This photograph shows the Paris 2024 Olympics mascot "Phryge" displayed in a souvenir shop in Paris on July 17, 2024, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. (Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP)
Paris: The athletes' village for the Paris Olympics and Paralympics officially opened and welcomed its first inhabitants on Thursday.
The village to the north of Paris will house nearly 14,500 people, including 9,000 athletes, at its peak.
Eight days before the opening ceremony, the first team members to arrive were from Australia and Brazil.
"We are super excited to check how it's looking. It looks amazing, can't wait to be inside. We can't wait to get started," said Australian hockey player Stephanie Kershaw as she waited to enter the village.
Organisers are proud of offering a village that they say does not require air-conditioning to keep residents cool, with temperatures inside set to be at least 6 degrees Celsius (42 degrees Fahrenheit) lower than outside in summer.
Some national delegations, including the United States have ordered their own air-conditioning units anyway.
The village contains a host of innovations intended to make it a model of low-carbon construction.
After they have been used by Olympians and Paralympians between July 26 and September 8, the apartments will be converted into homes, with at least a third destined for public housing.