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Paris 2024 Celebrates International Women’s Day with La Lycéenne Run

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Paris 2024 hailed the inaugural La Lyceenne Run calling it a success after more than 5000 school girls took to the streets of France.

Paris 2024 Celebrates International Women's Day with La Lycéenne Run (Paris 2024 Photo)
Paris 2024 Celebrates International Women’s Day with La Lycéenne Run (Paris 2024 Photo)

La Lycenne is supported by Paris 2024 official partner MAIF and is a race specifically aimed at young women from high schools across France.  The run took place in Paris where about 2,024 schools girls took part.  Participants ran  2,024 metres in celebration of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games bid.

In each city a number of high-profile ambassadors including PSG Women’s star Laure Boulleau, Athens 2004 bronze medallist Muriel Hurtis, Rio 2016 gold medal winner Emilie Andeol, and pop star Alizee joined the run which encouraged young women to maintain an active lifestyyle and to strive for success in their lives.

The run comes just days after the Paris Half Marathon, another mass participation sporting event where 40,000 raced through the streets of Paris past the iconic venues and landmarks which would form the backdrop for the 2024 Games.

The bid committee is working in close collaboration with two of France’s most influential female leaders, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and Valerie Pecresse, President of the Ile=de-France region.  Under the legacy plan Paris 2024 wants to help more women obtain high ranking French sport federation roles, while the Olympic Schools Week, which has been added to the National Curriculum, will promote gender parity and endorse diverse ideas in schools.

Bernard Lapasset, Paris 2024 Co-Chairman said, “La Lycéenne is a fantastic initiative that we hope will encourage thousands of school girls from across France to engage with sport.  By empowering women across France, we hope that more women than ever before will be ready to compete in 2024.  Diversity is at the heart of our bid and we want to encourage more and more women to take up sport, develop leadership skills and get active.”

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said, “I want to congratulate all of the girls who turned out today to take part in La Lyceenne, and I am delighted at how many took part.  This is a special event on a very special day for women, and we want to to carry this excitement and enthusiasm all the way into Paris 2024.”

Marie-Amelie Le Fur, three-time Paralympic Champion and Co-Chair of the Paris 2024 Athletes’ Committee, added, “on International Women’s Day, Paris 2024 is helping to show girls that sport can be a vehicle for change.  We are passionate about creating equal opportunities for all people regardless of gender, and La Lyceenne has been a great example of that.  I was empowered by sport and I believe that Paris 2024 can help the female athletes of tomorrow achieve their dreams and ensure their voice is heard.”

Paris and Los Angeles are bidding to host the 2024 Olympic Games.  The host city will be selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) September 13 in Lima. Peru.

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