First competitors enter Paris Olympics athletes' village

Paris: The athletes village for the Paris Olympics and Paralympics officially opened and welcomed its first inhabitants on Thursday. The village t...

Paris: The athletes' village for the Paris Olympics and Paralympics officially opened and welcomed its first inhabitants on Thursday.

The village to the north of Paris will house nearly 14,500 people, including 9,000 athletes, at its peak.

Eight days before the opening ceremony, the first team members to arrive were from Australia and Brazil.

"We are super excited to check how it's looking. It looks amazing, can't wait to be inside. We can't wait to get started," said Australian hockey player Stephanie Kershaw as she waited to enter the village.

Organisers are proud of offering a village that they say does not require air-conditioning to keep residents cool, with temperatures inside set to be at least 6 degrees Celsius (42 degrees Fahrenheit) lower than outside in summer.