The Paris Media Centre, located at the Carreau du Temple in the French capital, was the venue chosen by the Paris government for Mayor Anne Hidalgo, a key figure in the organisation of the 2024 Olympic Games as the host city, to explain how the thirty-third Olympic Games of the modern era have impacted the city she has governed since 5 April 2014.

Born in San Fernando, Cádiz, Spain, and a member of the Socialist Party, Hidalgobegan her speech by saying that under her leadership the city has undergone a significant transformation, driven by the ambition not only to host a world-class sporting event, but also to leave a lasting legacy that improves the lives of its residents.

"Many people are now aware of the colossal challenge of hosting the Games in the city," said Hidalgo, acknowledging the enormous challenge of preparing Paris for this global event since it was selected as the host city in 2017.

Despite the difficulties, Hidalgo insisted that hosting the Games had been a unique opportunity to accelerate key changes in the city. "I believe that together we have achieved what we wanted. This is the result of 10 years of work. It's not just 15 days of happiness, it's not an afterthought. The Seine is clean, it will stay clean and we will swim in it, the whole population will swim in the Seine.

One of the pillars of this transformation has been the shared vision between Hidalgo and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), led by Thomas Bach. "Bach has done a lot to transform the Games - more sustainable, more inclusive, serving the population beyond the Games and improving the quality of life," said the Mayor, highlighting the positive impact these changes have had on Europe's ninth largest city.

Hidalgo's vision for Pariswas clear from the start: to create a greener, more inclusive and participatory city, in line with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. "There were three elements I wanted to align: my project, our collective project, and our vision for Paris - a greener, more inclusive city where citizen participation is central," she explained, highlighting how the Olympics served as a catalyst for achieving these goals.

"We have shown that we can do it, and the Games have allowed us to accelerate the ecological transformation of the city, the transformation of our neighbourhoods and the improvement of quality of life," said Hidalgo, who became the first woman to hold the highest office in the Paris government.

Paris has been transformed not only in terms of infrastructure, but also in terms of its citizens' attitudes and perceptions. Hidalgo stressed that the Games were not just about "15 days of happiness, it's not a parenthesis. The Seine has been cleaned, it will stay clean and we will swim in it, the whole population will swim in the Seine.

This achievement, along with other advances in accessibility, mobility and pollution control, has been made possible by the concentration of energy that the Olympic Games have generated in the city. "What the Games have enabled us to achieve would have taken us 20 years to gather all the energies," said the 65-year-old politician, underlining the importance of the Games as a catalyst for change.

The issue of gender equality was mentioned in particular, an issue that Hidalgo, as an avowed feminist, has been passionate about. "It's not just the first Olympic Games in history with an equal number of men and women, it's more than that. I really like the fact that there is as much public interest in the men's events as there is in the women's," she said.

"The stadiums are full for both men and women, which gives a different kind of visibility. It's important that women aren't invisible; as a feminist I see that as disturbing - what's happening. Visibility through sport is something that will also support the women's movement to live in a framework of equality and democracy".

During the press conference, which lasted just under an hour, a very relaxed Hidalgo had time to highlight the deep relationship that Paris has forged with other cities hosting the Games, such as Los Angeles. "There is a great friendship between the city of Los Angeles and the city of Paris. Today, with Karen Bass, we are really close in terms of what the Games can achieve," she said.

Commenting on similarities and differences, particularly the large number of homeless people in both cities, the Mayor said: "The difference with Los Angeles is that it's a bigger city than Paris, but there are more than 40,000 people there. In Paris, we have 3,600 people who still need to be housed. The scale is very different, but of course we want to share our experience and help Los Angeles win this battle together.

Looking ahead,Hidalgo stressed the importance of the Paralympic Games, which will be held from Wednesday 28 August to Sunday 8 September. "What we've seen with the Olympic Games is nothing like what we're going to see with the Paralympic Games. The Paralympic Games are a cultural shock. Be prepared," she warned, highlighting the profound emotional and cultural impact these Games will have on Parisian society.

She stressed the importance of the legacy of the Games, not only materially but also spiritually. "The issue of diversity, the life lessons that each of the athletes represents, the joy of life - it is still, still at a higher level. So I really say to all those who are not yet aware of what this is going to be: you are going to live a moment that you will never forget.

"The Olympic Games will never be forgotten. But the Paralympic Games, which are in fact the first Paralympic Games organised by Paris and by France, will be even less forgotten. And we will change attitudes towards diversity and uniqueness," concluded Hidalgo, who was accompanied by International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons and other officials.