Olympic Games 2024: French to the "bone"

After the spectacular closing ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games, the most certain conclusion one can draw is this: these Games were French to the “bone”. Whether or not the way and the place in which these Games were held were appealing is entirely subjective and depends solely on how each of us perceives the Olympic Games and, more broadly, life itself.

For the French, the Olympic Games were an opportunity for innovation on all levels. For instance, this was the first time in history that the opening ceremony took place outdoors, at a time when global security concerns are numerous. Additionally, the event was held in a city that with its suburbs it houses over 12 million residents, with all the organizational challenges that such a population entails.

In terms of its organization, the opening ceremony of this year’s Olympic Games was incomparable to any other precisely because it was unlike any other. The organizers' plan and the obstacles they had to overcome to execute it successfully were entirely different from anything that had been attempted in the past.

As for its content, the opening ceremony aimed to connect the old with the new, highlight some of the most significant historical achievements of the French people, and unfilteredly showcase the characteristics of French society, exactly as it is today: multicultural, inclusive, innovative, religiously neutral, radical, and proud of all these qualities and even more.

Scenes such as Lady Gaga performing "Mon truc en plumes" by Zizi Jeanmaire, the beheaded caricature of Marie Antoinette in the windows of the Conciergerie with the French heavy metal band "Gojira" performing right below, Aya Nakamura dancing with the military band, the masked parkour time traveler who many saw as a reference to one of the protagonists of the famous French video game series Assassin’s Creed by Ubisoft, the satirical re-enactment of the Last Supper by popular LGBTQ artists with clear hints about the role of the Catholic Church before the French Revolution, its relationship with the Monarchy, and the numerous subsequent allegations of child abuse (115,000 French priests were implicated, with many convicted of sexually abusing about 216,000 children from 1950 to 2019, with Pope Francis publicly expressing his shame), the display of works by world-renowned fashion houses (e.g., Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, etc.) right alongside the works of young talented designers still unknown to the general public —emphasizing that both have a place in French society—, the Minions "stealing" Mona Lisa and "deconstructing" her serious image, the metallic horse with a female rider symbolizing the country’s dedication to scientific excellence (according to the announcement by the French pharmaceutical company SANOFI, co-creator of the horse and the event), and the iconic Céline Dion performing "L'Hymne à l'Amour" by Edith Piaf atop the Eiffel Tower—all these seemingly disjointed yet perfectly interconnected elements represent the socio-political identity of modern France, which is far from homogenous or conventional.

Regarding the athletic aspect, the rules in all sports (with the exception of the new ones) remained the same as in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, primarily to make it easier for the athletes themselves and to ensure their efforts will not be unfairly judged. Any criticisms related to specific athletes and incidents during the competitions (e.g., the characterization of a woman with a hormonal disorder as a man and the belief that Islamic Algeria would ever allow an LGBTQ athlete to represent them in the Olympics, the assessment that the infection of four of the hundreds of athletes who swam in the Seine was due to the river’s sanitary condition and not to food poisoning or a virus affecting only them, and many more) have been proven to be misinformation that originated from certain circles on social media and was further spread by their supporters.

For many decades, the Olympic Games have been a beautiful combination of Sports and Art. Both Sports and Art keep their doors wide open to those who love them for what they truly represent. For those who disagree, no one forces them to watch events that do not resonate with them. After all, parts of the opening ceremony of this year’s Olympic Games were not broadcast on television in countries culturally distant from such spectacles. Our peaceful coexistence, despite our differences, is one of the many achievements that make our democracy so magnificent, at least for those fortunate enough to live in a democratic country.

On the other hand, regardless of where one lives, if everyone could comfortably watch the Olympic Games in France, then perhaps they wouldn’t have been French enough.