PARIS: Four million applications were received for an online lottery where winners get to buy tickets for next year’s Paris Olympics, the local organizing committee said Friday.They hope to sell 1.3 million tickets for the 2024 Games as a result of the latest draw.Applications ended Thursday evening and winners will know early next month if they have been successful. They can start buying from May 11 and have a 48-hour timeslot to do so. They’ll be told 48 hours beforehand when their slot is.Figures on which countries the 4 million lottery applications came from, and whether more men or women applied, were not available. The five countries who bought the most tickets, and other statistics, will be made known after the sale has finished in June.By then, organizers expect that about half of the 10 million tickets for the Paris Games will have been sold.A total of 3.2 million tickets were sold from the first phase of sales, featuring packages, with the top buyers coming from Britain and the United States. Phase 1 ended on March 15, which is also when online applications for the lottery and the second phase of single-ticket sales began.The Paris Games, which run from July 26-Aug. 11, 2024, will feature 32 sports and 48 disciplines across 37 sites.Tickets will be available in five categories according to price range, with a maximum of six for any event, including the opening ceremony.PRICE RANGESTo watch the opening ceremony, which will feature thousands of Olympic athletes on boats cruising along the River Seine, spectators will pay from 90 euros ($99) to 2,700 euros ($2,960) — the most expensive ticket of all.The cheapest tickets for all other events start at only 24 euros ($26), and 4 million of the 10 million tickets for the Paris Games cost 50 euros ($55) or less.Tickets for the women’s 100-meter final on Aug. 3 are 690 euros ($758) for the best seats. For the men’s 100 final the next day, it’s 980 euros ($1,076).Tickets for the men’s basketball final on Aug. 10, which home fans will hope features prodigy Victor Wembanyama, range from 125 euros ($137) to 980 euros ($1,076). The women’s final the following day costs from 95 euros ($104) to 510 euros ($560).Soccer matches are being held in seven cities with the men’s final on Aug. 9 and the women’s final on Aug. 10 at Parc des Princes in Paris. Both finals are priced from 80 euros ($88) to 300 euros ($329).Kylian Mbapp?, France’s star player at last year’s World Cup, said he wants to play for his country’s soccer team at the Olympics if he gets permission following the month-long European Championship in Germany, which finishes on July 14.The men’s and women’s skateboard finals also have the same top price — 160 euros ($176) — and take place near the iconic Place de la Concorde, one the city’s major public squares.While tickets can also be purchased for friends and family, they are not for re-sale other than on the official Paris Games platform.Those who were not successful in the lottery will also be informed by email. They are encouraged to stay connected for future ticket opportunities at the end of 2023, although it was not yet clear under what format.The budget for the Paris Olympics is estimated at 4.3 billion euros ($4.7 billion) with 96 percent of that money funded from television rights, official partnerships, ticket sales and licensed products.Tickets for the Paralympics go online on Oct. 4 but not in a lottery, with about 3 million tickets expected to be sold.The 2024 Paralympics will take place from Aug. 28-Sept. 8.
Wednesday, December 25, 2024