Nearly ready

The organisers of Paris 2024 have been determined to showcase a different sort of Olympics, shorn of the common problems of vast overspending, wasteful infrastructure investment, and corruption.

The 2016 Rio Olympics left the city near bankrupt, while large-scale graft allegations shocked the general public.

The former Brazilian Olympics boss and the governor of the city were both convicted afterwards.

Several businessmen have also been found guilty of bribing a Tokyo Olympics committee member in a scandal that soured the mood over the 2020 Games held in the Japanese capital a year later due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite the legal problems, the Paris Games appear broadly on track, with almost all of the main building work finished and the budget overspend relatively small compared with past editions.

This week will see the committee unveil the medal designs, while a brand new venue, which is set to host basketball and rhythmic gymnastics, will open its doors at the weekend.

The athletes’ village is set to be inaugurated by President Emmanuel Macron on February 29.

The French sports world, including football, rugby, and tennis, has been shaken by a string of scandals in recent years.

The head of the French Football Federation, Noel Le Graet, stepped down last year after accusations of sexual harassment, while the head of the rugby federation was convicted of corruption.