Seine-Saint-Denis: France's poorest area hopes to reap Olympic benefits

  • 3 months ago

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Transcript
00:00Located on the outskirts of Paris, the department of Saint-Saint-Denis is one of the poorest in
00:05France. It's here where the country's largest stadium and the Olympic Village are located.
00:11Authorities are hoping to use the Games as an opportunity to reinvigorate the area.
00:19We wanted the Games to be profoundly useful to our country. Games that enable us to consolidate
00:23or accelerate profound transformations, such as the decarbonization of our transport system
00:29and the renovation of entire neighborhoods. On Friday, attention will shift to Saint-Denis
00:35as the Olympic torch relay enters its final stretch. For residents here, the excitement
00:41is palpable. It's amazing to know that Saint-Denis will be where it's all happening.
00:48We will clap, clap, scream and support. Torchbearers tapped for the relay in Saint-Denis
00:56include French actress Laetitia Casta, rapper MC Solar,
01:01American actor Bradley Cooper and rapper Snoop Dogg.
01:07There'll be Snoop Dogg, that's great! Because we don't think that that can happen in Saint-Denis,
01:13on the Champs-Élysées maybe, but here? The Olympic torch relay began in May and torchbearers
01:19have included a mix of well-known personalities from the world of sports, politics and show
01:25business. Some lesser-known individuals have also been tapped, as sponsors have gotten more
01:30involved in the selection process. For now, the best-kept secret in France is who has been picked
01:36as the final torchbearer, the person tasked with setting the Olympic cauldron alight.

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