Prof. Michaël Attali
Professor at the University of Rennes. He conducts research on the social effects of sport in various contexts (educational, territorial, events, etc.). He has published around twenty books and more than 100 articles in scientific journals. His latest book in French is titled Histoire Globale des Sports Olympiques (Global History of Olympic Sports), published by Atlande.
Email: michael.attali@univ-rennes2.fr
Website : https://perso.univ-rennes2.fr/michael.attali
Twitter: @AttaliMichael
The Heritage and Sustainability Plan for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games (HSP OPG 2024), published in September 2021, highlighted the strategic importance given to this aspect. From the candidacy phase, legacy was presented as one of the innovative elements meant to make Paris 2024 the Games of a new era. The goal was clear and explicit: “to organize the Olympic and Paralympic Games with a new model.” More than just an event, it was about initiating a radical change by organizing Games that are “more responsible, more sustainable, more inclusive, and more supportive.” Among the various legacy pathways, the social and environmental aspects were prioritized to distinguish its approach from those of its predecessors.
Olympic trajectory of a concept
In an effort to justify the efforts made for organizing the Olympic Games (OG), Pierre de Coubertin believed they should serve as propaganda for the sporting ideal. Although the term “legacy” was not used, the positive impacts, particularly in education, were considered implicit, with Olympism intended to be “a school of nobility and moral purity as well as physical endurance and energy (…).” The term “legacy” was used for the first timeduring Melbourne’s 1956 bid. Its use was part of the IOC’s crisis at the time. However, it was during Sydney’s bid in the early 1990s that social legacy became prominent, as a response to the upheavals of the 1992 Barcelona Games (participation of professionals, fewer bids, etc.). For the IOC, it became necessary to highlight the positive effects of the event, and all organizers had to take a position on this.
The magic of the Games
From the opening lines of the HSP OPG 2024, the ambition of the President of the Organizing Committee is for sport to be a solution in areas such as “health, education, social cohesion, inclusion, especially for people with disabilities, and gender equality” (p.4). Citizen engagement, solidarity, and ecological transformation are among the expected outcomes. The reader is captivated by the power of the Games to change people’s lives. The document leaves no doubt that the legacy is meant to justify holding a costly and demanding event. The Games will notably aim to “Inspire the French people, especially children and teenagers, to engage in physical and sporting activities; Develop physical and sporting activity everywhere (…); Promote the values of sport, Olympism, and Paralympism” (p.64). The affirmation of inherent values in sport is a constant theme. It suggests that merely being exposed to sport would be enough to foster engagement and encourage the adoption of civic principles.
The ecological challenge is also prominent. The premise is clear: “The traditional model for organizing the Games was not suited to the trajectories of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to meet France’s climate commitments” (p.14). However, the ambition for a “more virtuous model” or the “emergence of innovative solutions” remains vague. As for the goal to “ensure the Games’ carbon neutrality” (p.14), the event’s requirements (construction of infrastructures, transportation, etc.) seem to contradict this neutrality.
Trickle-down legacy
The enthusiasm of the organizers is palpable, and their commitment to legacy is commendable. If we consider legacy in its broadest sense, encompassing all that remains and is linked to the event in both tangible and intangible dimensions, several aspects will indeed endure. Many facilities will be preserved, and the Games are already celebrated as an important moment in national life. This refers to what could be called a trickle-down legacy, meaning measures and initiatives tied to an event that transform both spaces and the way events are organized.
However, a trickle-down legacy, like any form of legacy, requires resources not only for its preservation but also for its sustainability. It is a long-term commitment that will determine the fate of the Games’ legacy. Several years will be needed to confirm whether there are genuine benefits. These will depend on the establishment of support structures, the recruitment of staff, and capitalizing on the Games’ outcomes. The causal link between organizing a major event and its consequences must be analyzed. The Games are one thing; structural measures are another, without which no large-scale social change will be possible.
One blind spot remains: Could the legacy be negative? This has been the case with previous Games. Anticipating such consequences could help mitigate risks.
Conclusion
Isn’t the legacy of the Games the only subject that truly matters? The narratives that suggest the Games can solve everything, and therefore justify the event through its legacy, raise doubts about an event whose nature does not align with all challenges. Other events have rethought their goals and objectives to meet the criteria needed to create a lasting legacy. This was not the approach taken for the 2024 Games. Beyond the excitement during the competitions, these Games could have marked a new era for Olympism. It is unlikely that the legacy will be fulfilled in an ambitious manner.
