Franco-German Youth Olympic Camp 2024 in Paris

One hundred young enthusiasts are spending 14 days in Paris. The Youth Olympic Camp is being organised as a binational event for the first time this year. Louis Kleemeyer, who works as Event Inclusion Manager for the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games Organising Committee, is also on site.

From 24 July to 7 August 2024, young people can look forward to a diverse programme in the French capital and the opportunity to experience the Olympic atmosphere first-hand. In addition to interesting workshops about the Olympic Movement, for example with Diane de Coubertin, descendant of Pierre de Coubertin, and exciting discussion rounds with personalities from sport and politics, the young people can look forward to various visits to competitions. The participants will also be taught Olympic Values - such as fair play, peace and international co-operation. The programme is coordinated by a 20-strong management team, which is also supported by five language mediators.

"It is a unique opportunity for young people to discover the rich culture and history of our neighbouring country France during the Olympic Games in Europe. This binational initiative not only strengthens personal ties, but also promotes mutual understanding and cooperation between our two countries," says Luca Wernert, board member of the German Sports Youth (in German - Deutsche Sportjugend) and head of the Youth Camp.

Louis Kleemeyer, who is supporting the organising committee as Event Inclusion Manager, is very enthusiastic: "The first few days at the 2024 Franco-German Youth Olympic Camp in Paris were simply fantastic. It's particularly nice to see people with and without disabilities from Germany and France taking part together. This promotes exchange and networking immensely. Among other things, we had the opportunity to meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and ask him questions about the Olympic Games. We have also taken part in many interesting workshops and team-building activities so far, which have given us a lot of knowledge and valuable experience. I'm really looking forward to attending competitions in the coming days."

The German Olympic Youth Camp has been jointly organised by the German Sports Youth (dsj) and the German Olympic Academy (DOA) on behalf of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) since 2010. It takes place every two years to coincide with the Olympic and Paralympic Games and is aimed at young athletes and young people involved in sport.

This year, the Youth Olympic Camp is being organised for the first time as a binational event at the venue of the Olympic and Paralympic Games together with the Comité National Olympique et Sportif Français (CNOSF). It also stands for Franco-German friendship and symbolises the close partnership that has been building bridges between the two nations for decades and is strengthened by a variety of youth projects and cultural exchanges. Fifty young people from each country were able to assert themselves against a large number of applicants and, with their participation, receive recognition for their above-average commitment in voluntary work or competitive sport.

You can read the participants' diary here (in German).