The building of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic equestrian venue at Versailles remains on track, although specific work was temporarily halted.
French sport news site L’Équipe reported that labour inspectors considered that there was a danger of falling from a height for the employees who were installing the stands.
H&H contacted Paris 2024 to find out more and to ask if the venue is still expected to be completed on schedule.
A spokesman confirmed to H&H that the specific operations at Versailles that had been temporarily halted were resumed shortly afterwards, and that the works are “very much on schedule”.
He added that this kind of temporary interruption is always built into project planning, as the priority is to implement the highest standards of health and safety across all sites for the Games. This means there has been no impact on the delivery timetable.
H&H understands that workplace inspections are conducted regularly across all Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic venues, as is standard in France.
Information from Paris 2024 notes that although no immediate risks were identified, a precautionary decision was taken to temporarily halt certain specific operations at the Concorde and Versailles construction sites managed by Paris 2024 and its partner GL Events.
The organisers have also stressed that the health and safety of all those working on temporary venue construction sites is at the top of its priorities, and that they and GL Events are working closely with the regulatory bodies and independent experts to implement the “highest standards” of health and safety across all Games sites.
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are now three months away. Eventing is the first equestrian discipline on the timetable, with the first horse inspection on 26 July – the same day as the opening ceremony.
You might also be interested in:
Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round
Carl Hester: ‘Teamwork makes the dream work’ when preparing for an Olympics
‘Spine-tinglingly good’: Paris Olympics to be a ‘really special moment’ for horse sport
‘Spectacular, but fair’: inside the mind of the Paris Olympic course-designer
Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.
