Countdown to Paris: Translating for the 2024 Olympics

From competitive tenders and site inspection reports to event previews, you'll be amazed at the range of materials that need translating before the games even get started.

The summer Olympic and Paralympic games are truly global events – 206 countries will be represented at the Olympics and 184 at the Paralympics. The opening ceremony for Paris 2024 will see thousands of competitors sail into the city along the River Seine on 26 July. But have you ever wondered how they, and the thousands of others involved in the event, manage to communicate with one another when they come from all four corners of the world and speak dozens of different languages? That's where translators and interpreters come in.

And it's not just during the games that linguists are essential to break down the barriers of communication. My first assignment in preparation for this event came almost six years ago, in the chill of December 2018. As a French- and Spanish-to-English translator who specialises in sports, I have worked on a steady flow of related assignments since then, all building up to the big day, and you might be surprised at the range and variety of the translation work required. 

Most obviously, there is a demand to offer fans information and opportunities for engagement, so there is plenty of online content to be translated. For example, I have been involved in translating event previews that are intended to entice spectators and ratchet up excitement levels.

Some assignments have looked at the prospects of up-and-coming young talents in countries where my source languages (the languages I translate out of) are spoken, as far afield as Mali and Cameroon. Others have taken a more journalistic turn, including retrospective articles that took me on a deep dive into past Olympics and interviews with former breakout stars.

I was even tasked with translating an overview of every single event scheduled to feature at the Games. One of the highlights of this particular project was learning more about the range of sports involved and helping my client to shine a light on some of the lesser-known disciplines. For example, “breaking” is one of the new sports due to be introduced at Paris 2024 and it was fascinating to delve into why this term is preferred over the more familiar “breakdancing” and to explore its etymological roots in hip-hop culture. All these assignments required me to call upon complementary skills such as editing, research and fact-checking (after all, us sports fans love a few stats!)

Since I’m a lawyer-linguist, I’ve also completed legal translation work relating to the Games. Some of my first jobs were particularly satisfying as I was helping UK-based companies with the procurement process to become official suppliers to the Local Organising Committee. A range of competitive tenders were taking place for all manner of services, but clients were finding it near impossible to navigate the legal and bureaucratic maze, especially in a foreign language. Having the relevant documents translated into English helped them to understand the detailed requirements and put together appropriate and attractive offers. It made my day when I heard that their bids were successful!

I have read that the Paris Games will put an “unprecedented” security operation in place to protect all those involved. With that in mind, one of the most important jobs I have been entrusted with is translating certain site inspection reports to ensure that venues are ready for athletes and spectators alike and that they meet health, safety and security requirements. On a lighter note, translating contracts for hospitality packages and luxury hotel accommodation for dignitaries also gave me a vicarious taste for what VIPs can expect when they arrive in the City of Light. It is fair to say that hotel accommodation will be at a premium since I was translating agreements to block book rooms four years in advance!

Despite these incredibly varied assignments, you may be surprised to learn that I have not sought or carried out a single piece of work from the International Olympic Committee directly. Instead, my work has come from a number of other clients in the sports, legal and hospitality sectors. They all share an understanding that there is no room for error in their translations. When it comes to matters like spectator safety or contracts worth millions of euros, experienced and professional translators who specialise in the field cannot be beaten.

Several clients approached me because I have successfully helped them with similar work in the past (for example, one regular client is a governing body for one of the individual sports involved). For obvious reasons, the fact that I work in the French to English language pair has been a real asset this time around. I have also been pleased to be able to refer jobs to excellent colleagues working in the opposite direction (English to French). I hope that our work will have helped these clients to collaborate with the very best partners across the globe to host a truly spectacular event which everyone can enjoy safely.

When I watch the Games on TV this year, I will certainly have a much better understanding of the Herculean effort that goes into putting on such a spectacle and I will enjoy cheering on some of the teams and athletes I have “met” through my translations along the way. I spent some of my happiest times living and studying in Paris and so I particularly enjoyed working on a text in which visitors were being given information about the host venues, from Place de la Concorde to the Château de Versailles. (Unfortunately, I haven’t yet had the opportunity to visit Teahupo’o in Tahiti, where the surfing competition will take place!) It was a delight to bring my favourite places to life for English-speaking fans. Having lived in London during the 2012 Games and spent a lot of time in Barcelona (where I lived in a flat in the old Olympic Village) I understand a little of both the immediate feelgood factor and the lasting legacy these very special events can bring. The stunning Parisian backdrop is sure to feature in iconic and memorable moments and I am so excited to see how the city looks when it is decked out in all its finery.