Author: nuonan.ma

“Competitive sports are a tragedy in themselves.”

There’s a saying that has been recently widely shared on Chinese social media.

It warns people not to fall too deeply in love with competitive sports because, in the end, athletes grow old, heroes turn gray, and the injuries they endure take a toll. The gifts that athletes receive from God are eventually reclaimed by time. No one remains a champion forever; no one wins all the time. The match you watch could be their last—the joy of winning a championship lasts for a moment, but the pain of not winning can linger for a lifetime. From athletes to fans, everyone might go crazy; no one escapes. The world ends in regret. However, when you witness the moment they lift the trophy, amidst a sky full of fireworks, you tell yourself, it’s worth it.

It’s a bittersweet reality of sports, where glory is temporary, and the journey is often fraught with pain and sacrifice. Competitive sports are filled with regret. Many people never fully achieve their potential, and the rewards are never equal to the sacrifices made. No one stays young forever, no one remains at their peak, and no one is an eternal champion. For athletes, regret is the norm. The pain of competitive sports lies in the fact that while there are countless athletes, there is only one champion. Even though the focus on gold medals has gradually lessened, it is impossible to completely abandon such a deep-rooted tradition. Most of the time, we only see the national flag rising in the Olympic field, but we don’t see how many young lives were buried along the way to that victory.

The joy brought by competitive sports is double, but the pain behind it is a hundredfold. If given the chance to choose again, countless people would still be willing to go through fire and water to reach the pinnacle of success, to create palaces with their blood and sweat. These palaces may shine on the outside, but they are filled with pain, struggle, and torment. Yet, they are also filled with endless hard work, success, and honor. The beauty of competitive sports is truly seen in the moment they kiss the medal. In that moment, all the world’s cameras are on them, all the fireworks and applause belong to them, and they tell themselves it was all worth it.

Competitive sports are an eternal cycle of renewal, where new talents replace the old. We witness an athlete rise from obscurity, reach their peak, and become the pillar of a certain era. But the word “peak” itself is full of regret because it’s all downhill from the peak. They will be replaced by newer, more powerful athletes. Eventually, the once-glorious heroes will grow old, burdened by injuries, and slowly fade away from the public eye. “One generation will inevitably grow old, but there will always be someone young.” Their past glory will be reclaimed by time and perhaps forgotten by people. We usually only see their triumphant side, but isn’t the other side filled with regret?

Competitive sports have shown me the vitality of human beings, the courage to leap in the face of the unknown, and the determination to rise to the challenge no matter how many difficulties are thrown at us. After the grand finale of the four-year cycle of the event, a new journey begins, and I hope I will have the opportunity to see them again in the next four years.

It was a busy and fulfilling trip as I got to see several aspects behind the scenes of the human event of the Olympics, with field trips to OBS, MPC, HOC, sponsor events, and Olympic hospitality programme, as well as guests who have been in the sports industry for many years to share their experiences. This was my first time attending the Olympics and the trip helped me to get a clearer idea of what I wanted to do, thanks to Dr. Neirotti, Mr. Burns and Lisa C. for their help.

As Paris 2024 comes to a close, the official gold medal count has been finalized, reigniting discussions on social media about the correlation between Olympic gold medals and a country’s overall strength.

It is widely recognized that the Olympic gold medal table often reflects a country’s strength in economic, political, social, and cultural aspects. Countries with strong economies are more likely to invest in sports facilities and athlete development, while government policies, sports culture, and historical traditions also play crucial roles in Olympic performance. During my time in Paris, I had the opportunity to learn about the top three medalists, Team USA, and Japan’s commitment to athlete performance, which allowed me to draw some comparisons.

Team USA’s High Performance Center for Paris 2024 is located in the Paris suburb of Eaubonne. This facility is designed for approximately 450 athletes across 30 Olympic and Paralympic sports. It offers comprehensive training facilities, medical and recovery services, nutritional support, and mental health services to ensure athletes can perform at their best. The HPC includes two dedicated training gyms, a wide indoor track, outdoor sports areas such as those for triathlon and rugby, and specialized facilities for gymnastics and weightlifting. Additional amenities include a Team USA lounge, high-tech massage tables, cryotherapy chambers, and 100 sleeping rooms. The center aims to replicate a real competition environment, providing a significant advantage over the more crowded Olympic Village. By offering top-tier training and recovery resources, it gives athletes the best chance to excel at the Games.

At Japan House, I learned about the Japan Sports Council (JSC), a national organization dedicated to promoting sports throughout the country. The JSC aims to use the power of sport to contribute to society by fostering healthy and active lifestyles, from local communities to elite athletes. They are involved in constructing new sports facilities and improving existing ones, including the Japan High Performance Sports Center, which provides a world-class training environment and conducts cutting-edge research to enhance Japanese athletes’ performance. The Japan Sports Council also supports international events, athlete development, and the integrity of sports through the Sports Promotion Fund and lottery subsidies.

While the number of gold medals doesn’t tell the whole story, it is more than just a measure of sporting achievement; it also reflects a country’s influence and overall strength on the global stage.

During my time in Paris, I enjoyed visiting different exhibitions and pop-up stores between lectures and work, and Paris 2024 offered a unique opportunity to experience the city in a vibrant Olympic atmosphere. One of the most exciting events was the various Houses of Nations held in La Villette, which was transformed into a ‘Park of Nations.’ Here, countries shared their sporting history and cultural identity with visitors in their houses, as well as providing broadcasts of the games in the official language for viewers from their own countries. La Villette is the center of Olympic celebrations, where fans from all over the world gather to enjoy sports, music, and food. Each national pavilion offers visitors a glimpse into the culture and spirit of its country and hosts a variety of events to entertain and engage visitors.

French Club: €5

The French Club is the centerpiece of the French Olympic experience in La Villette, a place for French athletes and fans to celebrate their victories and share unforgettable moments. Here you can sit on the grass with your friends with food and drinks, watching the games with visiting spectators in front of the huge screens in the fan zone. The indoor pavilion area is dotted with large and small sponsor stands, showing visitors the lifestyle of France.

India House: €5, day pass

India House focuses on Indian culture and sport and is located next to the Decathlon Sports Centre of La Villette. The entrance is decorated with traditional Indian bouquets. Inside, there is a history and outlook of Indian sports, traditional techniques, and handicrafts. Visitors can taste traditional Indian cuisine, watch cultural performances, and game streams.

Canada House: €30, day pass

Located in the Tech City Pavilion, this place has various sponsors of Team Canada, which makes me feel very close to it as someone who has lived in Canada for seven years. The staff described it as “It is Canada.” It hosts events showcasing Canadian music, food, and sports, as well as a flash mob by Team Canada’s apparel sponsor, Lululemon, for fans of Team Canada to purchase.

America’s House: €325, day pass

Located in the center of Paris, Palais Brongniart is a neoclassical building originally commissioned by Napoleon I and once housed the Paris Stock Exchange. Its spectacular colonnade and beautifully decorated sculptures emphasize the building’s majesty and elegance. Now transformed into the USA House, the historic building is open to the public for the first time for non-US athletes and their families, and offers a range of activities for Team USA supporters, such as a Team USA souvenir shop, meet-and-greets with US athletes, live screenings of Olympic events, and more.

Japan House: Free, reservations required

Japan House uses two floors of the Paris Japanese Cultural Hall to showcase Team Japan for Paris 2024 and Japan’s contribution to Tokyo 2021. Visitors can participate in workshops, watch performances, and learn about the major sporting events that will take place in Japan in the coming years. Here, I finally got to experience the cardboard beds I’ve been curious about for a long time, an eco-friendly technology that was first put into use in Tokyo 2021 and continues to be used in Paris 2024. One of the most interesting booths I saw at Japan House was about the Japan Sports Council, which I’ll talk more about in my next blog.

Korea House: Free, reservations required

The Korean House for the Paris 2024 Olympics is located at the Maison de la Chimie, an international conference center in the heart of Paris. Visitors can enjoy Korean food, music, and cultural performances while learning about the history of Korean culture and Olympic representation. One of the most popular exhibits for visitors is a photo booth in collaboration with CJ, the homegrown Korean entertainment company, whose K-pop has attracted massive overseas fans lined up for taking photos.

My classmates thought that the Korean Pavilion should have added some more Olympic or sports culture elements; at the same time, some students thought that as an Olympic showcase of the country’s culture, the pavilion did not need to be planned entirely based on sports. What do you think? Do you prefer pavilions with more of a sports or Olympic element, or ones that focus more on cultural promotion?