Grandiose staging of the Parisian sights: the Eiffel Tower at the opening ceremony
Image: Keystone
Successful start to the Olympics: The opening ceremony on the River Seine broke all boundaries
Image: Keystone
Grandiose images of sports facilities in the middle of Paris: the beach volleyball stadium in front of the Eiffel Tower
Image: Keystone
A lot was invested in making swimming in the Seine safe for health, with success in the end
Image: Keystone
Popular photo subject: the Olympic flame on a balloon above the Tuileries Garden
Image: Keystone
Grandiose staging of the Parisian sights: the Eiffel Tower at the opening ceremony
Image: Keystone
Successful start to the Olympics: The opening ceremony on the River Seine broke all boundaries
Image: Keystone
Grandiose images of sports facilities in the middle of Paris: the beach volleyball stadium in front of the Eiffel Tower
Image: Keystone
A lot was invested in making swimming in the Seine safe for health, with success in the end
Image: Keystone
Popular photo subject: the Olympic flame on a balloon above the Tuileries Garden
Image: Keystone
The challenges before Paris 2024 were enormous. But at the end of the Games, we can take stock: Expectations were exceeded and the first Games after coronavirus were a carefree celebration.
11.08.2024, 16:18
11.08.2024, 18:16
SDA
Fear of terrorist attacks, possible Russian disruptive maneuvers, inflated ticket prices, the threat of traffic collapse, logistical nightmares: a lot could have gone wrong with these Olympic Games in Paris. In the end, it was the other way around. Everything that could have gone right did, better than even the organizers could have dreamed of.
In retrospect, the French did almost everything right. Sticking to the riskiest opening ceremony in Olympic history, for the first time on the Seine instead of in a stadium. The choice of iconic but exposed landmarks as a telegenic backdrop. The choice of public transport to carry the streams of visitors. Everything worked out wonderfully. Even the Seine was (probably) clean enough to swim in for the first time in over a hundred years.
A celebration thanks to the visitors
What made the Games in Paris special, however, were the visitors and the tens of thousands of volunteers who enthusiastically supported the event. Despite, or perhaps because of, the gigantic number of security personnel, they ensured a colorful and carefree summer fairytale. The stands were already full at practically all competition venues for the preliminary heats and qualifying competitions, and the mix of locals and guests was just right.
After the successful, albeit overlong, opening ceremony without incident and the first successes of their athletes right at the start, the French embraced "their" games with great enthusiasm. With the regular intonation of the "Marseillaise" out of the blue, they repeatedly provided moments of excitement. However, this hardly ever escalated into unpleasant aggression, also thanks to the high proportion of international visitors.
IOC as the winner
The International Olympic Committee will be rubbing their hands together. Nothing better could have happened to improve its tarnished image. Finally, a "normal" Games in a westernized, democratically governed country without major restrictions and discord. Paris and the French have shown that this is possible. However, this does not make the dark spots on the IOC's vest disappear.
The dark sides of the Games in Paris should not be concealed. Homeless people and beggars were hardly to be seen in the center of Paris, but of course they did not disappear. They were simply driven out of sight. The Olympic Games are for the privileged of this world, who can afford very high ticket prices and hotel costs. The commercialization of sport is progressing inexorably, the IOC dances to the tune of the sponsors and rights holders, for whom all demands are met, regardless of whether the general public benefits.
More modesty
And while the athletes, as the undisputed protagonists, stay in rather spartan accommodation, the officials enjoy themselves in sophisticated five-star hotels. A little more modesty in the management team would be desirable. Even "fig leaves" such as the Olympic refugee team, which are marketed effectively for advertising purposes, are of little help.
The IOC has also not yet found a consistent way of dealing with Russia, Palestine, Israel, Chinese athletes suspected of doping or androgynous and transgender athletes. However, it is hardly possible to find a generally accepted consensus on these topics that is fair to all parties involved.
In any case, the wheel of time cannot be turned back. Top-class sport is not possible without politics and commerce. It would therefore be more honest to admit this than to preach the opposite. The IOC is still under maximum pressure and it can only be hoped that Thomas Bach's successor will once again appear somewhat more credible.
A signal for future candidates
Paris was certainly a step in the right direction. The sport and the competition venues were first-class, without the gigantism of recent years. The athletes almost universally praised the great atmosphere in the city and the stadiums. Even the weather cooperated for long stretches.
Paris could also be the signal for other western countries to bid for the Olympic Games again. For the French metropolis, it was also a new beginning after complicated years of terrorist attacks and coronavirus shutdowns, which naturally hit the city with the most international visitors in the world particularly hard. As a lasting legacy, they now have a metro line that runs to Orly Airport for the first time. And if they continue their efforts to clean up the river water, they may be able to open the first beaches on the Seine as early as next year. Then the Games really would have been more than just two and a half weeks of summer fun.
