Preparations for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris are in full swing and are not stopping at French primary schools.
For over a year now, my wife, the director of a small rural primary school, has been a mentor to the 800-meter runner Charlotte Pizzo (Wiki).
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Charlotte and Marie in February
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After winning the 2023 Indoor Championship
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After finishing second at the 2018 French Indoor Athletics Championships in Liévin, Charlotte was crowned French indoor champion in the 800-meter race at the 2019 French Indoor Athletics Championships in Miramas, as well as in 2020 and 2023. In 2023, we were present in Clermont-Ferrand when she won her third championship. Currently, however, Charlotte is still uncertain about her participation in the Olympic Games.
Charlotte regularly visits my wife’s school to tell the children about life as a professional athlete. These visits end with a joint sports lesson and games in the schoolyard. An athlete up close for the children, and even if Charlotte is not a celebrity, her visits are a pleasant change for everyone involved.
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Yesterday, the school received a small package from the delivery person containing 28 booklets to be handed out to the students on the same day. The same booklets were distributed to all primary school students across France on the same day.
Each booklet contains a special 2 € coin for the Games.
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The entire campaign is expected to cost the French taxpayer 16 million euros for 4 million distributed copies, which naturally leads to justified criticism. How can such large sums be available for advertising campaigns while the education sector is facing significant cuts and money is lacking everywhere? What will children from poorer families do with the 2 € coins? They probably won’t keep them as souvenirs.
Of course, it is an advertising campaign, and of course, the money could have been used for something more meaningful. However, after the 1998 Football World Cup in France, the French economy experienced a unique boost. If the Olympic Games are successful, history could repeat itself, and the investments could prove worthwhile. Since the Games can only succeed if the population supports them, the 16 million euros might be better spent in the long run than many other advertising strategies.
