PH Olympians to hold one-month training camp in France ahead of Paris Games

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino said that POC will be organizing a training camp for all of the Filipino Olympians in the French city of Metz one month ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The camp will be held on June 22 to July 22 in Metz, the prefecture of the Moselle department, located an hour and 20 minutes away from Paris by train.

According to POC, they expect this to help the athletes with acclimating before participating in the competitions, which will open on July 26.

“First time magkakaroon ang POC ng training camp one month before the Olympics. That will be in the city of Metz,” Tolentino said in a media briefing held at MilkyWay Cafe in Makati on Friday.

He added that Metz will help them provide hotel accommodations as well as nearby training facilities for all of the athletes. For gymnastics, Tolentino also said they will be able to procure the exact same equipment that will be used in the Paris games, making the adjustment for the Filipino athletes easier.

Among the other features of the Metz camp include gyms, sports labs, medical facilities, and kitchens.

The POC chief also said Metz will also be able to help find appropriate training facilities for each athlete’s sport.

When asked about potential sports like rowing or cycling, Tolentino joked: “They’ll provide a river, they’ll provide a mountain.”

—JKC, GMA Integrated News