Is Paris Olympics Robbing Track and Field Fans With High Ticket Prices? – Saddening Reality Comes to Light

The 2024 Olympics are here to stay, amid much pomp and circumstance. The Paris Olympics hosting committee took some well-received messages when it announced its collaboration with the Kinomap app. The stakeholders behind drafting the effort sent a clear message that the collaboration would help in raising a special allurement towards athletics. Moreover, an effort like that sprinkled a tinge of hope when the price hike issue tormented the success of the game. 

However, that announcement felt like an affront after the recent declaration from the Olympics authority sneaked into effect. It has resulted in a financial quandary for track and field lovers specifically. Even several bigwigs couldn’t hold their rage against it. 

The rising ticket issue looms over the Paris Olympics athletics events

Since November 30, the Paris Olympics hosting authority has the green lit ticket-selling for the upcoming behemoth. But the athletic world hustled over the events of Stade de France that raised the ticket price as high that hardly anyone could touch upon. The lowest rung price switched to a cost of €525 ($575.91) as reported by The Athletic. However, for the top category, it went to approximately €980. Meanwhile, the inequality was reflected in the ticket prices of the penultimate day of athletic events. For those instances, on August 9, the A-category price touched €990 and for B, it was €690. However, the organizers cried foul that the general ticket price was still at €50. 

However, the issues touched its nadir when the dismantled hosting history of the Stade de France made it into the news. The soon-to-be hosting chunk of the athletic events already garnered criticism for the mishandling of big events such as the 2023 Rugby World Cup and Champions League final. However, one of the major voices from the athletics ruling bodies took the reins against the fuming issues. 

Sebastian Coe doesn’t mince his words 

The chief of the World Athletics, Sebastian Coe, brick batted the Paris Olympics organizing committee for the price fiasco. The former Olympics podium finisher cleared in a disgruntled tone, “These are going to be the most expensive ticket prices in an athletics arena that we have witnessed at an Olympic Games,”. The seasoned WA president argued the fans’ presence would diminish in the stadiums due to that. Moreover, he drew an allusion to the London Olympics in 2012. ““In London we had some expensive tickets but we also had a lot at affordable prices., he claimed. That almost cornered the Paris Olympics hosting section. 

Read more: Budget Chaos and Controversy Surrounding Paris Olympics 2024 as Officials Respond

With that, Sebastian Coe hoped that the ticket issue should not price out the track and field fans. He already sent his share of defiance to the Paris Olympics hosting committee. Now it will be time to watch who joins him. 

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