Inauguration in Cesson-Sévigné: the whitewater stadium renewed!
Commissioned at the end of the 1990s, the Cesson-Sévigné whitewater stadium underwent a major refurbishment in 2023. Tested and approved since January, the new whitewater course was inaugurated on 16 June in the presence of numerous elected officials and members of the design team.
Entirely designed by our teams, the project made use wherever possible of the existing elements of the facility, while incorporating adaptations and additional equipment. Thanks to a new pumping station, the new stadium can respond to changes in uses and practices, particularly as part of the Terre de Jeux 2024 project.
A refurbished whitewater stadium
Since 1999, the whitewater stadium in Cesson-Sévigné, highly popular with local residents and kayakers, had comprised two clearly distinct areas: an initiation area and an approximately 100 m “sporting river”. The refurbishment has added 120 linear metres of river, configurable in a “competition” format, as well as an enlargement of the pumping station to enable operation independently of flows in the Vilaine (increased capacity from 6 m3 per second to 12 m3 per second).
Built around the components of the existing facility, the new stadium was designed with an eco-responsible approach, thereby limiting the environmental impact of the site located in the city centre.
Configurable to accommodate all users!
Flexible, the new stadium enables flows to be adjusted to provide a wider range of uses depending on the users (beginners, competitors, etc.) and leisure activities (rafts, kayaks, inflatable boats, etc.) or sporting activities.
A new training centre for athletes
The refurbished whitewater course provides an international-standard facility meeting the standards of the International Canoe Federation (ICF).
Today, the stadium comprises:
- 120 m of new “competition” stadium (and 100 metres of “sporting river”);
- 3.5 metres of total elevation difference;
- 12 m3/s maximum flow, even when flows in the Vilaine are low.
The Terre de Jeux label, now awarded to the stadium, will enable it to host training sessions for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and to develop international-level competitions.
