Teams prepare for their work at the Olympics
Paris 2024
The countdown is running: The Summer Olympic Games in Paris start three months from now. Bauerfeind emerged victorious from the tender process with a clear advantage.
To make sure the team of 22 employees can provide optimal support for the athletes during the Games from July 26 to August 11, careful preparatory work is required that goes beyond the production of supports, orthoses, compression stockings, sports products or foot orthoses. Many employees have been hard at work in the background for weeks so that everything can go perfectly during the Olympic Games.
Well on schedule
Although we have far less preparation time for the Games in Paris than for Pyeongchang or Tokyo, for example, we are well on schedule. This is because we learned a lot from our previous work at the Olympics, which means that certain processes are now faster and simpler. While we sent more than 8,000 products to the polyclinic for the Summer Games in Rio or Tokyo, the current number is roughly 6,500. “By analyzing the treatments we have applied during the Olympics, we took a very precise look at which products we really need or which products can be quickly equipped or modified for the athlete’s specific requirements,” explains Project Manager Jörg Ritzerfeld. Instead of imprint foams for orthosis treatment, we will rely more heavily on digital measurement.
Another factor that makes planning easier this year is the proximity to Zeulenroda. For the first time since 2012 in London, the Olympic Games are once again being held in Europe. “This allows us to be much more flexible, and if necessary we could even request the custom manufacture of special products or subsequent orders,” adds Jörg Ritzerfeld. The logistics are also much simpler. For example, while all products had to be shipped in April for the Olympic Games in Tokyo three years ago, for Paris we don’t need to send the products off to the polyclinic in Paris until late June. The clinic is located directly in the Olympic Village, just two kilometers from the Stade de France where the track and field events are held.
Facts about the Olympic Games in Paris
Paris as host: The Olympic Games are being held in Paris for the third time. First in 1900 and 1920, now in 2024 as well. This puts Paris together with London at the head of all venues, since no other city has hosted the Olympics more times.
Opening Ceremony: For the first time, the Opening Ceremony will not be held in a stadium, but instead directly on the Seine in Paris. On more than 160 boats over a distance of six kilometers, athletes, officials and other dignitaries will be transported down the river on July 26th between the Pont d’Austerlitz and the Pont d’Iena. More than 300,000 spectators can attend the event live. This also makes it the “largest ceremony” in Olympics history.
Olympic flame:The Olympic flame was lit in Olympia, Greece on April 16. The flame will then be handed over on April 26 to the French hosts in the ancient Olympic stadium. Then the Olympic flame will start its journey across France until the torch relay ends on the day of the Opening Ceremony, July 26, 2024, in Paris.
After arriving in Paris, the flame will not be kept in a stadium, but instead will remain lit in the Tuileries gardens in front of the world-famous Louvre during the Summer Games in Paris 2024. In this way, many people will be able to see the flame without having to go into a stadium.
Slogan: The slogan is “Ouvrons Grand les Jeux/Games Wide Open” and therefore stands for equality, inclusion and responsibility.