Seeking to attend Paris Olympics? Watching Faith Kipyegon, Ferdinand Omanyala and co will be an expensive affair

TICKETING Seeking to attend Paris Olympics? Watching Faith Kipyegon, Ferdinand Omanyala and co will be an expensive affair

Joel Omotto 19:57 - 23.03.2024

Fans intending to travel to France to catch Olympics action in the stadiums will have to spend big with athletics, where Kenyan is pinning its hope on, having the most expensive tickets.

For those intending to travel to Paris, France for the 2024 Olympics, watching part of the action will set you back between €24 (Ksh3,438) and €990 (Ksh141,842) depending on the sport you choose to attend.

Ten million tickets will be available for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. One million tickets will be priced starting at €24 and will be available across all Olympic sports where tickets are on sale.

With Kenya largely depending on athletics for medals, watching Faith Kipyegon, Ferdinand Omanyala, Mary Moraa and company in Paris will be a costly affair as athletics has the most expensive tickets at the Olympics.

The tickets are clustered in different categories with the most expensive ones being Category First which will give its holders access to preferential seating areas in the grandstand, usually a box or lounge, as well as to catering facilities.

Then there are Categories A, B, C, D, and E referring to the further five seating sections, ordered according to their situation in the stand.

The number of categories available in any single session depends on the exact configuration of the venue. Some categories are standing only.

Omanyala’s men’s 100m is the second princely ticket at the Olympics. Watching track events at the qualification rounds will cost €275 (Ksh39,400) for the Category First tickets, €170 (Ksh24,356) for A, €90 (Ksh12,894) for B, €50 (Ksh7,163) for C and €24 for D category tickets but once they reach the semi-final and the final, the prices skyrocket.

Watching the men’s 100m final will cost €980 (Ksh140,409) for a Category A ticket, €525 (Ksh75,219) for Category B, €295 (Ksh42,266) for Category C and €125 (Ksh17,909) for Category D. It is the same amount fans will pay to watch Kipyegon attempt to make history by winning a third straight Olympic gold in 1500m, the men’s 200m, men’s 5000m, 4x400m relay and men’s 1,500m finals.

That pales in comparison to what it will cost to watch the likes of Sha’Carri Richardson, Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce in the women’s 100m final as that race will set you back €990 (Ksh141,842) for a Category First ticket, €690 (Ksh98,859) for Category A, €385 (Ksh55,160) for Category B, €195 (Ksh27,938) for Category C and €85 (Ksh12,178) being the lowest priced ticket.

This is the same price that it will cost fans to watch Moraa in the women’s 800m final and Kipyegon if she makes it to the 5000m women’s final. It also applies to the women’s 200m, 3000m steeplechase and men’s 1500m semi-final and finals.

Marathon, where Eliud Kipchoge and Peres Jepchirchir will be out to defend their titles, are the cheapest athletics tickets costing between €24 (Ksh3,438) and €40 (Ksh5,731).

In sevens rugby, to watch Shujaa in action will cost between €120 (Ksh17,193) and €24 for the group stage, €145 (Ksh20,774) to €24 at the quarter-final while the semis and final will set you back €200 (Ksh28,655), €190 (Ksh27,222), €145 (Ksh20,774), €95 (Ksh13,611) and €50 (Ksh7,163) for the different categories.

In volleyball, watching Malkia Strikers at the preliminary round will cost between €120 (Ksh17,193) and €24 and the price will gradually increase through the rounds with the finals attracting ticket prices of between €420 (Ksh60,175) and €100 (Ksh14,327).

Another sport that Kenya has an interest in is fencing with Alexandra Ndolo inching closer to Olympics qualification. You will need to pay between €150 (Ksh21,491) and €24 to watch her in the qualification rounds and €290 (Ksh41,549)-€90 (Ksh12,894) if she makes the finals.

Kenya could have judokas and weightlifters in Paris whose ticket prices range between €150 (Ksh21,491) and €24 and €180 (Ksh25,789).

A maximum of six tickets can be purchased per session, except for some specific sessions whose maximum is four.

Olympics tickets will only be purchased through tickets.paris2024.org.

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