Marseille has just been designated by Olympic Ambition, a sort of pre-candidature committee for Paris, to host the sailing events of the 2024 Olympic Games in the wake of the French capital.
The Phocaean city was unanimously chosen by the board of directors of the Olympic and Paralympic Association. It was preferred over La Rochelle, Hyères, Brest, Le Havre, and the department of Morbihan.
A surprise? Not really. Marseille had been announced as the favorite for several weeks.
Its strengths: a very high-quality body of water, a marina solely dedicated to sports, a strong legacy in sailing and water sports, two athlete village concepts perfectly adapted (the furthest would be located 1.8 km from the marina), a spectacular spectator area (5,000 paying spectators, plus 25,000 to 30,000 non-ticket holders), excellent accessibility and hotel capacity, national and international influence, as well as experience and event-hosting capabilities.
