PARIS, July 18 (Bernama-dpa) -- The Olympic Village for the Paris Games opened on Thursday, welcoming the first of an expected 14,000 athletes and team officials, reported German news agency dpa.
Located in the Seine-Saint-Denis department just outside Paris, the 52-hectare village features 82 buildings to house Olympians during the July 26-August 11 Games.
It will also accommodate several thousand staff members.
Post-Olympics, the site will be transformed into a new residential and office area with shops.
Despite being one of the poorest and highest-crime areas in the Paris region, Saint-Denis has undergone significant upgrades for the Olympics, including the construction of a new swim centre.
France's national arena, the Stade de France, situated in Saint-Denis, will host the athletics competitions and the closing ceremony of the Games.
--BERNAMA-dpa
