Speaking at the official opening of today’s GSW Paris event, hosted from within the Tour Eiffel, Estanguet underlined how his organisation had been required to reinvent the Games to satisfy changing demands and requirements from a younger generation.

"All sports organisations are different, all sports events are different, and we like to reinvent all the time," said the three-times Olympic canoeing gold medallist.

"It’s what the athletes do, and it’s how they win, making the difference by finding something new, something different.

"So since the beginning of the crisis Paris 2024 had to adapt to a new concept, a new context, and this chance to be Paris and to capitalise also on iconic venues - just fantastic - but for us, we try today to reinvent the power of the Games by opening the doors.

"That’s really important for us, to open the doors of the Games, to make sure that people will have better access.

"And it’s started here by having iconic venues, and not having sport within the stadiums but within the city in these iconic spaces.

"It is also about opening sports to women - and it will be the first time that women will be 50 per cent of those participating.

"And we open the doors to the competition - for the first time in Paris we will have the marathon open to the participation of everyone, and that is something new.

"So this is how we can find opportunities to open the doors of the Games.

"Today it’s a little bit strange to speak about it now because we are a bit in a lockdown situation.

"But we wanted to go on the other side and leave the message that the Paris 2024 Games will be open."

Estanguet was present at the official opening along with France’s Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu and Pierre Rabadan, the deputy mayor of Paris.

Following last year’s launch of the event, which gathered 2,000 leaders of the world sports economy at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, the 2021 edition is in a hybrid format, mixing a digital programme and physical events in Paris, Tokyo, Beijing and Dakar.

Also present at the official opening were Jean-Francois Martins, chairman of the Eiffel Tower Operating Company, and GSW chairman and co-founder Lucien Boyer.

Maracineanu spoke of the challenges of trying to look after sport during the pandemic.

"It has been a really strange period in which we all had to work together," she said.

"I am happy that our President, Emmanuel Macron, takes this subject very seriously and chose to support all our stakeholders as well as grassroots sports that have suffered a lot because they cannot do what they are used to doing.

"We will propose a solidarity fund of €100 million (£88 million/$120 million) in order to help people to go back into their associations and clubs from the grassroots sports.

"Also the professional sport has been much affected, so the state has offered support to these structures with over €300 million (£264 million/$360 million).

"And the other sector that has been affected is the commercial sector, the sports fitness clubs which are right now not doing anything, so it is very hard financially."