova who became the first woman to lose a Wimbledon final by that painful scoreline since 1911 and the first to do so at any major since Steffi Graf routed Natasha Zvereva at the 1988 French Open.

Already a US Open champion and a four-times French Open winner, Swiatek's demolition job at the All England Club meant that she became the youngest woman since a 20-year-old Serena Williams in 2002 to lift major titles on all three surfaces.

Her superb display on the sun-drenched lawns of London also ensured that she emerged as the first player since Monica Seles in 1992 to win her first six major finals.

"It's something that is just surreal. I feel like tennis keeps surprising me, and I keep surprising myself," Swiatek told reporters after hoisting the gilded Venus Rosewater Dish.

"I'm really happy with the whole process, how it looked like from the first day we stepped on a grasscourt. Yeah, I feel like we did everything for it to go in that direction without expecting it, just working really hard.

"It means a lot, and it gives me a lot of experience. Yeah, I don't even know. I'm just happy."

Swiatek's triumph ended a barren 13-month run for the Polish 24-year-old, who served a short suspension late last year after an inadvertent doping violation linked to contaminated sleep medication melatonin.

"I want to thank my coach (Wim Fissette). With the ups and downs now, we showed everybody it's working," Swiatek added.

SCORCHING START

On another warm afternoon on Centre Court, Swiatek got off to a scorching start by breaking a nervous Anisimova three times en route to dishing out the first bagel, prompting some spectators to get behind the shell-shocked American.

A frustrated Anisimova shrieked and desperately looked to her team in the stands for any kind of guidance after conceding yet another break point early in the second set and it was not long before her machine-like opponent pulled away further, Reuters reported.

Anisimova continued to disappointingly crack under pressure, before Swiatek completed the brutal mauling in 57 minutes with a backhand winner on her second match point to become the first Wimbledon champion from Poland.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk celebrated with a picture of himself watching a post-match interview while holding a bowl of pasta and strawberries, Swiatek's cheat meal at Wimbledon, while President Andrzej Duda was effusive in his praise.

"Iga! Today, on the grasscourts of Wimbledon, you wrote history - not only for Polish sport, but also for Polish pride. On behalf of the Republic of Poland - thank you," Duda wrote.

Victory took Swiatek to 100 wins from 120 matches at the majors, making her the quickest to get to there since Williams in 2004, and denied Anisimova the chance to become the first American to win the title since her compatriot in 2016.

Swiatek jumped for joy on court before running towards her team in the stands to celebrate her triumph. The Friends fan was equally delighted to receive a congratulatory hug from American actress Courteney Cox, who was among the spectators.

All this while, Anisimova was left to wonder what could have been as she sat in her seat, before the tears began to flow during her on-court interview.

Few would have envisioned the American to hit the heights she did in the last fortnight after she fell outside the top 400 following her mental health break two years ago.

"I didn't have enough today," said Anisimova, who began the tournament with a 6-0 6-0 win over Yulia Putintseva but admitted to running out of gas in the final.

"I'm going to keep putting in the work, and I always believe in myself. I hope to be back again one day."

It was bitter disappointment for US fans hoping for an "American Slam" this year after Madison Keys won the Australian Open at the start of the year and Coco Gauff triumphed at the French Open last month.