On Wednesday, the organizers of the Paris Olympics announced that 1.2 million tickets are still available, primarily for football, basketball, and handball. Team sports like football have struggled to fill the large venues designated for their matches. Additionally, the organizers will release more highly desired tickets for the swimming and athletics finals starting Thursday.
“More than 50,000 tickets will be put on sale in more than 30 sports (on Thursday),” stated deputy director general Mickael Aloisio.
The Paris Games have set a new record for the total number of tickets sold, with 8.7 million tickets purchased, surpassing the previous record of 8.3 million set at the Atlanta Games in 1996.
Aloisio noted that “more than 60 percent” of the tickets have been sold within France.
The organizers had faced significant criticism from fans and some athletes regarding ticket prices when they were first released last year, which contradicted the promise of a “people’s Olympics.”