I was lucky to be at Olympics at the start and feel the mood change

Attending some of the events at the 2024 Paris Olympics was high on my summer wish list, considering it is a once in a lifetime opportunity. 

As Parisians departed the city in droves, my train rolled into Gare de Lyon on the Tuesday evening before the Games began (July 23). 

Initially, I was surprised. 

I had expected Paris to be bustling, even more so than usual, alight with a pre-Olympic buzz and filled with tourists, even if many residents had left.

This was not what I found, as the city was in the most tranquil state I had ever seen it.

I climbed aboard an empty metro carriage to meet some friends in the heart of the city, then walked through bare streets that at other times of the year would be thronging with people.

August is traditionally a month where many Parisians depart for les grands vacances, but the city had a certain hush about it, as if there was an uncertainty in the air. 

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Pre-Olympic events had a feel-good atmosphere 

I had tickets to attend a rugby sevens qualifying match on Wednesday (July 24) before the Games officially started at the weekend. 

It was hot, but our way into the Stade de France was fairly straightforward, with orderly queues and helpful volunteers guiding people to the correct areas. 

I was pleased to see that seats were full, and it was nice to hear lots of French voices amongst the crowds. 

Prior to the Games, the general consensus from people I had spoken to about them was negative, either based on an idea that Paris would be unable to host the Olympics successfully, the high costs, or inconvenience of it coming at a time when France was facing other issues.

This overall glum attitude had made me question how much people would participate.

I should not have worried. The stands at the Stade de France went wild with Mexican waves, heartfelt renditions of the Marseillaise, and chants of ‘ALLEZ LES BLEUS’ rang around the stadium when the French team took to the field. The French were out in force. 

Stade de France faced teething problems

The rugby qualifiers felt something of a test run for the stadium ahead of the official start, and there were definitely still some bumps that needed to be ironed out. 

Fairly early on in the day the stadium ran out of all food from what was already a limited selection. 

Drinks had to be bought and dispensed into plastic cups which you paid a cover fee for.

In theory if you took the cup back you would receive your two euro deposit, but in practice the tills ran out of cash and lots of people were unable to return their cups. 

Finally, the stadium could only accept Visa-style bank and debit cards, which caused a bit of a problem for those with different payment methods. 

Information posted on the stadium’s website said that cash could be used, but this was only true at the biggest tills, meaning often you would spend a long time waiting in line to find out that you had no means of payment and would have to queue elsewhere. 

It will be interesting to see if these issues remain when the stadium hosts the closing ceremony this weekend.

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Opening ceremony brought life back to the city

I remained in the city a few more days after the rugby match, getting a feel for the atmosphere in the run-up to the start of the Games.

Thursday remained quiet with Paris in a strange sense of limbo, as if it was waiting for something it did not quite feel ready for. 

However, the opening ceremony quickly dissipated any fears about Paris’ hosting capabilities, breathing life into the city with a spectacular show.

From the next day, the hubbub I had been waiting for descended, bringing the streets back to life.

The French team are raking in medals spurred on by home support, and watching different events unfold in front of iconic backdrops has been amazing.

I have noticed a change in attitude as the Games have progressed. 

People are becoming more and more engaged and more optimistic about how the competition has unfolded compared to their previous pessimism.

No Games will ever be without hiccups or criticism or problems, but I feel sure Paris 2024 will be remembered with fondness. 

I feel very lucky that I live in France, and it has been exciting to share how special it is with everyone watching around the world. 

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