Attending the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
As a sports fan, attending an Olympic Games was high on my wishlistbucket list. I had looked into going to Tokyo in 2020 before giving up when I realized the budget required. No regrets, they were postponed due to Covid and then held behind closed doors…
I couldn’t miss Olympic Games held in France, and now it’s done! A story, to remember it by.
I bought a first batch of tickets in May 2023, when I was selected in the “lottery” at the 3rd or 4th round.
My two criteria then were: iconic venues + sessions with medals.
As the Olympics approached, I made additional purchases to complete my schedule based on what I wanted to see and not-too-expensive opportunities on the resale platform.
Don’t ask me the total budget, I haven’t calculated and I prefer not to know. It’s crazy, but the Olympics in Paris only happen once a century!
Monday, July 29, 2024
While staying in Le Mans, we take the train to Paris to head to Les Invalides and attend our first Olympic event: team archery.
Under blazing sun, with no shade at all, we discover a stunning Olympic site. From our stands, we see the Eiffel Tower in front, the Hôtel des Invalides to our left. To the right, the Grand Palais and the Pont Alexandre III.
Many Koreans are present to cheer on their team, which dominates the sport.
The session starts with the quarterfinals, and we are pleasantly surprised to see the French team in the last one! I didn’t even know they were participating!
The sport of archery is impressive: the archers are 70 meters away. It’s rare for arrows to land anywhere but in the 9 or 10 ring!
We have good seats, and thanks to the binoculars we wisely brought, we don’t miss a bit of the archers’ concentration or the exact spot where the arrows land. No need to look at the screen.
Great surprise: the French team, which has never won an Olympic medal, qualifies for the final! They face South Korea, who are unbeatable and win in a fantastic atmosphere.
The day ends after the medal ceremony, happy but with nice sunburns.
In the evening, we stay at our friends M. and E.’s place.
Tuesday, July 30, 2024
Indeed, M. kindly invited me to a field hockey session.
The competition takes place at the (former) Olympic stadium in Colombes, the only venue of the 2024 Olympics already used during the 1924 Games! With many changes in between, of course.
The first match sees France face Spain and ends with a score of 3-3.
The second match pits two field hockey powerhouses against each other: the Netherlands and Great Britain. Their supporters fill the stands. Final score: 2-2.
Since it’s a sport I’ve never played, I’m very impressed by the players’ technique and their ease in handling the stick.
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Today, we do a round trip from Le Mans to attend swimming heats. These are tickets I bought late when Anh told me she really wanted to watch butterfly races.
The competition takes place in Nanterre at Paris La Défense Arena. An arena that usually hosts rugby, but is transformed for the Olympics into an Olympic swimming pool! It’s impressive, hard to imagine there’s usually a pitch in this space!
Once again, we have great visibility from our seats. We arrive well early and can see the swimmers warming up and interacting with their coaches. With our binoculars, we don’t miss a thing and feel like we’re right next to them!
We watch the heats of the women’s 200m breaststroke, men’s 200m backstroke, and women’s 200m butterfly.
What’s nice about swimming, like in athletics, is that there are many athletes from different countries. So there are supporters from many nations. Today, the Americans are out in force.
A few hours later, back in Le Mans, in that same arena, Léon Marchand achieves a historic performance by winning two individual Olympic titles.
Tuesday, August 6
Now we’re staying at a hotel in Paris for a few days to make getting around easier and no longer need to take the Le Mans-Paris train. Metro tickets are outrageously expensive, but I got a monthly Navigo pass for both of us.
Yesterday, my friend Manu offered to attend with him the canoe sprint competitions at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium. I accept, more to spend time with him than for the competition itself. Indeed, these are the qualifying heats, and I already have tickets for the finals of these same events in a few days!
From the Paris region where I am, it’s quite a trek. I meet Manu in Paris who picks me up by car. I think there will be more atmosphere during the finals, but it was cool to spend some time with him.
After that, I stop by briefly at the Concorde urban park. It hosts competitions for various urban sports: skateboarding, 3×3 basketball, BMX, … Since the site is absolutely gorgeous, I really wanted to go there, and Paris 2024 was selling tickets at a very reasonable price to access the site, but not the competitions… The promise is to be able to follow the events on a giant screen, but also to attend demonstrations and athlete training. I really didn’t stay long, due to lack of time, but I didn’t see any of that 😀 Nevertheless, the atmosphere was good, the setting splendid, but it’s still frustrating to be right next to the urban stadiums, hear the cheers of the crowd, but not be able to get in ^^.
In the evening, Anh and I head to the Stade de France for some athletics ! We go there by car, I booked a parking spot 10 minutes’ walk from the stadium, overpriced, but very convenient!
It’s the first time I attend an athletics competition, and the program looks tempting!
The evening starts with a few medal ceremonies, including the gold medal for Armand Duplantis, who the day before broke his world record in the pole vault.
The two main events of the evening will be the men’s long jump and the women’s hammer throw. We knew that several events were happening at the same time but didn’t know how it would work in practice, and we got the answer by watching live. The track races are always followed closely, but between races, we focus on one sport or another, especially when medals are at stake.
But it’s especially the races that will keep the audience on the edge of their seats:
- Men’s 400m semi-final
- Women’s 400m hurdles semi-final
- Men’s 1500m final with a thrilling finish and an Olympic record!
- Women’s 3000m steeplechase final, also with an Olympic record! On top of that, Frenchwoman Alice Finot broke the European record with an incredible final lap that saw her climb to 4th place. It was very moving to see her so happy even though she’s just off the podium, and she did a well-deserved victory lap.
- Women’s 200m final.
We truly had a great evening!
The silence before the start of each race is impressive! 80,000 people hold their breath and gasp as soon as the starting signal is given!
Each Olympic champion is invited to ring a bell which, after the Olympics, will be installed in one of the towers of Notre-Dame de Paris so that the “sound of Olympic victory is heard in the city for decades to come.” I love the symbolism!
Upon entering the stadium, we were given connected wristbands that all lit up for a little show with the major event of the evening, the women’s 200m final. It was beautiful, though a bit too short for our liking (we have to admit the final itself only lasts 20 seconds 😀 ).
Wednesday, August 7
In the morning, I go back to the Stade de France; I had nothing planned for that half-day and found cheap tickets on the resale market. By chance, my brother Bruno is at the stadium at the same time, a chance to spend some time together.
No finals this time, but the events complement what I saw the day before. I watch the start of the women’s javelin throw and the men’s high jump (with Qatari star Barshim and Italian Tamberi). As well as various heats.
In the evening, we head to the Champ de Mars Arena to watch finals in wrestling. Wrestling is a sport not very accessible to novices like us, and if I had to do it again, it’s probably the only event I’d skip. I had bought these tickets mainly for the iconic location of the Champ de Mars, but the wrestling was held at the Grand Palais Éphémère, which isn’t very interesting.
Thursday, August 8
Another stroke of luck! I had bought a ticket on the resale platform for table tennis. Purely out of opportunism, because I find this sport impressive, without knowing what I was about to see. And I end up at the semi-final France vs China! With the Lebrun brothers!
The event takes place in one of the pavilions of the Porte de Versailles exhibition center. The hall has no architectural interest (it’s a plain hangar), but the atmosphere is excellent!
Unfortunately, the suspense doesn’t last long. China is simply unbeatable; the newspaper L’Équipe wrote that their team was like combining Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic in tennis.
Despite some splendid points, China wins convincingly 3-0. The next day, France would win their match to get the bronze medal.
In the evening, we go to the Grand Palais to watch Taekwondo finals. Unfortunately, the French competitor was eliminated in the morning, which will have a big impact on the atmosphere. But the show is enjoyable and the venue absolutely sumptuous!
Leaving the Grand Palais, we enjoy walking in the pedestrian zone and admire the Olympic cauldron in the Parisian sky.
We share our binoculars with a group of French people. The kids are impressed by the zoom on the binoculars, which they use for the first time. We chat a bit and have a great time together.
Friday, August 9
In the morning, we head to the Tuileries Garden, where we can get close to the Olympic cauldron (which sits on the ground during the day before soaring into the sky at sunset). Access to the cauldron requires a free ticket, which wasn’t easy to get given the high demand, so we’re thrilled to be able to go.
Even up close, it really looks like a flame, but it’s actually a light effect with a kind of mist sprayer.
Right next to it, we can see a lamp with the “real” Olympic flame.
In the evening, we head to the Parc des Princes for the football tournament final. I bought these tickets a year ago hoping France would make it to the final, and… it was a winning bet! Thierry Henry’s France faces Spain in the final, which was far from guaranteed. Given the crowd, the stadium is no longer accessible by public transport, so we walk 45 minutes to the stadium.
With France in the final, tickets are being resold at exorbitant prices on the black market (at least 650 euros for tickets bought for 175 euros a year earlier), but there’s no way we’re missing this final, and I really want Anh to experience this too.
France quickly takes the lead before conceding three goals in 10 minutes. It could have ended there, but France scored two goals late in the game in a spectacular scenario and an indescribable atmosphere, before losing in extra time. The acoustics at Parc des Princes are known to be excellent, and the volume was so high that my left neighbor had to cover his ears regularly. I’m partly responsible because I completely lost my voice during those two hours.
No (too many) regrets, Spain was better, and we witnessed an extraordinary final. We could see most of the goals from our side (on the right). Even though the screen is small, with our binoculars and our location, we see everything! The newspaper L’Équipe even gave this match a rating of 6/6, which is uncommon.
Saturday, August 10
In the morning, I go back to watch some canoe sprint, this time accompanied by Anh. The atmosphere is nicer this time because it’s finals, and many Hungarians and Czechs bring energy to the stands.
In the afternoon, I head back to the exhibition center to watch a women’s weightlifting competition. I had picked this event because it wasn’t expensive and helped round out my schedule. It was an excellent surprise!
The atmosphere was great thanks to the massive presence of Ecuadorian supporters. Several Olympic records were broken during the competition.
The (new) Norwegian Olympic champion almost brought me to tears. I learned that coaches don’t inform athletes of the standings so they stay in their concentration bubble. So the crowd realized she had won before she did! Her emotion when she realized was beautiful!
On the podium, she couldn’t stop crying!
Sunday, August 11
In the morning, we head back to Paris La Défense Arena for our last Olympic event: the water polo final between Serbia and Croatia.
We discover an incredibly physical sport where you have to swim, manage the ball, and escape opponents’ clutches without touching the bottom of the pool—it’s really impressive!
And at 9 PM, the highlight of the show! We’re at the Stade de France for the closing ceremony!
When we reach our seats, I’m surprised to see a power strip on the seat next to ours. It turns out we have an excellent seat and are next to about thirty accredited photographers. Essentially, we’re in the upper stands, dead center, right by the honorary stand with the Macrons, Attal, Hidalgo, Pécresse, Thomas Bach, Estanguet…
The closing ceremony is less ambitious than the opening one, but the atmosphere is excellent, and we have a great time despite some slow moments. The colorful parade of artists is magnificent, and we enjoy guessing the countries with our binoculars. As a bonus, we even get a stunt from Tom Cruise who comes to pick up the Olympic flag to pass it on to Los Angeles, host of the next Games! Thanks to our binoculars, we can spy on Macron, Brigitte Macron, and Hidalgo throughout the evening. However, Tom Cruise has his back to us, and since he’s way too short compared to the athletes, we don’t see much of him.
In short, these Games required a lot of organization on our part (tickets, parking, accommodation) and a huge financial effort, but you only live once, and we don’t regret being in Paris when everyone told us not to come, and enjoying these extraordinary atmospheres. Paris has never been so clean, safe, empty, and pleasant. There are more metros and fewer people, 45,000 volunteers to point us in the right direction, smile at us… It’s something to experience at least once in a lifetime!
Thursday, August 29, 2024
After swimming heats and the water polo final, we come to La Défense Arena for the third time. This time for paralympic swimming finals.
Small disappointment: arriving a bit late, we miss Ugo Didier’s race, which brings France’s first gold medal of the Paralympic Games. We’re a little consoled later by attending his medal ceremony, complete with a beautiful singing of the Marseillaise!
Paralympic swimming stands out because there are many different categories: between multiple amputees, visually impaired, and those with intellectual disabilities, performances vary greatly and sometimes approach those of able-bodied athletes.
Anyway, it’s really impressive to watch, and with no reference point for our own speed in the water, Anh and I wonder if we could ever match such an athlete who has only one leg and one arm (probably not!).
Friday, August 30, 2024
Today I’m going to Roland Garros to watch “wheelchair tennis”.
Even though I used to work right next door, I never attended the Roland Garros tournament. The Paralympic Games are a great opportunity to discover the place.
It’s raining in Paris today, but that’s not a problem since the two main courts have retractable roofs.
When buying my ticket, I had to choose between Court Philippe Chatrier (the famous “center court” where finals are held) and Court Suzanne Lenglen, which is more intimate.
I chose the former, which is very impressive and can seat 15,000 spectators!
Just as I was about to leave, I managed to sneak into Court Suzanne Lenglen to see what it was like. It’s much smaller than the center court but can still accommodate 10,000 people.
A doubles match was taking place there, which I found more dynamic than singles matches.
Thursday, September 5, 2024
This morning was my last Olympic/Paralympic event, and I really made the most of it!
My mind is a bit elsewhere since I’m leaving tomorrow for 15 days of hiking in Corsica and still have quite a few things to prepare (buying a backpack, for example!). But I didn’t want to miss the chance to attend an event at what is perhaps the most iconic stadium of these Olympic Games: the Eiffel Tower Stadium !
This temporary stadium, as its name suggests, sits at the foot of the Eiffel Tower and is perhaps, for a month, the most beautiful stadium in the world!
During the Olympic Games, it hosted beach volleyball events. Highly sought after (both for the iconic location and the spectacular nature of the sport), tickets were very expensive.
For the Paralympic session, this stadium hosts blind football (football for the blind). I’m attending a classification match for 7th and 8th place, between Turkey and Japan. It’s the cheapest ticket I bought: €15!
The morning starts with pouring rain, and I arrive soaked for the start of the match, which is when the weather decides to stop raining.
Back-to-school season, bad weather, early morning, unappealing lineup, niche sport… many reasons why the stadium is sparsely filled, probably not even half full. It would be even emptier without the many school groups present.
This allows me to cheat by choosing a much better seat than the one I’m supposed to have. Admire this view!
Blind football is surprising: the four outfield players are visually impaired. The goalkeeper is sighted. The ball is equipped with bells to make noise. The team’s coach stands behind the goal where his players need to score to guide them with his voice… So the crowd must be silent during play and can express themselves during stoppages.
Even though it’s very impressive (I can’t imagine running with my eyes closed… let alone playing football!), I find it hard to get excited about the game.
I leave at the end of the match (Turkey wins 2-0) even though my ticket allowed me to watch a second match an hour later.
But this stadium, what a beauty! With nice weather, in the evening, with the Eiffel Tower lit up and then sparkling, it must have been incredible!
So it’s over for the first and probably last Olympic Games I’ll ever get to attend. Between July 29 and September 5, I attended 15 events plus the closing ceremony. That’s far more than I could have dreamed of. It was a wonderful experience and great memories that will last a long time!
