Sebastian Coe, the President of World Athletics and former organizer of the London 2012 Games, has raised concerns regarding the ticket prices for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
He warned that these high prices could deter genuine fans and result in empty seats during the event.
In an unusual and direct intervention, Coe emphasized the importance of having full stadiums for the most prominent Olympic sport, athletics. He disclosed that he had already communicated his concerns to the Paris organizers.
Prices reaching as high as €990
Tickets for athletics events at the 80,000-seat Stade de France next summer are currently available, with prices reaching as high as €990 for ‘Category First’ seats during evening sessions. Other categories, labeled A to D, are priced at €690, €385, €195, and €85, respectively.
Coe expressed his discomfort with these ticket prices, stating, “These are going to be the most expensive ticket prices in an athletics arena that we have witnessed at an Olympic Games. We asked for a balance. The most important element here is you want fans in the stadium, you want fans within affordable prices.”
When asked about his concerns regarding the ticket prices for the 2024 Olympics, Coe affirmed them, drawing parallels with the sold-out stadiums witnessed during the World Championships in Budapest the previous summer.
Affordable ticket options crucial
Coe emphasized that affordable ticket options were crucial to ensure that stadiums were filled with passionate supporters of the sport rather than those who could afford the high costs of attending an Olympic event. He asserted that athletics should not appear marginal in major championships, labeling it unacceptable.
Notably, Coe’s sentiments regarding ticket prices were echoed earlier this year by French judoka Amandine Buchard and middle-distance runner Jimmy Gressier, both of whom expressed concerns about the accessibility of Olympic tickets due to their high prices.
While acknowledging the need for organizers to generate revenue, Coe stressed, “In London, we had some expensive tickets but we also had a lot at affordable prices. These are difficult balances for any organizing committee, but if I am wearing my World Athletics hat, I don’t want fans or athletes and their families being priced out of the stadium.”
In addition to discussing ticket prices, Coe voiced his support for heptathlon world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who was nominated for the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award. He praised her remarkable comeback from a career-threatening Achilles tendon injury and emphasized the global significance of track and field as one of the world’s most fiercely competitive sports.
