In his most recent interview with the British media, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe remarked that the costs in the athletics section are the ‘most expensive’ the public has ever seen at an Olympic Games.
He also noted that the prices are ‘lumpy’ and compared them with the World Athletics Championships tickets, saying that they were much more affordable.
Following the release of their outrageous ticket prices on the internet, the Olympic organizers encountered a great deal of public backlash earlier this year. The public claimed that this particularly went against the promise of Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet, who stated that the events would be accessible “for all.”
Among those who voiced their concerns are several athletes. Olympic heptathlon champion Nafissatou Thiam said in an interview with the Belgian media at the time that she was not even sure her family would be able to watch her compete because the tickets were so expensive.
French judoka Amandine Buchard, a silver and gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, chastised the organizers on X (formerly Twitter) as well, saying that in order for her family and loved ones to be able to attend, she would need to obtain a bank loan.
French politician Alexis Corbiere also chimed in, pointing out that the opening show’s ticket price of 2,700 euros was more than double the French monthly minimum income. Furthermore, he also sarcastically tweeted that the most important thing in this situation was “not to take part but to be one of the richest people on this planet.”
Sebastian Coe joins outcry
Coe also stressed the importance of the presence of fans and the athletes’ family members at the Olympics. He said that he didn’t want them to be ‘costed out of the stadium.’
“The most important element here is you want fans in the stadium, you want fans within affordable prices,” Coe said.
He continued by saying that while expensive tickets will always be available, it is crucial that fans of the sport fill the stadiums rather than just those who “can afford to get to an Olympics.”
A huge supply of tickets for the athletic event in the 80,000-seat Stade de France next July remain unsold. The prices ranged from €990 for ‘Category First’ seats during the evening sessions to €690, €385, €195, or €85 for Category A-D seats.
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