Crowdfunding scheme was never "financing tool" for Paris 2024 claim French officials

Judo star Teddy Riner was among the top names who helped launch Je rêve des Jeux in September ©Paris 2024

Paris 2024 has claimed the spectacular failure of a crowdfunding scheme to reach its target of €10 million (£7 million/$11 million) will not affect its budget and does not reflect the level of support for its bid among the French public.

“Je rêve des Jeux” - which translates as “I dream of the Games” - was an opportunity for French supporters of the bid "to engage" claimed Denis Masseglia, President of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF) at the launch in September.

As of midnight last night, the fund had reached just €629,356 (£457,338/$687,766).

A further €34 (£25/$37) had been pledged so far today.

Paris 2024, though, claimed the scheme was not intended to help fund the bid, which has a total budget of €60 million (£42 million/$66 million).

"‘Je rêve des Jeux’ campaign was never thought as a financing tool for the Paris 2024 bid budget," a Paris 2024 spokesman said.

"The financing of the bid is in place and agreed, and our budget is based on a robust economic model.

"The public financing of the bid will remain in line with the commitments made by the public authorities to the French people at the beginning of the campaign.

"‘Je rêve des Jeux’ is a project launched and managed by the CNOSF to support the bid by engaging the French public, enabling them to play an active role in the campaign and generating further awareness across the country – with various activities such as purchasing and wearing wristbands, participating in online auctions and making personal donations."

Less than seven per cent has been raised by Je rêve des Jeux so far, with it due to close on December 31 ©Paris 2024

The fact the scheme had so far raised less than seven per cent of its target before it is due to be closed on December 31 is not an indication of how much the French public are behind the bid, the Paris 2024 spokesman claimed.

"Paris 2024 is delighted by the support that has been shown for the bid by the French population in the city and across the nation," he said.

"Earlier this year, in an independent poll conducted by French newspaper, Direct Matin, 73 per cent of those questioned declared that they supported Paris’ bid for the Games.

"Paris 2024’s social media profiles were also launched successfully with high levels of positive public engagement, interaction and interest – Paris 2024’s Twitter profile currently has more than 19,000 followers and the bid’s Facebook page has more than 11,000 likes.

"Paris 2024 is now progressing its ongoing public consultation and engagement programme to ensure that our excellent public support continues to grow and we are thrilled to see that the people of Paris and France are so passionate and have expressed such a strong desire to see the Olympic and Paralympic Games come to our capital city in 2024."

Paris is currently the 6/5 favourite with British bookmakers to be awarded the Olympics and Paralympics for the first time since 1924 ahead of rivals Budapest, Los Angeles and Rome.

The International Olympic Committee is due to choose the host city at its Session in Lima in 2017.