French Athlete Jimmy Gressier Criticizes Exorbitant Prices and System for Obtaining Olympic Tickets

Athlete Jimmy Gressier, 2023 French cross-country champion, ranted about his social networks. The 26-year-old runner, from Boulogne-sur-Mer in the North – from the same neighborhood as footballer Franck Ribéry – is one of the great talents of French athletics and has announced that he wants to participate in the next Paris Olympics. 2024 in middle-distance events, the 5,000m and 1,500m. And like all athletes, Jimmy Gressier would like his relatives to come and encourage him at the Stade de France during the athletics events, but it will not be possible.

>> Paris 2024: single tickets, available finals, prices… Three questions about the second phase of ticketing for the Olympic Games

In question, the price of tickets and the system for obtaining seats. “I saw that the tickets for athletics were sold at an astronomical price, from €290 to €995 per seat! I find it really abused”he is indignant about Instagram. A rant shared by many Internet users, sports fans or curious people interested in attending the Olympic events, for several days on the networks. It should be noted, however, that there were places for athletics between 24 and 40 euros, but that they obviously left very quickly and that it took a maximum of luck to get them.

A third phase at the end of 2023

As a top athlete, the International Olympic Committee only offered him two places for the entire Games. However, he can buy four more without going through the sales platform. So Jimmy Gressier did his calculations: “If I want to bring ten people from my family, it will cost me between €6,000 and €7,000. It’s totally out of budget!”

A third and final phase of sales is planned for single tickets, this time without a draw, at the end of 2023. But for many, the Games will take place on TV, for lack of being able to get a coveted place.