S Poddar
The Olympics in Paris again caught the eyes of the world as the quadrennial sports spectacle made a grand comeback to the City of Light almost 100 years from that first rendezvous. The finality of this grand event, however, does not mean it is time to bid goodbye; instead, the word is taken on this occasion regarding what is now to be welcomed with anticipation, that in less than three weeks, the Paralympics are going to be underway.
This was Paris’s definitive Olympic experience: as magical as it was memorable. What imprinted it on indelible memory was the city’s pulsing atmosphere and a clever reimagining of Olympic tradition. From the striking opening ceremony, which boldly shifted gears from a stadium setting to the waters of the Seine, through to the breathtaking image of the Olympic cauldron floating above the city, Paris embraced its role with a flair only it could provide.
The stark contrast with the pandemic-shrouded Tokyo Olympics could not have been greater. Tokyo hung heavy in its quiet and empty venues, with stern COVID protocols, while Paris has brought back the energy and excitement that define the Olympics. The stands were full of crowds whose cheers fueled the athletes—life in each and every event.
This was one beautiful city steeped in culture that set the scenic backdrop in Paris for the Games. Beach volleyball under the Eiffel Tower, fencing under the classy glass roof of the Grand Palais, and equestrian events against the magnificent Versailles set up scenes to remember for a long time. The world watched as athletes competed not only for medals but also for the honor of performing in such iconic locations.
French athletes, too, had their moments of glory. Léon Marchand became an overnight national hero, winning four golds in swimming. And this French President, Emmanuel Macron, the magnet for success, was all over Facebook in selfies and videos to celebrate home achievements. The caretaker government ensured there was calm throughout the Games, despite facing potential instability from both a sudden pre-Games election and the possibility of political unrest or labor strikes. Even the sabotage of railway lines on the day of the opening ceremony was quickly fixed to help ensure the smooth continuation of the Games.
Through sport, France projected outwards to the world an image of union and prestige fermenting within the country—a soft-power tool. But underneath it all lay the realization that the unity projected was not quite real; concerning how much of the country was really in this. The Olympics were also a festival where the world’s anger and discontent were played out, and the culture wars and geopolitical tensions took place right beside competition.
If there has been any controversy around the program, it was with the inclusivity efforts by the Paris organizing committee and not the drones. In particular, the depiction of the Last Supper with drag queens at the opening ceremony drew rebuke from Christian groups, and even the Vatican. It showed how the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity in France clash with the reality of today in their country, which stirred strong backlash.
These tensions didn’t stay confined to cultural matters. Broader global struggles played out, too. The war in Ukraine and fraught U.S.-China relationships. Russian athletes were once more absent, not allowed to participate at the Olympics under their flag following the invasion of Ukraine with just a few exceptions where athletes were allowed to participate as neutrals. All of Ukrainian contestants had a grit that was a stiffer effort since their country suffered an invasion.
The shadow of war stretched even over the Middle East: the war there had not been stopped, and so, one ray of hope for an Olympic Truce had failed. Threats on the lives of Israeli athletes had been made; the Palestinian delegation was experiencing at first hand the terrors of war at home.
It was therefore, within this context, that the IOC attempted to restore the Games back to their origins. Speaking in his last Olympics as head of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach urged the world to embrace the Olympic spirit and culture of peace, though he also took an opportunity to hammer out some gloomy prospects: that increasingly extreme weather, such as storms that polluted the Seine in Paris during the triathlon competitions, would create a future environment that would make it hard to stage the Olympics in August.
Yet, in spite of this difficulty, the Paris Olympics have left a positive legacy. Here, over £1 billion has been invested in cleaning up the Seine, which will soon be ready for Parisians to swim in for the first time in over a century. More than any of the previous Games, Paris had not used the thousands of millions in building new places; it had done renovation and reconstruction of the existing sites, with the city’s landmarks being part of the Olympic experience.
That torch now passes to Los Angeles for 2028, and the world can’t wait for the next chapter in the Olympic story. The Paris Games set a high bar by ensuring tradition mixed with innovation in the ability of sport to bring the world together despite any conflict.
