We saw some Taekwondo finals at the Grand Palais. It is a truly impressive building, also inside.
I attended the Olympic Games in London in 2012 and absolutely loved the female boxing finals I saw at the Excel Centre. It got me hooked on the Olympic Games, and I wanted my husband to experience the atmosphere, the electricity, the tension and the enthusiasm. So, I planned our trip and our tickets to Paris 2024 more than a year in advance.
Here is a little summary of our trip to the Paris Olympics and a few recommendations.
I was a bit apprehensive, but it felt really safe. Many policemen, 'gendarmes', and armed soldiers were everywhere around the city, and they all looked ready to intervene.
Many Parisians had left the city (more than usual), so it was easy to book our visits to various monuments and Museums just one or two days in advance when you would usually need to book at least two to three weeks in advance. Some areas of Paris (like The Marais in the Centre) sometimes felt incredibly quiet.
There were many free 'fan zones' around the city where people could watch the competitions sitting on deckchairs. The atmosphere was electric. You could hear in the distance if a French athlete had scored a goal or won a medal.
For the first time, a ‘marathon pour tous’ (marathon for everyone) was organised, open to the general public. Everyone (fit enough to run a marathon) who registered and completed the race could get a medal. That was such a great idea, opening the event to a wider audience and getting people involved.
We were lucky to see some Taekwondo finals at the Grand Palais, an incredibly impressive venue, and some weightlifting finals at the Arena Sud.
In Paris, they presented the sports competitions and provided pre-event entertainment with fun presenters, shows, and top music to boost the atmosphere. They even prepared some karaoke songs in English and French for the audience.
At the Arena Sud venue, makeup artists painted faces or arms in people’s favourite colours and with the Olympic rings, for free.
Before each competition, a clear video explained the basic rules and scoring system. It really helped us understand what was actually happening. For example, we did not know two different weightlifting techniques would be assessed: ‘Arraché’ (Snatch) and ‘Epaulé-Jeté’ (Clean And Jerk).
To top it all off, after each event, the volunteer team would thank us all for attending with some music, waves, dancing, and singing.
Paris 2024, you really made it special. Thank you for all the great memories.
Top volunteers and top organisation.
After telling all my students not to go to Paris 2024, I must admit we had a great time there…
If you are fast enough, you can still attend the Paralympics. Plenty of tickets are available, and hotel prices and Eurostar tickets have decreased to normal price levels.
If you attend these Paralympics or the next Olympics, I would recommend:
Booking for some finals as the tension and the level of dedication are at the top. Finals are more expensive to attend, but they are totally worth it. Athletes give it all as they are so close to a medal.
Trying different sports and venues. Unexpectedly, we really enjoyed the weightlifting finals, although we initially knew nothing about this sport.
Visiting the city where the event takes place. From my experience (in London 2012 and Paris 2024), the atmosphere is boosted during the events. So, no better time to get some extra positive memories.
Getting some tickets, even the cheaper ones. Even if you are quite far from the ‘stage,’ the atmosphere in the room should be incredible. In London and Paris, there were huge screens, so you could not miss the action.
Enjoy the games, and have a lovely summer wherever you are.
“Bonne saison estivale!”*
Annie
Written in London on the 10th, 11th and 12th of August 2024
(*Have a good summer season!)
Olivia Reeves (USA) got the Gold medal in Weightlifting 71kg at the South Arena
Nahid Kiyanichandeh at the Grand Palais, celebrating her silver medal (for Taekwondo Women 57kg)