Paris Olympics 2024: After the Games are over, What happens to Olympic villages?

BY: Kavya Bhatt

The modern Olympic Games originated in Athens in 1896. Nonetheless, the Greek god Zeus was honored with a unique set of religious festivals in ancient Greece, where athletes competed on behalf of their individual city-states. These Olympic Games have a 2,800-year history.

The Olympics were held in Paris in 1924. Additionally, even though it was only a temporary hamlet, it was the first time an Olympic village had ever existed.

After a century, Olympic villages are now an essential component of the Games. The host nations go above and beyond to build cutting-edge villages for participating athletes. However, ever wonder what becomes of these villages once the Games end?

In 1924, for the Paris Summer Olympics, workers built several cabins near the Stade de Colombes to house visiting athletes. They called the complex the 'Olympic Village'.

After the Games, the original Olympic Village was dismantled. The Stade de Colombes stadium, now known as Yves-du-Manoir, still stands today. This stadium, named after French rugby player Yves du Manoir, hosts rugby, track, and association football events. The adjacent site where the Village once stood has since been developed.

The organizers of Amsterdam 1928 aimed to replicate the Olympic Village concept inspired by the Paris Games. However, according to Olympic news website Inside the Games, they found it impractical to construct suitable accommodations for the athletes at a reasonable cost.

For the first time, Baldwin Hills constructed an Olympic Village exclusively for male athletes. This Village featured several hundred buildings, including post and telegraph offices, an amphitheatre, a hospital, a fire department, and a bank.