(Saint-Denis) IOC President Thomas Bach expressed Friday his “satisfaction” with the state of preparation of the Olympic installations for the Paris Olympics (July 26-August 11) which begin in eight months, after having visited the Olympic village in Saint-Denis.

“It’s always a great time to be in the village. This is where the heart of the Olympics will beat. What we can see here is spectacular, compact, very pragmatic,” said the IOC President after a visit to the village thus closing the executive commission which has been held in Paris since Wednesday.

“Not only me, but also the other members of the IOC Executive Committee are very happy, very satisfied with the village and the level of preparation,” assured the IOC President.

Nearly 300,000 square meters of buildings are now standing and almost finished in the village which must be officially delivered at the end of December with the keys being handed over to the organizers “at the beginning of March” 2024, recalled Tony Estanguet, the head of the organizing committee. (COJO).

“The deadlines are perfectly respected,” he said.

This village is expected to accommodate more than 14,000 people (athletes and staff, editor’s note) during the Olympics.

Asked about the exit of the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo who had affirmed ten days ago that Ile-de-France transport would not be “ready” for the Olympics, Thomas Bach kicked in. “The OCOG is our partner, and there are no cracks with them,” he said.