Paris Olympics captivated the world - despite the shadow of global conflicts

This was everything Paris could have hoped for.

The world was captivated by the wondrous distraction of the Olympics; venues fizzing with excitement and energy.

There were daring reimagining of Olympic norms – the opening ceremony shifted from a stadium to water and a cauldron floating in the air.

All contrasting with the soullessness of being in large empty venues in Tokyo – where we faced daily COVID testing and restricted movements – as athletes were roared and inspired by crowds again.

The picture postcard memories will live long in the memories, just as Paris envisaged.

Beach volleyball beneath the Eiffel Tower, fencing beneath the sweeping dome-topped glass roof at the Grand Palais and equestrian surrounded by the grandeur of Versailles.

Not only athletes are on a victory lap.

President Emmanuel Macron attached himself to the achievements of French athletes – with a stream of selfies and clips posted on social media as Léon Marchand became an instant French sporting legend with four swimming golds.

All while the caretaker government held together to provide stability during the Olympics after the sudden pre-Games election.

Fears of political paralysis or unions’ unrest did not materialise.

Even the railway lines were quickly fixed after the mass sabotage of railway lines into Paris on the day of the opening ceremony.

France projected prestige and unity – although how much of the country really bought into this? – as sport was used as a tool of soft power.

“France is capable of doing great things,” French sports minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra said ahead of the closing ceremony.

“This country is capable of being immense.”

It is this vision France and the Olympic movement will hope washes away the fraught and divisive moments with criminal complaints lodged over abuse athletes faced while in Paris.

For all the idealism, these Olympics were at times the platform to project the world’s anger.

Not just medals being fought over but culture wars which even IOC President Thomas Bach referenced.

When I asked Mr Bach about this, he responded: “You cannot have this unprecedented high relevance of the games in the world and expect nobody has a comment on it.

“Therefore, we are accepting this and we take it as a sign for the social and political relevance of the games. It’s just the other side of the coin of success.”

Complaints rolled in from Christian groups, even the Vatican, over the offence caused in the opening ceremony by the depiction of the Last Supper featuring drag queens.

The inclusivity drive provoked the intended reaction by the Paris organising committee’s creative team, before the pushback and the backtracking.

The conflict between the ideals embodied in France’s national motto – liberté, égalité, fraternité – seemed a backdrop to the sport.

Often, they collided with the sport and the limitations of equality were played out in the boxing ring.

Imane Khelif and Lin Yu Ting had their femininity poured over as debates over gender eligibility, safety and fairness descended into aggression and online toxicity towards the gold medallists.

At times it interspersed with larger geopolitical battles that hung over the Olympics.

It was a Russian led and funded banished boxing organisation that fuelled doubts over the boxers being women.

These were another games without the Russian athletes being allowed to compete under the flag – this time over the war on Ukraine – with only 15 permitted with neutral status.

And Russia was blamed for attempting to undermine the entire event, accused of being behind disinformation campaigns.

Ukraine celebrated the resolve of the nation through medal successes.

They brought their smallest team in Olympic history and the medal haul was about a quarter down from Tokyo – showing resilience being in Paris while mourning athletes killed by Russia.

War in the Middle East raged on during the games – exposing the hollow hope of the UN-backed Olympic Truce.

Israeli athletes faced death threats in Paris and the Palestinian delegation was diminished by the horrors of war.

Strained US-China relations touched the Olympics as a doping dispute intensified – even threatening Salt Lake City staging the 2030 Winter Games that were awarded here.

But the International Olympic Committee was desperate to proclaim a harmonious few weeks as athletes of the world converged.

Mr Bach told the closing ceremony: “I call on everyone who shares this Olympic spirit: let us live this culture of peace every single day.”

But he spent these games – his last leading the Olympic movement – also warning of the dangers of climate change.

In future, he said, “it will be very difficult to organise the Olympic Games in August”.

Storms were blamed on climate change in Paris polluting the Seine that postponed events around triathlon competitions.

But one Olympic legacy is more than £1bn being spent on cleaning up the river – allowing Parisians to swim in it for the first time in a century.

These, though, were not an Olympics requiring vast spending splurges to build new venues with a questionable legacy.

And that was the charm of Paris – sporting competitions scattered throughout the city, repurposing existing venues and showcasing landmarks.

Expect a very different beach vibe in four years. Los Angeles is already pushing the boundaries by inserting the Olympic rings, even digitally, on the Hollywood sign during last night’s handover in Paris.

It took a century for the Olympics to return to Paris.

And these could be the last Summer Games in Europe for at least 16 years – with Brisbane already picked for 2032 and 2036 attracting interest from India, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

But it’s not quite au revoir Paris yet, as the countdown now begins to the Paralympics in less than three weeks.

This article was originally published by Sky.com. Read the original article here.

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