International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has hailed the "great legacy" and "electric atmosphere" of the canoeing venue at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
President Bach spent Thursday afternoon at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium, where he toured the site before watching the action.
Opened in 2019, the stadium is the venue for Canoe Slalom and Canoe Sprint during Paris 2024 and will be France’s national training base after the Games.
President Bach spoke exclusively to the International Canoe Federation after seeing the men’s kayak semi-final.
“It’s an absolutely electric atmosphere here,” he said.
“When speaking to the athletes, they can tell you about this unique experience to hear the roar all along the course and the quality of the site is perfect, the quality of the sport is great and the atmosphere is doing justice to the athletes and the course.
“The legacy of the site is great. It is forming part of the bigger training centre here and this is the way to go.”
President Bach was greeted at the canoe slalom venue by Olympic champions Jessica Fox of Australia and Nicolas Gestin of France, who presented him with signed bibs as a gift.
ICF President Thomas Konietzko, supported by Vice Presidents Cecilia Farias and Lluis Rabaneda Caselles and Secretary General Richard Pettit, presented the IOC President with a collection of ICF pins and a book, Century of Paddling, which commemorates 100 years of the global governing body.
His tour of the site included a look inside the On-Venue Results (OVR), where he learnt about the cutting-edge technology being used for judging, and a visit to the starting ramp for the kayak cross competition, which will make its Olympic debut in Paris.
Mr Konietzko said: “It was a great honour to show President Bach around this incredible venue, which has been buzzing since the opening day of competition.
“I’m thrilled to see fans pack the stands here and create a wonderful atmosphere for our amazing athletes.
“President Bach was particularly impressed by the improvements we have made to the sports presentation, including the 360-degree camera which is helping to showcase our amazing sport to the public.
“He was also delighted by our use of artificial intelligence and cutting-edge technology to ensure judging is done in a fair way.”
