Olympic Games: 3.25 million tickets sold in first sales phase for Paris 2024

Paris (France), March 10 (IANS) A total of 3.25 million tickets have been sold for next year's Paris Olympic Games in the first sales phase, the organisers have informed.

For the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, tickets were made available worldwide from a single platform with tickets sold in packs over three weeks in the first phase, which saw fans from 158 countries and regions register for the sale.

"The public response to the first phase of Games ticket sales was truly phenomenal. With over 3.2 million tickets sold in less than three weeks, take-up exceeded all expectations, for which we are very grateful," Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet said on Thursday.

The French public made up two-thirds of ticket purchasers, with 45 per cent of all buyers being women, a relatively high proportion in Olympic history -- with Paris 2024 set to be the first ever Olympic Games with equal participation by male and female athletes, reports news agency Xinhua.

Tickets for climbing and BMX freestyle sold out on the first day, while those for fencing, judo, breaking and track cycling were all snapped up in just a few days.

For the Olympic Games, a total of around 10 million tickets will be put on sale, and 80 per cent of these will be made directly available to the public via the official ticketing platform.

The next phase of sales, dedicated to individual tickets, will begin with a draw registration from March 15 to April 20. Those who are selected can buy tickets from May 11. At the end of 2023 and into 2024, the remaining tickets will be available in real-time on a first-come, first-served basis.

In addition, a total of 70,000 tickets for the opening ceremony, held on the River Seine, will also be available in the second phase.