The opening of the programme “The generation of 2004 in Greece on the road to the Olympic Games of “Paris 2024” was held at the French Embassy in Greece. The programme is co-organized by the Embassy of France in Greece and the French Institute of Greece together with the Hellenic Olympic Committee and the Hellenic Olympic Academy. It aims at promote the Olympic Spirit, the Olympic education and the French language.

The programme is designed to create an active network among 1800 young people who will be capable of spreading the values of Olympism, by 2024, through the organizing of annual Olympic meetings with the attendance of French and Greek athletes who participated in the Olympic Games “Athens 2004”.

The Ambassador of France to Greece Christophe Chantepy, the Deputy Minister of Sport Giorgos Vasileiadis, the French Ambassador for Sport Philippe Vinogradoff, the IOC member Guy Drut, the HOC Secretary General Manolis Kolympadis and the President of the Hellenic Olympic Academy Giorgos Alikakos addressed the audience.

The French Ambassador to Greece, Christophe Chantepy, warmly thanked all those who supported the implementation of this programme dedicated to sports and youth, the Olympic Spirit and the French language which is one of the official languages of the Olympic Games.

He also announced that by 2024 many events will take place with the participation of Greek and French athletes who took part in the “Athens 2004” Olympic Games. This is a bridge programme between two Olympic Games and two generations. Philippe Vinogradoff, French Ambassador for Sport, congratulated the organizers of this programme for their initiative through which the Olympic Ideas are promoted in the new generation, ideals that the two countries share, promote and defend.

Guy Drut, IOC member, congratulated the Greek and French Olympic champions of 2004 for their participation in the programme and spoke about the common effort of the two countries to inscribe the Olympic Spirit on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Unesco.

The HOC President, Spyros Capralos stressed the importance of the programme which is to form an active network of bilingual young people who will disseminate the principles and ideals of Olympism.