Paris Olympics: Mixed feelings for locals, tourists and athletes with Games about to begin
CNA's Matthew Mohan has a finger on the pulse as Paris 2024 is set to get underway.
Military and police officers control access to roads backdropped by the Eiffel Tower at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
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PARIS: Three years on from an Olympics where faces were masked, movement was restricted and stadiums were empty, the world’s largest sporting meet has returned in full force.
With the COVID-19 pandemic a distant memory, it is rather fitting that Ouvrons grand les Jeux, or “Games wide open,” is the slogan for the 2024 Olympics.
After the gloom of a global pandemic, this is a Games that wants to welcome the world. And what better place to do so than in the City of Light.
But under the shadow of world-famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, there are empty streets, metal barricades and lots of police officers. For the next few weeks, picture-perfect Paris will look rather different.
Welcome to the 2024 Olympics.
MIXED FEELINGS FOR SOME
It was an empty desk that greeted CNA at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris on Thursday (Jul 25).
Amid the hustle and bustle, there weren’t many indications that the Olympics were set to open in a day apart from a smattering of pastel-coloured signs. Eventually, we were whisked to immigration, before being handed over to a desk of helpful staff who validated our accreditation passes.
After settling into my hotel, I headed to the Le Palais des Congres de Paris, the main press centre for the Games. At a half-full bistro opposite the building, I spoke with Yacine.
“Since Saturday, the number of customers have started to increase a little bit,” he said. “We are waiting for the opening ceremony for more people to come.”
When asked how he felt about the Olympics being in Paris, Yacine replied with the universal hand gesture of it being so-so.
“It has complicated traffic. It may be easier for you to get around but not for me,” he explained.
Yacine was not alone in feeling that way. According to a survey carried out earlier this month, about 36 per cent of the French population were indifferent about the Games.
Closer to the city centre, the restrictions further limited movement, leaving some businesses in the lurch.
Near the Arc Du Triomphe, taxi driver Abdel stood listlessly, arms crossed over his vehicle. Business has dropped by 70 per cent because of road closures, he told me. "The Olympics (is) no good. For taxi, for business, it is not good," he added.
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This was particularly obvious closer to the river Seine, where barges of flag-waving contingents would chug through during the opening ceremony. It is set to be an extravaganza that promises to be one of a kind but also appears to have affected typical daily life.
Police had imposed a security zone along the river, erecting metal barriers to fence off neighbourhoods and requiring authorisation to enter.
A mountain of barriers blanketed areas along the river, with police presence conspicuous. Adding to this was a smorgasbord of road closures in the city centre, this didn't feel like the Paris of postcards.
But for Cincinnati natives Jay Buchheim and Thom Maxwell who were in town specifically for the Olympics, the added security wasn't a bad thing.
"We've been here for just about one day and we've had a great time so far. Walked a lot and seen a lot," said Buchheim.
"(The security) has been friendly. I've been smiling at them and talking to them. We like security around," added Maxwell.
For some locals, there was a sense of excitement as well.
"I'm definitely excited about the Olympics being held in Paris, although wondering how the public transport system will be able to cope with the number of people," said a Parisian who only wanted to be known as Augustin.
"I personally benefitted because a metro line that I live close to was extended to go directly to the airport. So I think that's a good example of infrastructure improvement that will remain after the Games."
ATHLETES LOOKING FORWARD
In the northern suburbs of Paris, about 10km from the city center, sits the Olympic village. The complex will host around 10,000 Olympians, and then 5,000 Paralympians during the Paralympic Games from Aug 28-Sep 8.
Videos of the accommodation had popped up on social media, with the infamous cardboard beds being jumped on by more than a few.
As part of a push by organisers for a more environmentally friendly Games, the village has a geothermal cooling system that uses cool water pumped from deep beneath the ground.
But the lack of air-conditioning has long worried some national Olympic teams, with athletes concerned about missing sleep, particularly given the summer heat waves suffered by Paris in recent years.
Organisers eventually devised a compromise that enabled teams to order portable air-conditioning units at their own expense, which can be installed for the duration of the Games.
Singapore has been allocated 44 beds in the Olympic Village, and all rooms are equipped with either an air cooler or portable air conditioner.
And this seems like a wise move. While it was noticeably cool during the morning of CNA's arrival, the city began to heat up in the afternoon.
One of the athletes who has arrived is rower Saiyidah Aisyah, who will be making her second Olympics appearance, eight years on from her Games debut.
"It's pretty crazy to be here. It's still unbelievable, I wake up and I'm like: 'I'm in the Olympic village.'" she said. "The standard of what a village is supposed to look like has definitely improved."
Part of the experience of living in the Village was the chance to rub shoulders with sporting superstars and Aisyah had the chance to do just that when she bumped into tennis ace Carlos Alcaraz.
"I went up to him and I was telling him that I'm sorry that I was one of these annoying people who wanted to take selfies with him ... (but) he was quite nice about it," she said.
Another guest who paid Singapore’s athletes a visit earlier in the week was President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. He was accompanied by his wife Mrs Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam.
"I really appreciated the fact that he knew about us, he knew my name, what sport I was doing," Aisyah said.
For now, athletes like Aisyah will bask in the moment. It is what they have worked for, what they have earned.
And the hope is that for the next few weeks, a sceptical Paris and a fractured world will be able to enjoy the moment with them, regardless of how they feel right now.
Catch the widest coverage of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on mewatch. Go to www.mewatch.sg/paris2024 for more details.
