Chirac: France is Mobilised Behind Paris Olympic Bid

French President Jacques Chirac’s reaffirmed his total determination to stage the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, as he decorated France’s 48 Olympic Medallists from Athens 2004 at a reception at the Elysée Palace.

‘The candidacy of Paris is the candidacy of the entire nation. You can rely on my absolute determination to support it, to defend it and, with all of you, to win it’, he said at The Elysée Palace today.

Calling the Paris 2012 project ‘ambitious and innovative’, the French President outlined the strengths of the Bid: ‘the unique character of its monuments, the wealth of sports facilities, the accommodation capabilities and exceptional quality transport infrastructure’.

But President Chirac paid particular attention to the most important aspect of the candidature, ‘the mobilisation of the entire country’. ‘I know that French men and women are ready to offer the Games their passion for sport’, he added. He is also proud of ‘the combined efforts of the State, the Ile-de-France Region, the City of Paris and the French sporting movement’ as well as the strong support of the major French companies.

President Chirac also praised the French athletes who will return from the Athens 2004 Paralympics on the 29th of September, underlining ‘the magnificent achievements of the French team’, he announced that he will be ‘happy to welcome the Paralympians [at the Elysèe Palace] before the end of October’.

Following the Légion d’Honneur ceremony at the Elysée Palace, the Olympic medallists were taken to the Town Hall for a reception in the presence of Bertrand Delanoë, Mayor of Paris and President of Paris 2012.

The celebrations will conclude with an evening ceremony by the French National Olympic Committee, hosted by Henri Sérandour, president of the French NOC.

For more details contact :

Valérie Amant
Paris 2012 Global Media Office
Phone: +33 1 53 57 58 68
Cell: + 33 6 83 37 66 21
media@parisjo2012.fr