National Federations joined online from around the world
IFSC President Marco Scolaris was joined by the federation’s Executive Board at the foot of the Paris 2024 Speed wall to host and welcome online National Federation representatives from around the world to the Olympic Games.
Direct from the Le Bourget venue, Scolaris addressed the attendees online and covered many Olympic related subjects with the wish of bringing the climbing world closer together, even if they could not be in Paris in person.
Joining President Scolaris on the competition stage was ISFC General Secretary Debra Gawrych, IFSC Vice President Kobinata Toru, IFSC Treasurer Pierre You, IFSC General Director Piero Rebaudengo, IFSC Oceania Representative Naomi Cleary, IFSC Africa Representative George Stainton and Willy Montenegro Garcia.
President Scolaris began by acknowledging the task undertaken by the previous Games host in extremely hard times: “Thank you, Tokyo, thank you Japan, for what you have done in 2020 and in 2021.
“Your resilience, your determination, your strength made possible the impossible, overcoming huge and unprecedented obstacles and difficulties.
“In the Covid days, those Olympic Games were an Act of Faith in the future.”
Flowing together, the social impact of the Olympic Games, the legacy and inclusion were all addressed with President Scolaris saying: “We are proud to be here in Le Bourget, to celebrate our sport in our stand-alone venue.
“Four years ago, President Emmanuel Macron declared that ‘Les Jeux doivent faire plus pour la banlieue’ - The Games must do more for the suburbs.
“The Olympic Climbing changed the whole area, giving to this sport complex new life. It looked forgotten and abandoned when we visited it for the first time, it is now clean and ready to welcome future generations of students and sport lovers. And for the future generation of climbers too, because the training venue will remain.”
The legacy of Climbing after the Games has been known for some time with the warm-up area during Paris 2024 transformed into a public gym post-Games named ‘Marie Paridis’ after the first female to reach the summit of Mont Blanc, on July 14th, 1808.
“The story of Marie Paradis reminds me that Paris 2024 is the first edition of the Olympic Games with full gender parity in terms of athlete participation,” said President Scolaris.
“Imagine that in the 1924 Paris Olympics, a hundred years ago, women were 4%, and only in sport considered suitable for them, such as swimming and tennis. Well, we did not have to wait so long in climbing, as gender equality is in our DNA.”
President Scolaris highlighted the location of the climbing venue as significant in an important topic for everyone, not just climbers: “Le-Bourget is also the place where in 2015 the countries of the world met for the United Nations climate change conference, the Conference of the Parties, COP 21.
“In that occasion, a landmark agreement was reached by almost 200 countries to combat climate change and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future. As such, it charted a new course in the global climate effort.
“Planet Earth does not need us. We, human beings, we need the planet.
“Planet Earth is our house, and if our house is uninhabitable, we will perish. All.”
Turning attention back to the present and the Olympic Games, President Scolaris highlighted a first of its kind at Paris 2024 – the unique Opening Ceremony: “The Games of the thirty-third Olympiad Paris 2024 began under the rain, occasionally very heavy, that accompanied the entire Opening Ceremony.”
“An unconventional Opening Ceremony driven by a complex symbolism. It was designed all along the river Seine, for centuries the very heart of the city.
“Through the first week we enjoyed the passion for sport, the celebration of the athletes, the iconic sites and excitement, growing every day.”
Just like the Games, President Scolaris moved back to one of the most important parts of any Olympic Games – the athletes: “Tomorrow, we hand over to the athletes. Let’s be prepared to welcome them on stage. That stage just behind me, that you see in the background.
“The climbing walls seem to come from a fairy-tale. But they are real. They are real like the dream we are living.
“In these turbulent times, in a divisive world, let us enjoy together the spirit climbing is bringing to the Olympic Games, the values of inclusion, respect, determination, resilience.”
With a final sign off president Scolaris said goodbye to the attendees with some words in the native language of the hosts and co-founder of the International Olympic Committee, Pierre de Coubertin:
“Le jour de gloire est arrivé. Ici c’est Paris. Vive les Jeux Olympique, vive l’Escalade.”
“Our days of glory have arrived. This is Paris. Bring on the Olympic Games, bring on the Climbing.”
Read the complete speech from IFSC President Marco Scolaris here: https://ifsc.hopp.to/presmessage