© Stade de France ®
Macary, Zublena et Regembal
Costantini - Architects
ADAGP - Paris - 2002
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ORGANISATION  INTERVIEWS |
 JEAN DUSSOURD, PRESIDENT of the GIP Paris 2003 Saint-Denis
At the sound of the starter's gun, the runners spring out of the blocks running towards immortality. As the cameras flash, you can feel the excitement rising from the stands at the Stade de France® and hear the crowd supporting these modern heroes to the finish line and ultimate victory. Each day, with each event, the same thrill will take hold of the Stade de France®. The same exaltation that we feel when we dream of athletics.
Tears of joy and distress, screams of triumph and pain, sighs of relief and disappointment; over the space of nine memorable days this summer, the Stade de France® will be transformed into a theatre of dreams for 400,000 fans and 4,5 billion TV viewers worldwide.
Sharing along with solidarity, fraternity, tolerance and unity will be the mottos of the championships, as some 2,000 men and women from 210 countries compete in the same arena. Each with their own cultural, religious and political identity, they will join their fellow athletes in celebrating the universal virtues of track and field - virtues that the world needs today more than ever.
The example set by these sporting heroes is all the more important when we consider they will be watched by thousands of youngsters who have earned seats at the Stade de France® via the many promotional campaigns organised throughout France to celebrate the World Championships. By seeing their heroes up close, these young boys and girls will hopefully understand what it means to surpass oneself and appreciate the rewards of striving for excellence.
These are the same values we strive to uphold every single day at the Paris 2003 Saint-Denis Organising Committee, where we are doing everything humanly possible to ensure the success of the championships, providing state-of-the-art infrastructures, innovative technology, high performance transport facilities, highly efficient security services, excellent hospitality, comfortable accommodation and a hugely motivated 3,600 strong team of volunteers.
The world's third biggest sporting event after the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup™ will provide Paris, Saint-Denis and the whole of France with the perfect opportunity to show the world their commitment to athletics and sport in general.
The 9th IAAF World Championships in Athletics await us. Let us make sure we enjoy every hundredth of a second of what will be an unforgettable spectacle.
ESSAR GABRIEL, GENERAL DIRECTOR
Let's do it!
"Athletic achievement is not developed overnight!" Sebastian Coe's words certainly ring true when applied to the 9th IAAF World Championships in Athletics. On 23 August, when the IAAF flag is raised at the Stade de France®, it will be three years since the Organising Committee was founded. With the marketing programme and competition planning now complete, our team's ultimate task will be to extend a very warm welcome to the delegations, officials, journalists, spectators and TV viewers from around the world, before laying on World Championships to remember.
So as we come into the home straight, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the Organising Committee staff who have worked so hard and passionately to make this great project a reality. I should also like to welcome on board the 3,600 volunteers who will be joining us shortly.
On behalf of the whole team, welcome to Paris and Saint-Denis!
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