Paris Olympics 2024: France rolls out red carpet for 33rd Summer Games

While officials are trying their best, there’s no good way to say this, but there is a noticeable lack of buzz about, what on paper at least is, the biggest sporting event in the world!

A general view of the Eiffel Tower ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics | Photo Credit: REUTERS/Yves Herman

It might be one of the most iconic stand alone symbols of a city anywhere in the world but for the last few weeks, giant interlocking rings have been festooned on the Eiffel tower in Paris. They are there, just in case you forgot there’s another show in town.

The Venus de Milo, gorgeously emblematic in her own right, now brandishes boxing gloves, a surfboard and a tennis racquet for good measure in front of the Assemblée Nationale, the lower legislative chamber of the French Parliament.

The Venus de Milo brandishing boxing gloves, a surfboard and a tennis racquet for in the front of the Assemblée Nationale. | Photo Credit: Jonathan Selvaraj

The Seine is a sparkling glassy green. Victory has been declared in the battle against waterborne E. coli. If it’s clean enough for the Mayor of the city to take a confidence-boosting swim a week ago, it’s clean enough for Olympic swimmers to compete in.

As a competition venue, the Games couldn’t have been more welcoming. There are no shortage of impressive venues. On Thursday, archers will shoot in front of the Esplanade des Invalides, the garden of one of Paris’ most beautiful monuments. On Wednesday, hockey players were practising at the Yves-de-Manoir stadium, where the 1924 Games were held. Although the venue has been reconstructed, elements of the hundred-year-old stadium still remain.

A man flaunts his Olympic pin collection. | Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR / The Hindu

The weather is playing a good supporting role as well. On Wednesday, the city is a pleasantly cool 26 degrees; fears of a looming heat wave seem misplaced for now.

All around you see volunteers of all ages in green T-shirts – their friendliness belying usual stereotypes of the city’s residents. One better be friendly too for the security is immensely tight. Some 45,000 army personnel and gendarmerie are stationed around town, wearing stab proof vests and very prominently brandishing submachine guns, guarding venues and policing the opening ceremony.

But while officials are trying their best, there’s no good way to say this, but there is a noticeable lack of buzz about, what on paper at least is, the biggest sporting event in the world. It can’t be the fact that the city is hosting the Olympics for a record third time – the last edition was a 100 years ago after all.

Designated lanes for Olympic vehicles means there are regular traffic snarls around town. While many are raking it in, renting out their homes for the duration of the games, they are simultaneously leaving the city for the same period. Although France’s Interior Minister has asked his country to put their best foot forward, the latest polls suggest that nearly 40% of French people are indifferent about the Olympics and 37% have a negative view.

It’s not as if Paris hasn’t tried to combat this. For the first time the Opening Ceremony is not going to be confined to a single stadium but across the length of the Seine. But everything hasn’t gone to plan. Security concerns meant the ceremony once free to watch will now be both ticketed and restricted.

You notice the surprising lack of energy at Charles de Gaulle Airport itself. Apart from the odd themed advertisement and an onboard announcement as the Air France flight begins it’s descent down to Paris that the Games are going to be held, there are no posters or banners

Spectators pour in to watch a rugby sevens match on Wednesday, July 24. | Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR / The Hindu

At the accreditation counter at the Airport, volunteers – there are some 1,500 just to help athletes arrive and reach the Games Village safely -- have made handmade posters of the official mascot Phryge -- whose shape is inspired by the hats worn during the French Revolution.

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“We did it when we got a bit of downtime,” the volunteer says two days before the Games officially begin. “It will become busy in a couple of days,” another volunteer says hopefully.

There are even hints of a lack of intensity at the venues themselves. Several still have work going on in a desperate bid to complete things in time for the start of the events.

Luggages of players being taken inside the Games Village in Paris. | Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR / The Hindu

Some participants are noticing this as well. “It doesn’t seem to have the same buzz as Rio did,” says Ashutosh Yadav, a physio with the Indian archery team. “At the Rio Olympics, people would stop you on the streets if you even had an Olympic accreditation. Here people don’t seem particularly interested in what’s going on,” he says.

Perhaps this matters less if you are an athlete. At least that’s what PR Sreejesh, the goalkeeper of the Indian hockey team, competing in his fourth and final Olympic Games says. He’s advised his younger teammates to keep their heads down and not be distracted by what all is going on around them and focus on the task at hand. With their first match scheduled a day after the opening ceremony, the Indian hockey team will be missing the parade of nations on the Seine.

“As an older guy, I am there to tell the younger guys not to get caught up in the atmosphere. When you are a kid, you are excited about the Olympics and you want to do a lot of things but when you are matured enough, you always focus on your and the team’s performance. This time it’s more about responsibilities and sharing it with the youngsters. I’m telling them you aren’t here to enjoy this tournament but you are here to win medals,” says Sreejesh.

These are stern words, but even while he will advise his colleagues to not be carried away by the tournament they are competing in, even Sreejesh knows this will only go so far.

At the end of the day, these are the Olympics. And he’s glad to be here. “It’s a world festival so being part of it is a great thing. I’m playing my last tournament. There’s no better way to go out than in the Olympics,” he says.