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Are the Paris Olympics doing the unthinkable and making the French happy?

The French - and especially Parisians - do have a certain reputation for grumpiness (along with traits like style, wit and understanding the importance of a really good lunch) - but have the Paris Olympics done the unthinkable and made the city a happy and cheerful place?

Published: 31 July 2024 15:09 CEST
Updated: 7 August 2024 09:37 CEST
Are the Paris Olympics doing the unthinkable and making the French happy?
Frances's fans cheer for their team in the men's beach volleyball match at the Eiffel Tower Stadium in Paris on July 30, 2024. Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP

In the run-up to the Olympics it’s fair to say that a certain gloom and pessimism prevailed – headlines focused on Parisians quitting the city or complaining about security measures or on fears that the ambitious opening ceremony on the River Seine would be a flop.

However, now the Games are underway, the opening ceremony wowed the world (with the exception of Donald Trump and the supreme leader of Iran) and France is doing pretty well in the medals table.

We’re not claiming that these Games have been problem free, of course – the men’s triathlon had to be postponed because of the water quality in the Seine, some athletes are not happy with conditions at the Athletes’ Village and sweltering weather has made conditions difficult at some events.

But problems notwithstanding something surprising is happening – Paris has become a place of joy, happiness and excitement and the French fans are getting very into the Games indeed. 

Atmosphere

More than half of all tickets sold have gone to French people which means most events have a strong French contingent in the crowd who are providing vocal support to local athletes – yes, you’re likely to hear La Marseillaise sung a lot during these games.

Among those charmed by the support was Fin Kirwan, head of the US Olympic Committee. After watching French star swimmer Léon Marchand win gold he told Le Point: “The atmosphere is electric. The French are crazy! The public are living up to what the Olympics should be.

“I can feel that there’s a lot of joy in the air.”

And it’s not just at Games venues – even on the street people seem unusually cheerful; Metro stations are full of smiling staff asking commuters if they need help, Olympics volunteers are welcoming people to the city and the foreign police officers who have come to help out with the Games seem to have a holiday vibe (LAPD officers report being stopped for selfies with tourists).

Venues

One of the key concepts of these Games was to ‘take the sports out of the stadiums and into the city’ by using city centre landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Place de la Concorde and Les Invalides to stage events.

The result has been some truly spectacular photos which leave no-one in any doubt about which city this event took place in.

Superfans

In among the 9 million fans are some famous faces who also appear to have been getting into the spirit.

It’s a quiet time for politics so a lot of France’s top politicians seem to have decamped to Games venues – including president Emmanuel Macron who was straight up to the Stade de France to watch France win its first gold medal at rugby 7s.

US rapper Snoop Dogg – who was a torch bearer during the pre-Games torch relay – turns out to be a superfan of the Olympics and has been turning his hand to everything from commentary to getting a swimming lesson from American swim legend Michael Phelps.

https://x.com/Eurosport_FR/status/1818573113551896611

But the biggest ‘superfan’ of all has to be French football star Antoine Griezmann – he has been pictured cheering on athletes in multiple venues and keeps his 8 million Twitter fans up to date with all the latest French victories.

In fact Macron even joked that anyone who wanted to keep track of France’s Olympic medal haul should just turn to Griezmann. “The app is called Antoine Griezmann,” Macron posted, with a link to the footballer’s account.

Tickets 

Even before it started, the Paris Olympics had set a new record for the total number of tickets sold, with the 8.7 million purchased as of July 17th surpassing the previous high of 8.3 million at the Atlanta Games in 1996.

However that number has now risen to 9.1 million tickets sold as Olympic fever grips the city – this is partly thanks to a very efficient ticket resale site, which has allowed people to resell tickets that they no longer want or cannot use on an officially sanctioned platform in a simple four-click process.

READ ALSO How to use the Paris Olympics ticket app and resale site

Meanwhile the 100,000 free tickets on offer to see the Olympic flame hot air balloon sold out within 24 hours – organisers are now adding fresh tickets each morning.

READ ALSO How to see the Paris Olympic flame hot air balloon

The Games are not over yet, and there’s plenty that could still go wrong, but as things stand we’re a long way from the disaster that some people predicted.

Member comments

  1. Great that France is getting into the spirit & down at the venues it’s brilliant but no disguising the fact that using the city is very disruptive. Different diversions every day as the streets are used for races, even walking around is hard. Even outer arrondissements are affected (some street markets are closed). The tourist industry is not getting the bonanza it anticipated.
    I was irritated by my fellow Parisians’ pessimism pre-Games, now I am getting fed up as well.

  2. I have lived in France for four years and travelled extensively, for the past three years.
    The only place where I met unhappy, or grumpy-natured people was in Paris and they weren’t all French, by any means.
    A typical French adult is: polite, considerate, thoughtful, honest, kind, compassionate and humorous.
    They are delightful.

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PROTESTS

Thousands in France protest ‘rape culture’

Thousands took to the streets across French cities on Saturday to demand an end to rape and support the main plaintiff in a mass sexual assault trial that has shocked the country.

Published: 15 September 2024 10:06 CEST
Thousands in France protest 'rape culture'

Gisele Pelicot, who is using her married name, has requested the trial of her ex-husband and 50 co-defendants since September 2 be made public to raise awareness about the use of drugs to commit abuse.

Dominique Pelicot, her partner of around five decades, has admitted to drugging her for years to rape her or watch her being raped while unconscious by dozens of strangers he recruited online.

The case has horrified France, especially as many of the co-accused are seemingly ordinary men with everyday jobs, and several of the suspects remain at large.

“We are all Gisele,” a large crowd chanted in the capital Paris.

“Rapist we see you, victim we believe you.”

A placard which reads "Angry Women" is displayed as protesters take part in a demonstration in support of Gisele Pelicot in Paris

A placard which reads “Angry Women” is displayed as protesters take part in a demonstration in support of Gisele Pelicot in Paris on September 14, 2024. (Photo by Ian LANGSDON / AFP)

In the southern city of Marseille, activists hung up a banner on the city’s court building calling for alleged perpetrators — not victims — to be ashamed.

“Shame must change sides,” it read, echoing Gisele Pelicot’s own words through one of her lawyers.

Justine Imbert, 34, had come with her six-year-old daughter.

“It must have taken huge courage, but it was essential” for Gisele Pelicot to request the trial be public, she said.

“It allows people to see the faces of her husband and all the others, to see they are not outcasts but ‘good fathers’.”

Retiree Martine Ragon, 74, said she was there too to “call out rape culture”, referring to an environment in which sexual violence is normalised.

“The media coverage on the trial will allow us to speak up about it,” she said.

‘Disgusted to be a man’

In the western city of Rennes, a young woman held up a sign with the sentence “protect your daughters” crossed out.

A protester holds a placard reading "1 rape every 6 minutes" during a demonstration in support of Gisele Pelicot on Place de la Republique in Paris

A protester holds a placard reading “1 rape every 6 minutes” during a demonstration in support of Gisele Pelicot on Place de la Republique in Paris on September 14, 2024. (Photo by Ian LANGSDON / AFP)

“Educate your son,” it read instead.

In the central city of Clermont-Ferrand, 26-year-old agricultural worker Stephane Boufferet said he hoped Gisele Pelicot would find justice.

“When I read the story, I was disgusted, even disgusted to be a man,” he said.

France’s cinema industry has been rocked by allegations of sexual assault in recent years, including several against film legend Gerard Depardieu.

But the trial in the southern city of Avignon has drawn attention on rape in everyday society.

Among the protesters in Paris was Charlotte Arnould, an actor who had accused Depardieu of raping her in 2018 when she was 22 and anorexic.

The 75-year-old actor has been charged with rape in the case since 2020 and prosecutors last month called for him to face trial.

Demonstrators in the capital also included the author of a book denouncing incest, Camille Kouchner, and lawmaker Sandrine Josso who last year accused a senator of drugging her with the aim of assaulting her.

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