Tony Estanguet (M07), President of Paris 2024: “We Want Spectacular, Responsible, and Open Olympics Games”

Three-time world and European champion, and nine-time French champion in men’s single canoe slalom (C-1), Tony Estanguet (M07) also remains the only French athlete to win three gold medals at three different Olympic Games. Now Head of the Organizing Committee for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, he explains how he has implemented a new organizational model to make the Olympics energy efficient, environmentally exemplary, inclusive, and, of course, memorable. 

ESSEC Alumni: Almost exactly three years out from the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, how is preparation coming along?

Tony Estanguet: We’re on schedule. It is worth noting that Paris 2024 is unique in that don’t have very much to build compared to the Games held before us, as we can rely on existing French assets and infrastructure. 95% of the infrastructure is already in place, and the few remaining facilities that needed to be built are already at an advanced stage. I am thinking in particular of the pop-up Grand Palais on the Champ-de-Mars that has just finished construction and will host the judo and wrestling competitions, the waters ports center in La Plaine Saint-Denis, and the Olympic Village that will provide a home for the athletes in Saint-Denis. There are no delays, and we are keeping to the initial schedule, so our current task is to prepare for the beginning of our own Olympiad. We have spent the last two years laying the foundations, defining a strategy and the general governance of the organization. From now on, it’s about engaging with our ecosystem: we are going to bolster the Paris 2024 Club and the Terre des Jeux 2024 participating regions, so that everyone in France can start getting involved with the Paris 2024 Olympics from this summer onwards.

EA: So the pandemic had no real impact on your organization…

T. Estanguet: On the contrary! The pandemic proved that our work was more meaningful than ever: that we need sport to stay healthy, that we need sporting events to experience and share unique emotions as a community. Hosting the biggest event in the world will also showcase our country, our business world, and our regions, and create a positive narrative for the whole country. We are emerging from this unprecedented year with boundless determination, so we need to stay ambitious and cement the place of sport in our society. Big sporting events like the Olympics are a fantastic way to do this.

EA: Can you tell us anything about the Tokyo Olympics?

T. Estanguet: It’s always very useful for an Organization Committee to go and see how another Olympic Games are run: the transport, accommodation, catering, security, the spectator experience. In Tokyo, the organizers worked on a number of solutions to adapt to the pandemic, implementing testing, a bubble system, and varying spectator numbers. Everything was thought out so that the Games could go ahead with a very high level of health and safety. Furthermore, a variety of simplification measures were put in place, which we can use as inspiration for our own. 

EA: Are the Paris 2024 Olympics any different from the Rio, London, or Beijing Games in terms of organization?

T. Estanguet: We have tried to move away from what was done in the past, to develop a model that’s truly of our time. We want to host spectacular Games that are committed to the environment and diversity, Games that are open to all with, for the first time in Olympic history, events that are open to the public (like the Marathon) on the fringe of the official events. For us, it’s very important that everyone in France can take part in the Games, that everyone can get the full Olympic and Paralympic experience. These Games also provide us with an opportunity to enlist the full spectrum of stakeholders who can help make sport a tool for wide-ranging social impact, to promote the role that sport can play in all of the big challenges facing our society today, be that education, health, diversity, or inclusion.

EA: How will these games make a spectacular impression?

T. Estanguet: We are blessed with outstanding heritage in France, which we have chosen to showcase by selecting iconic locations for the Olympic competitions, with events taking place at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, at the Grand Palais, Les Invalides, Place de la Concorde, and the gardens of the Palace of Versailles. We are currently looking at the concept for the opening and closing ceremonies, which are the two highlights of the games for TV viewers all over the world. The idea is to find an alternative to the traditional model in a stadium, to place the ceremonies in the heart of the city, and especially on the banks of the Seine, where we can accommodate a lot of people. We want to offer a unique experience to the 4bn TV viewers around the world, while also advertising Paris’ outstanding architectural heritage. Our challenge is to push boundaries while remaining within a sustainable, responsible model.

EA: Where are you in terms of ramping up the organization?

T. Estanguet: Today, we are at the very start of the adventure. Barely 10% of the teams have been formed, and it will be a gradual process until the start of 2024. It’s only in the last six months before the Games that we will reach peak activity, with an organization committee formed of around 4,000 members. But beyond the organization committee teams, we are also awarding contracts worth €2.5bn. The challenge lies in clearly expressing our needs as of now – whether that’s marketing, events, logistics, transportation, or waste management – so that any company that wants to get involved can start their preparations immediately. Only 5% of the contracts have been awarded so far, meaning that lots of opportunities remain. In 2022, for example, contracts will be awarded for sporting equipment, supplies for temporary infrastructure, and catering. In total, hundreds of calls for tender will be opened to companies of all sizes and profiles, across more than 15 different sectors. VSB, SMB, MSB and social enterprise and voluntary sector organizations can all apply.

EA: How can recent graduates get involved in your work?

T. Estanguet: We have positions to fill in every field: communications, international relations, town planning, human resources, legal, ICT, retail, and even marketing. Over 60 sandwich course students will be recruited between now and September, and then recruitment will keep increasing from there. Paris 2024 has a duty to serve as an agent of France’s recovery, especially among young people. We would like to offer them the best possible conditions in which to develop their interpersonal and professional skills, so that they can learn within a friendly environment, and receive support in taking the next step in their career. I’d encourage all recent ESSEC graduates with a passion for sport and/or a desire to take part in this major collective effort to apply online via the Paris 2024 website.

EA: What would you like us to take away from the 2024 Olympics?

T. Estanguet: That the hosting of the games demonstrated that we live in an incredible country, a country that has everything it needs to succeed, a country with a skilled, young generation that cares and that can accomplish extraordinary things. I’d also like us to remember that when we work together, we are capable of constantly pushing back boundaries and delivering an event that is spectacular, sustainable, and responsible, that halved carbon emissions and made a positive contribution to the environment, to gender equality, and social inclusion. I hope that we will also consolidate the place of sport in the everyday lives of people in France: in school, at work, and in public spaces.

EA: Are you saying that the Olympics aren’t just about sport? That there’s a bigger picture?

T. Estanguet: That’s right. I’m saying that we aren’t just talking about two two-week sporting competitions, that we’re seeing it from every angle. Another aspect of the challenge is to have an economic and societal impact, to show everything that sport can do for our society, and inspire future careers. We want the project to reflect a France that is open to the world, that succeeds. A France that’s enthusiastic and optimistic about the future.

EA: A few questions about ESSEC now. How did you end up there? 

T. Estanguet: I had the good fortune to go to the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. I was 14 years old. From then on, I had a single-minded obsession: to return to the Games as an athlete. In parallel – and because in France we are blessed with being encouraged to pursue both education and sporting careers – I earned a baccalaureate in sciences, before studying sports science at Toulouse University. After the Athens Olympics in 2004, I wanted to top up my studies with a course that was more focused on the private sector, in an effort to cover every aspect of the sporting world, from competition to health, education and the events and business side of things. At the time, ESSEC taught a specialist masters entitled “Sport, Management, and Corporate Strategy”. It was exactly what I needed. I wanted to work in the sports industry, but I was looking for a more generalist course that would also open other doors. 

EA: What do you remember from your time at ESSEC?

T. Estanguet: Firstly, the fantastic environment, with excellent conditions for working, and feeling very supported. I also liked finding similar values to those I knew from the world of high-level sporting competition, such as the idea of excellence that was embodied by the professors and lecturers I met, as well as more human values. Personal development was an important part of the course, and there was a major focus on identifying our strengths that would help us achieve our goals. The course content enabled me to think about what I could do in the future, and my ability to take on responsibilities. ESSEC really broadened my horizons. I left there feeling at ease with myself, and I think that if today I find myself working for Paris 2024, leading a fine project and a solid team, it’s thanks to the training I received at ESSEC.

EA: Do you have a message for future graduates?

T. Estanguet: A message of enthusiasm. When you leave ESSEC, the world is your oyster. You have all the tools you need to succeed, so don’t set yourself any limits. Think big, be ambitious, and keep moving forwards. And get some sport in!

Want more content? Join us now so that we can keep bringing you news about the ESSEC network.