The Paris 2024 games have come to a close with the passing of the torch to LA 2028. To be honest, it’s been one of the best Games I’ve watched in a long time. London was my high bar, but Paris exceeded that with several innovations and its sustainable venue plan which showcased some of the architectural icons of the city. Putting all that aside, the competition has been great with more nations taking a share of gold from the powerhouse nations than ever before. Maybe that’s a result of Russia being shut out of these Games or growth of sports in other countries. The result of that has been something we’ve come to enjoy. So let’s look at what went right and wrong and what we can look forward to in LA.
Paris and LA were handed the bids together when other cities started dropping out of the bidding process before the selection of the first city in September, 2017. By then, only Paris and LA were left and both bids were solid. LA decided to forego a competition and asked to be considered for 2028, paving the way for Paris to host in 2024.
Sustainabilility – A New Olympic Tradition
When the IOC promoted the sustainability strategy for the Games, it pushed that on London after seeing the largesse of Beijing in 2008. Up to that point, Beijing was the most expensive Games at $42 billion. Of course, Sochi would surpass that at over $50 billion with Putin’s fiasco, including the corruption that led to numerous failures. Who can forget the ring that never opened, an omen of what was to come.
London created a new model for how to stage the Games using existing facilities and leave as small a footprint as possible. The IOC tried to get bidding cities to stop building facilities that would rarely be used again. Today, Athens and Rio are full of those decaying structures in countries that never could afford the Games to start with. I recall having a conversation with a young man in Greece whose father was a member of Parliament. When I asked about the cost, his reply was that it didn’t matter. It was all about Greek pride. That’s what the IOC aimed to stop.
The Beautiful Venues and Crowds of Paris
Paris has wowed us with venues set amongst some of the most beautiful architectural and history structures, beginning with the Eiffel Tower. The equestrian at Versailles was pure elegance and beauty. The beach volleyball in what has become one of the most iconic stadiums at the foot of the Tower. The marathon ending up the Esplanade de Invalides with the Invalides in the background. The events within the Grand Palais. The list goes on.
Then there were the crowds. Leading up to the Games, over 600,000 tickets were still left to be sold. It’s not clear what happened, but fears of undersold venues were quickly put to rest when we saw the crowds. What crowds we saw. Full stands at Versailles, even for Modern Pentathlon. Stade de France was full every night. The parties in each one of the venues as the Paris officials always kept a party going somewhere.
The greatest unsung heroes of the Games were of course the turquoise shirt volunteers we saw in the background. They chased balls at Roland Garros. They swept sand at the beach volleyball courts during hot days. They ushered fans to their seats and kept the crowds going. One, Bob the Cap Catcher, even retrieved those caps in the pool that fell of the swimmers’ heads. Those volunteers are a part of what make the Olympic Games so special. It’s a sense of civic pride to help stage the Games.
Competition That Entertained Us All
The athletes gave us some of the greatest displays of skill and athleticism we have seen in a while. The tight races, some won by thousandths of a second, as well as the skills on the floors and courts gave us a fantastic show each day and night. We found a new Superman in a young Clark Kent lookalike with Steve Nederoscik who came to Paris to do just one thing and do it well.
We saw a young Frenchman named Leon Marchand who could become the next Michael Phelps. Then there were the athletes who have continued to show their skills by become some of the most decorated Olympians such as Katie Ledecky and Tom Daley. We found new hope in a 17 year old table tennis star from France whose last name sounds a lot like a superstar on the basketball court – Felix Lebrun and Lebron James.
Of course, the Olympics are also full of stories of heartaches. There are a few athletes I have followed since the last Games in Tokyo as they prepared for these Games. They were world class athletes who hoped they would have a chance at medaling Paris. In a few cases, they lost in opening rounds. While it was tough for them right after the losses, several of them bounced back and enjoyed the rest of their experience in Paris.
LA 2028 – It’s Your Time Now
Finally, we look towards LA in 2028. Paris has set a bar that is probably one of the highest of any Games. LA has a tough act to follow. But representatives from LA were all over the Games to learn and take back ideas that could help enhance their own staging of the Games. It will be hard to see LA be able to create the venue experiences we got in Paris. After all, LA is just an infant compared with the history of Paris.
But I’m sure LA will find its own special moments. Taking beach volleyball back to where it was born on the beaches of Santa Monica. Staging swimming in the largest swimming venue in Olympic history. Lighting the cauldron in the Coliseum, the only Olympic venue to host three different Olympics. It will be a primetime Olympics for the US audiences and should bring more drama at night as we see these competitions live.
So, well done Paris. You hosted a great Olympic Games. LA, it’s your turn now. Here’s hoping you have as much success and fun as Paris did. It might also be the first time I get to attend an Olympic Games. Tickets will probably go on sale November, 2027. Get those credit cards ready.