From Paris 1924 to Paris 2024, a century of sporting events
Over the course of a century, Yves-du-Manoir Stadium has hosted more than 200 sporting events, including the 1938 football World Cup final and numerous finals of the French rugby union championship.
Originally built as a racecourse in 1883, the Yves-du-Manoir actually made a name for itself during the 1924 Olympic Games, which established the venue as a monument to world sports.
The stadium was the center of attention as the venue for the VIII Olympiad Opening Ceremony; it was also the venue for Olympic athletic events, including rugby and marathon.
Yves-du-Manoir Stadium has also left its mark through the stories that have unfolded within it, such as the rivalry between British athletes Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell, which was brought to light a few decades later in the film Chariots of Fire.
“When we last held the Summer Games 100 years ago, it [the venue] was the beating heart [of the Games]. “The Opening Ceremony, the competition – it was an iconic venue,” added Estanguet.
“It’s really great to see the venue come alive again 100 years later for Paris 2024. What we like about the project is the excellence with which it was conceived and built, with the skills behind the quality of the construction and an unprecedented ecological ambition, including a proposal for renewable energy with 90 per cent of the materials recycled or re-used.
“It will leave a legacy for the French field hockey federation and the local residents.”