After being in Paris for a few days it is evident the Paris OCOG looked to make a statement in their hosting of the Games and so far, they are succeeding. Despite the somewhat negative tones from some media on this being the cheapest Games, the product Paris is providing is top notch. There is clear signage everywhere, the ticket and transportation apps are easy to use, and all the staff are incredibly friendly/easy to spot. Security is ubiquitous at the Games as police squadrons can be found all over Paris. Even when the metro lines were sabotaged, the City of Paris and the OCOG handled communication, traffic, and nerves so that the Opening Ceremony could be held without a problem.
The Opening Ceremony itself was truly spectacular and a great tribute to Paris and all of France. They were able to incorporate all parts of their history and culture and show off their city in a dazzling display. Utilizing the Seine for the delegation entrances was risky, but in my opinion it was worth it. I cannot remember an entrance like this in my years of watching/studying the Olympics, and even with the rain it was a sight to see. While we did not get to sit right by the Seine, we found a brasserie that was excited to be live steaming the ceremony and welcomed our large group of 14+ people. The upper floor ended up being groups from all different countries (Nigeria, Great Britain, France, and USA) and we all cheered for each other when our delegations came on the screen. It was great to experience the ceremony watching the French broadcast as they did not interrupt at all to explain – you could just watch the ceremony as if you were there in person. We had a great time, and it was a bonding experience hunting for a place for us to all watch together.
I also had my first fan experience as I attended the Italy vs. Brazil men’s indoor volleyball match. It was very easy to get to the arena and signage was everywhere. The volunteers were friendly and directed everyone to the proper line. The queue to get in was quite long, but the line did move quickly and there were plenty of ticket scanners ready to do their job. Once inside, volunteers directed you to the proper seating and were very knowledgeable on the arena. The usher gave me the exact route to my seat and even which side to enter on that was closest to my seat. I attended the game to support Italy and was in my full Italy gear – in a section of Brazil fans (frankly the entire arena was basically one giant Brazil section as green and yellow was everywhere). Despite this there was no hostility towards any Italian fans which I greatly appreciated. The atmosphere in the arena was electric as the in-house crew worked to keep everyone dancing and cheering the entire game. I was surprised that most of the announcements were made in English not French, but everyone around me seemed to understand what was going on. The music was primarily English as well – until they began to cater to the Brazil fans and only play Brazilian songs. This annoyed me as an Italian fan as I felt it would give the Brazil team an advantage as they were clearly gaining strength from their crowd. Someone must have noted this to the crew as towards the end of the fourth set they began to play Italian music as well. Italy won which made this Italian fan very happy!
