The Paris 2024 Olympics received its fair share of controversy and criticism. From the opening ceremony to the medalists, all parts of the competition received intense media focus. And why wouldn’t they? After all, the Olympics are meant to celebrate the world’s best in athletics and beyond, bringing together nations in respectful competition and bridging the world divides that plague our societies today. Though this criticism generally helps inform organizers for the future and furthers the process of improving each Olympics moving forward, the abundance of politically charged and sensationalist coverage can make it hard to understand what Paris was actually like from July to mid-August.
Luckily, I’m here to help! I had the privilege of attending a portion of this year’s Olympics and experiencing the city of Paris in the thick of the processions. In the city, I witnessed millions of people from around the world uniting to support their countries in a broad spectrum of competitions. I interacted with people from all over (Paris included) and heard countless perspectives on the games. But most importantly of all, I had a lot of fun. Regardless of the debates surrounding certain topics and news of hang-ups in the games, Paris was undeniably filled with the joy and unity that the Olympics seeks at its core to inspire.
The city was covered in blue and purple, labeling Olympic venues and guiding tourists to official Olympic shops. From train stations to city streets, the temporary banners and massive event venues transformed the city into a never-ending festival square. This infrastructure made traditional tourism difficult – many events were being held near monuments and blocked their access from the public. Adding to this, some lines for official Olympic events and stores stretched for hundreds of yards, filling streets with waiting customers and making travel awkward. Nonetheless, city transportation employees worked around the clock to move millions across the city effectively. Their efforts proved successful; I overheard a Frenchman say he had never seen an empty seat on a subway train before the start of the Olympics. The combination of exiting Parisians and increased transportation made getting around a breeze, especially when accessing Olympic venues. But the true Olympic experience could be had after showing up to a venue of choice and sitting down to enjoy some world-class competition.
The few events I had the pleasure of seeing mostly related to track, but I would argue the Stade de France exhibited the Olympic spirit more than almost any other place in the world. Unexpectedly, I connected with many other Americans in the stands, united by little but our flag and shared support of American athletics. Cole Hocker’s unexpected 1500-meter run victory made it immediately apparent where the USA fans in the crowd were – stars and stripes waved on all levels of the stadium and cheers of “U-S-A” echoed from all directions. Between events, citizens of various countries found each other in separate rows, smiling and sharing words in languages I did not understand. Displays of unity such as these made each win and loss a fun experience; the greatest example for me was the host country itself. Division threatens France’s very identity, and many of her residents opposed the Olympic games. However, once the competition began, no other nation cheered as loudly or as positively for its representatives.
Through all this and so much more, Paris 2024 showed that even in our divided world, the Olympic spirit still has the power to unite – if only for a few short weeks. For those of you with the opportunity to travel to the 2028 games in LA, I cannot recommend doing so enough, and I only hope that the City of Angels can follow Paris in providing an unforgettable experience for all who attend.
