Generation 2024: The Expectations and Disappointments of Promoting Sports Activities Through Use of a Label

The Legacy Plan of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games includes increasing the physical activity of the French population, especially the youth. In this perspective, initiatives are implemented within the school system. We study one of them: the “Generation 2024” label launched in 2017. It rewards institutions (primary, secondary, and higher education) based on their commitment to the Olympic movement and is obtained through a submission process. Through interviews with relevant stakeholders (n = 45), we analyse its implementation in secondary education. We show that it serves both as a reward and as an incentive, contributing to the visibility of certain institutions and the construction of their identity. We question its true transformative impact, demonstrating that in many cases, it is more of a display that has led to numerous disappointments.