Opening Ticket Price 3.85 Million Won... "Are They Suggesting Taking a Loan for the Paris Olympics?"

Paris Olympic Organizing Committee Promotes "Games for Everyone"
Opening Ceremony Tickets Priced at 4 Million Won Nearby... "Twice the Minimum Wage"
Ongoing Complaints Among Sports Fans and Athletes

Sports fans and athletes are voicing complaints over the ticket prices for the Paris Olympics set to open next year.

According to AFP on the 22nd (local time), the organizing committee for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and Paralympics began selling 1.5 million single-event tickets starting from the 11th. The committee had previously sold over 3 million tickets in February through a 'three-sport package.'

The Eiffel Tower is seen through the Olympic rings installed at Trocad?ro Square in Paris, France. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The committee has promoted the Paris Olympics as "an event accessible to everyone." As part of this, they prepared 1 million tickets priced at 24 euros (about 34,000 KRW). Among these, 150,000 tickets were released this time and sold out quickly upon the start of sales.

On the other hand, general ticket prices reached 690 euros (about 980,000 KRW) within three days. Tickets for the athletics semifinals cost 980 euros (about 1.4 million KRW), and the opening ceremony tickets soared to 2,700 euros (about 3.85 million KRW), sparking an outcry among sports fans.

A Twitter user’s criticism, "Opening ceremony tickets costing twice the minimum wage? Is this a joke?" gained significant traction on social media. The current French minimum wage is 9.11 euros (about 13,000 KRW) per hour after tax, amounting to 1,383.08 euros (about 1.97 million KRW) monthly after tax.

Among athletes participating in the Olympics, criticism of ticket prices also continued. Nafissatou Thiam, a Belgian athlete who won the Olympic heptathlon twice, lamented, "Olympic ticket prices are too expensive," adding, "I’m not even sure if my family will be able to come see me."

French judoka Amandine Buchard pointed out, "They said it would be an 'Olympics accessible to everyone,' but in reality, families and loved ones can only see us if they take out bank loans."

As dissatisfaction grew not only among the public but also among athletes, Am?lie Oud?a-Cast?ra, France’s Minister of Sports, explained on the 16th, "The 24-euro tickets sold out too quickly," but added, "Compared to past Olympic events, ticket prices are relatively low."

The organizing committee stated that about two-thirds of the tickets were sold on the first day of sales, calling it "an overwhelming enthusiasm from the start, which is proof of tremendous passion." However, Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris Olympic organizing committee, said regarding the high ticket prices, "We expected some criticism, but we underestimated its scale."

Sports policy expert David Rouazenne told AFP, "In modern sports driven by money, there is no event for everyone," criticizing, "The Champions League final or the Olympics are events for those with money. Saying 'we will make a game for everyone' was a mistake."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.