Why are there still tickets available for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris?

More than a week after the start of the 2024 Paris Olympics, tickets for major events are still available to the public, including the men’s and women’s 100m finals.

Despite organizers saying more tickets have been sold than ever before, with eight million of the 10 million available tickets going on general sale, they have yet to shift all their tickets for athletics events.

As of Thursday afternoon, the Olympic Games website was still showing availability for the men’s 10,000 meters final on Friday evening, while the first round of the women’s 800 meters race was also taking place at the Stade de France. The cheapest tickets left start at €195 ($210; £165) as the €85 ($92; £72) price category is sold out.

Although on the pricier side – €690 ($744; £582) – there is still availability to attend the Saturday evening athletics events, including the women’s 100 meters semi-finals and final, as well as the mixed final of the 4×400 meter relay.

One of the Games’ showcase events, the men’s 100m final, likely to feature Team USA star Noah Lyles, is showing availability, with tickets still on general sale for €525 ($566; £443 ). The cheapest option, which is now sold out, was a Category D ticket, which cost €125.

Tickets remain on sale for €170 ($183; £143) – the cheapest ticket before it sold out cost €24 ($26; £20) – for the first round of the men’s and women’s 4x100m relays on August 8.

Sebastian Coe, the president of World Athletics and head of the London 2012 Olympic Games organizing committee, has previously expressed concerns about the price of tickets in Paris.

“These will be the most expensive ticket prices in an athletics arena that we have seen at an Olympic Games,” Lord Coe said in December. “I don’t want fans, athletes and their families to be chased out of the stadium. ”

Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, responded to Lord Coe’s comments and defended their awards.

“If I look at what has happened in terms of previous editions in London or even Tokyo, we are in about the same price range,” Estanguet said.

“In London the minimum price was £20, which, with inflation, amounts to about €27, and the maximum price was £725, which today with inflation amounts to just over €1,000. These prices are therefore slightly higher than those of Paris 2024.”

The 2024 organizing committee says the prizes will be comparable to the 2012 Olympics, adjusted for inflation (Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

Outside of athletics, there are plenty of other events where tickets are available for €15, including Friday evening’s men’s football quarter-final between Spain and Japan.

On the other end of the spectrum, only hospitality tickets remain on sale for the men’s basketball finals, which could feature Team USA’s star-studded roster of LeBron James and Steph Curry, among others.

These tickets cost €6,500 ($7,000; £5,500) and include an off-site hospitality package at the Eiffel Tower.

Of the 10 million tickets for the Olympic Games in Paris, two million were reserved for the catering industry and stakeholders.

General sale tickets, which must be purchased through the official Olympic Games website, were sold in multiple stages and initially included the introduction of a voting system, where successful applicants had to purchase tickets for at least three different events.

There are some Olympic events you can watch for free (Alex Broadway/Getty Images)

Events such as climbing and BMX freestyle sold out on the first day, while track cycling, fencing and judo also sold out within a few days.

There is of course another option: unless you want to sit in the purpose-built stands, you can line the streets for free for certain events, including the men’s and women’s marathons and this weekend’s road cycling races.

(Header photo: Olivier Chassignole/AFP via Getty Images)