A Movable Party – Open the magazine

Features | Sports

The French prove their opponents wrong with their excellent organizational skills and vision

Ullekh NP


Ullekh NP

|

Aug 16, 2024

NOBODY THOUGHT ANYTHING could change Parisians and their habits, including columnists living in the French capital and even the French themselves. Pessimism was in the air ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, which began with what Roger Cohen of the New York Times— mind you, he is not a sports reporter, but someone who made a name for himself as a war correspondent — optimistically described as the “French style that combines history and artistic daring”.

Before leaving for Paris, I had met a friendly French couple enjoying a bite to eat in the Jubelpark in Brussels, who had wished me “the best of luck” when I announced that I would be leaving for their city the next day. They had left out of fear of chaos and terrorist attacks, but now that the Games are over, they would probably regret leaving at a historic moment when their hometown was filled with happiness. The sporting event was indeed a great and unexpected success. French newspapers even published articles quoting foreign media praising France for organizing such a wonderful spectacle.

The first thing I noticed about Parisians was that they too could change – especially their calmness – and be friendlier than usual, trying to speak English to put visitors at ease. Trying to look cheerful seemed to be the new norm and that mood was clearly visible on the faces of shopkeepers, waiters and police officers. Volunteers did their utmost to help confused tourists find the right train to board. The fatigue and caution typical of French facial expressions were nowhere to be seen, perhaps until the Games were over.

Contrary to concerns, public transport systems, particularly trains, did not collapse under the pressure and remained the mainstay of people commuting between locations to see various events. Of course, the main tourist sites were still frequented by touts and access was more difficult due to restrictions on free movement. Museum tickets were largely sold out and after repeated attempts I gave up on visiting the Musée de l’Orangerie and Musée d’Orsay.

Despite the heat and humidity, Paris was packed, whether on late-night boat cruises on the Seine, in the party venues along the banks, or in the restaurants and pubs elsewhere.

French daily newspaper The world‘s editorial after the closing ceremony expressed surprise at the grandeur of the event that took place amid political uncertainty and polarization that seemed greater in French politics than at any time since World War II. The editorial said: “Who dared to believe it? While countless scaremongers had predicted a security disaster, Olympics without spectators and national humiliation, the reality outweighed all the rhetoric.”

While it was a triumph of French soft power, visitors to the capital and other locations in the so-called metropolitan region—comprising Saint-Denis, Le Bourget, Nanterre, Versailles, and Vaires-sur-Marne—couldn’t help but learn a key aspect of the French way of life: ignoring traffic laws. Drivers and pedestrians alike ignored red lights or crossed the road, respectively, with glorious irreverence and enthusiasm. Crossing at red lights seemed a fundamental right, like smoking next to a non-smoker without any premonition. The smell of revolution is as much a part of Parisian culture as sidewalk cafés where everyone sits facing the road.

Sports analysts criticised the idea of ​​using national monuments as sporting venues for the Games, but even that warning proved to be misguided as crowds of spectators gathered at sites such as the Champ de Mars, the Eiffel Tower and other iconic locations.

As a result, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo was given a halo for her hard work and combative spirit in keeping her band of civil servants and volunteers close, ensuring that people’s worst fears — especially those who knew Paris all too well — never came to pass. The same was true for Emmanuel Macron, who reveled in the idea of ​​a kind of “Olympic truce” between warring politicians.

For me personally, France was in some ways like the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where even criminal gangs took a break to uphold the honor of the “Rainbow Nation” when the biggest sporting event was taking place. Here in Paris and other locations, you felt better and safer thanks to the police reinforcement.

Long walks during the day ended with watching the BBC in your hotel room, but the British public broadcaster hardly reflected the mood in Paris, as it focused too much on events where Britons did well. The toast of Paris was Léon Marchand, the 22-year-old French swimmer who won five medals at the Games, four of them gold. The French watched him from various public places, but also in stadiums, on their mobile phones and cheered him on.

I was fortunate enough to visit Hemingway’s favorite places. The writer had lived in Paris in his twenties and said of the city, “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, it stays with you wherever you go for the rest of your life, because Paris is a portable feast.”

France seemed to breathe new life into itself during the Games. The question is what it will do with that newfound energy?

About the AuthOR