TAOISEACH SIMON HARRIS has said the “diverse and inclusive” nature of the Irish Olympic team will “give great hope to young people in Ireland”.
Harris was speaking after meeting Irish athletes in the Olympic village in Paris ahead of the opening ceremony tomorrow.
He remarked that it was the first time a Taoiseach had the opportunity to meet Irish athletes in the Olympic Village.
Harris was asked about the importance of having a diverse team represent Ireland at the Paris Olympic Games and responded that “it matters”.
“But I also know that each athlete very much wants to concentrate on them being here as an athlete, proudly representing Ireland,” said Harris.
He added: “But I think we have a team that is really diverse, really inclusive, from a whole variety of different backgrounds, and I think that gives great hope to young people in Ireland.
“Whatever their background, you too can grow up and represent your country at the Olympic Games.”
It is an absolute honour to be with Team Ireland in Paris today to wish them the very, very best of luck and every success in the Olympics. Go Team Ireland!
— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) July 25, 2024
We are all so proud of you and cheering you on every step of the way! A credit to our country. pic.twitter.com/PCcJJGbZ72
Harris also remarked that young people will be encouraged to take up sport by seeing the “breadth of areas in which Ireland can compete”.
“Rather than just being really good in one or two areas and maybe a young person thinks ‘that area is not for me’, there’s now such a range of sports in which Ireland is sending athletes to the Olympics.
“That’ll encourage the next generation to participate in sport too.
“There is a breadth of areas in which we’re really competing, not just participating, but really competing at the highest level, it’s really encouraging.”
Harris also remarked that investment in sport “has to go in one direction and that’s to continue to invest more”.
There was state funding for Team Ireland of €59 million during the Tokyo Olympic cycle, and this was increased to €89 million during the Paris Olympic cycle.
“There’s been a greater level of investment in this Olympic cycle than the previous one and that needs to continue,” said Harris.
“We also need to look, when this Olympics is over, at how we can really try to build on its legacy in Ireland.”
With some 133 athletes travelling to Paris, this will be Ireland’s largest ever team competing at an Olympic Games.
“It’s just been absolutely brilliant to see such a range of incredible athletes representing our country,” said Harris, “to see the excitement, the nerves, and also to see some of the benefits of having an Olympics closer to home.
“A lot of the athletes have family and their friends here and coming over in the next few days as well.”
Harris noted that a reception will be held for the families of Irish athletes and that this is being done to “acknowledge the role that families play”.
While the Games officially start tomorrow, some events have already started, such as soccer and Rugby 7s.
“We got off to a great start in the Rugby 7s, which hasn’t just pleased them and excited our country, it’s actually given all of our athletes a lift psychologically as well,” said Harris.
He added that he is looking forward to watching rugby on Saturday, and also hopes to see some boxing and gymnastics.
Tomorrow’s unprecedented opening ceremony will take place along with River Seine and it will mark the first time an opening ceremony has taken place outside of an Olympic stadium.
Dozens of boats will carry thousands of athletes and performers on a 6 kilometre floating parade by river through the heart of Paris.
Heavy rain in May and June disrupted preparations for the Seine-based opening ceremony.
Some 45,000 police will be dispatched to ensure the ceremony’s security.
The Seine is also due to host several open water swimming events during the Games, including marathon swimming at the Olympic Games and the swimming legs of the Olympic and Paralympic triathlons.
Last week, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo went for a swim in the Seine River, fulfilling a promise she made months earlier to show the river is clean enough to host open-swimming competitions.
She had originally planned to swim last month, but had to delay because water tests showed that E.Coli bacteria – a key indicator of faecal matter – were sometimes up to 10 times higher than authorised limits.
Since 2015, organisers have invested heavily – €1.3 billion – to prepare the Seine for the Olympics and to ensure Parisians have a cleaner river in the years after the Games.
The Olympic events remain weather-dependent and heavy rain on the eve of the triathlon or open-water swimming could lead to problems.
In the worst-case scenario, the swimming for the triathlon would be cancelled, while the open-water swimming could be moved from the Seine to a water course east of Paris.
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