After digging deeper into the Olympic Hockey venue and its surrounding area, The Hockey Paper has asked and answered those all-important questions…
How to get to Paris Olympic hockey venue Yves-du-Manoir Stadium, what to do in Colombes, where to eat, stadium facts
How to get to the Olympic hockey venue: Stades Yves-du-Manoir
The Yves-du-Manoir Stadium is served by Le Stade station (train line J from the Gare Saint-Lazare in central Paris) in the direction of Ermont Eaubonne, then it’s a 15-20 min walk to reach the venue. Trains run every 15 minutes, but this could change around the Olympics.
Situated in the Hauts-de-Seine Department (92), it is about six miles northwest of the Eiffel Tower or a two-hour walk from the Arc de Triomphe. Nearby games venues include La Défense Arena, Stade de France, and the Olympic Aquatics Centre. For the Colombes parking/drop-off zone, it is 50 Rue de la reine Henriette—92700 Colombes.
What they say about Colombes
Embed from Getty ImagesA multicultural hub, Colombes is the largest residential city in the inner Parisian suburbs. The Telegraph writes that the hockey venue is “set in the utterly delightful – if ever so slightly dull – suburb of Colombes (strong Richmond-upon-Thames vibes)”.
Where to eat and drink
Local Bear: A 20-minute walk from the venue, it is run by two brothers, Cameron and Brett, from Virginia. “It serves the finest burgers in France and has a Star Wars-themed wine bar next door,” says The Telegraph.
Closer to the stadium, in fact, opposite, café La Belle Époque is decked out in black-and-white images of French film stars. “The friendly owner,” says Libero guide (which also has a good tale on football club Racing Club de France, which will return to the stadium post-Olympics), “still harks after the days when rugby fans from the UK and Ireland would spend their nights carousing there after the game.”
Research does suggest that decent restaurants—and generally things to do—are at a premium, but then again, it’s not Paris if you can’t stumble across a leafy wine bar on your way to the venue. Try Tripadvisor for the most recommended places in Colombes.
For pre-and apres-hockey, the nearby chic hotel, the Kopster, and the courtyard at the Marriott should cater to your needs. Or there is the solidarity food truck Rouge Basilic, which operates from two venues in Colombes.
The venue: Yves-du-Manoir Stadium
The Olympic hockey competition will start on July 27 and run through until August 10.
Embed from Getty ImagesHistory abounds at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium, a former racetrack and internment camp during WWII. The only venue for the 2024 Games, which was also used 100 years later for the 1924 Paris Olympics, it hosted the opening ceremony, athletics, cycling, equestrian, gymnastics, tennis, football, rugby and modern pentathlon events.
After nearly two years of construction, costing around 101 million euros (90% of which was financed by the Department of Hauts-de-Seine), three hockey astros were built, one for training, the second with a 1,000-seat stand, while the old stand on the main pitch (which was once part of a 6,000 seater-stadium) has been since updated. The roof on the revamped old stand will not only protect fans from the weather but will also play a part with a heighened vocal atmosphere.
When Stade Parc des Princes opened in 1972, it signalled a slow decline, and three of the four stands were knocked down at the end of the last century. But hockey hosting has given it a new lease of life, and temporary stands will have a capacity of around 15,000.
Scenery by the Seine
Do you have time to explore during matches? Parc Pierre Lagravère has been a popular, bustling walking spot since the 19th century. It offers 5 km of paths and is part of the Blue Promenade along the Seine.
You can join the Promenade Bleue from Rueil-Malmaison to Colombes, which pays homage to the Impressionists who painted river scenes along this route. You can go on foot or bike.
Facts about Yves-du-Manoir Stadium
The stadium is named after aristocratic French rugby player Yves du Manor, who died in a plane crash in 1928, aged only 23.
This will be the only 2024 Paris Olympic venue to host the Games for a second time.
Yves-du-Manoir hosted the 1938 World Cup football final – where Italy beat Hungary – and had its capacity expanded to 60,000 after the end of World War II.
A record stadium attendance of 63,638 spectators was ushered in on March 5, 1969, for the European Cup match between Ajax and Benfica.
It has also hosted 42 French Cup finals between 1924 and 1971.
The multi-sport theme has legs. This was also the home of French pole vaulting, which garnered two medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Yves on film… nearly
During the 2024 Olympics, the venue was the scene of the great sprint rival races with GB athletes Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell, portrayed in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire. Abrahams’ greatest victory left American silver medalist, Jackson Scholz, to later recall what he remembered of the race to which he replied, “I remember his ass.”
The movie budget prevented location shoots at the actual venue, so they were instead shot at a leisure centre track near Liverpool. Yves-du-Manoir is also where the fictional events of Escape to Victory occurred.
Olympic legacy
Following Paris 2024, the French Hockey Federation will establish a permanent presence at the stadium. The complex has four football pitches, three rugby pitches, a changing room building, and a 300-seat grandstand.
Map of Paris 2024 Olympic venues
