This is one of the surprises on the list unveiled by Prime Minister Michel Barnier this Saturday: Gil Avérous (51 years old), mayor of Châteauroux since 2014, inherits the Sports portfolio, relieved of the Olympic and Paralympic Games but coupled with Youth and Community Life. The right-wing politician (ex LR) became known nationally in the light of the Paris 2024 Games by lobbying, with other local elected officials, with Paris 2024 for the national shooting center (CNTS) in Châteauroux-Deols to host the shooting events to replace La Courneuve (Seine-Saint-Denis).
A move made official in the summer of 2022 which forced the city and the urban area to prepare urgently and in particular to find accommodation, initially envisaged at the CNTS managed by the French Shooting Federation. The city invested more than €10 million to host the Games, encouraged hoteliers to renovate their establishments and encouraged shopkeepers to take English lessons. A story of offering the best experience to the athletes and compensating for their disappointment of not being in the capital. A successful bet for the city where several French athletes have won Olympic and Paralympic medals and which has made people talk about it all over the world.
Managing the legacy of Paris 2024 and preparing for the 2030 Olympic Games
Before attending the official opening ceremony of the Games on July 26, Gil Avérous and the elected officials of Indre held numerous meetings with Paris 2024 and the various stakeholders for two years, not hesitating to bang their fists on the table when they felt like they were the last wheel on the carriage. The mayor and president of the urban area also spoke a lot during this preparation with Michel Cadot, the interministerial delegate for the Games who joined Michel Barnier’s office to take care of relations with local authorities.
He is now in charge of building on the legacy of the Paris 2024 Games despite reduced resources and preparing for the next ones in 2030, once his new leader has signed the state guarantee expected by the IOC.