The 33rd Olympiad’s games were inaugurated with a dazzling tightrope spectacle on a Friday evening in Paris. More than 6,500 athletes sailed on an assembly of 85 vessels along the Seine River, floating past some iconic landmarks of Paris, before the journey ended with an enchanting laser display at the Eiffel Tower.
The choice of the city centre as the ceremony’s location necessitated the most massive security operation in peacetime France, involving 45,000 police officers and several military units. The day saw a spate of arson attacks on the French railway system and streets near the route being blockaded from mid-morning. However, it culminated in a festive celebration in the mid-summer drizzle.
The groundbreaking opening ceremony not held in a stadium unfolded with French flair, after five years of meticulous planning and two years of clandestine rehearsals. The audacious scheme involved a diverse mix of music, circus, dance, cabaret, cultural symbols, and inventiveness. French President Emmanuel Macron was initially sceptical about this daring idea, but he eventually succumbed to the Olympic spirit in recent days.
He admitted, “We determined it was the right time to bring this wild notion to life.” His words could also be interpreted in the broader context of hosting the grand event.
Each Olympiad surpasses the last in an ongoing exponential curve, leaving every host city in a dilemma about the cost and uncertain aftermath. In a recent survey, 44% of Paris residents believed the Games were “a bad idea”. Although initial reluctance is a recurring pattern preceding every Olympics, the sentiment usually becomes more positive as the Games get underway.
The agenda is so tightly packed that competitions in women’s football and men’s rugby sevens commenced two days before the opening ceremony. Over the next two weeks, more than 10,000 athletes from 184 nations will participate in 32 sporting events. Alongside the traditional sports, break dancing has been included for the first time, and it is expected that French participants will secure gold medals in both the male and female categories.
In every contemporary Olympiad, cheating controversies and deception are regular occurrences, acting as a counterbalance to the joyous displays of patriotism and emotional celebrations. The Olympics are never truly insulated from the realities of the world. A floating platform in the opening procession held the Refugee Olympic team, an eclectic assembly of 36 athletes, each displaced and hailing from one of 11 distinct nations.
French newspaper Le Monde underscored in its headline from Friday that these games are happening against the backdrop of “geopolitical turmoil” in regions such as Ukraine and Gaza. Russia continues to be excluded. The tendency of the Olympics to offer an escape from global issues evidently has its boundaries.
Hold on tightly. It’s time to the games began.