July 26, 2024
PARIS — Bonjour! July 27, 1924. This was the date (100 years ago tomorrow) when the Closing Ceremony of the last Paris Olympics was held. Today, July 26, 2024, it’s the Opening Ceremony. Befitting an event that’s a century in the making, it will be the first Olympics not to be held inside the stadium — but along the River Seine.
Imagine 300,000 spectators — including my fellow Cebuano tennis player, Malone Aradillos, who’ll be attending the Opening with his family — watching a never-before-seen spectacle.
My wife Jasmin, daughter Jana and I arrived in “The City of Light” last Wednesday. We were greeted by large billboards emblazoned with “Paris 2024” logos. The five Olympic rings hung atop the Terminal 1 building. At the Charles de Gaulle airport, we stood beside Olympians from Austria.
SECURITY. Because we could not secure Opening Ceremony tickets (or crazy enough to pay 1,000 Euro each), I did the next best thing: I planned to run along the Seine the day before the Opening.
Yesterday at 6 a.m., I did my early morning workout by strolling towards Notre Dame. I imagined the thousands of Olympians parading and riding their boats along the Seine.
But, no, security here is incredibly strict. Upon arrival at CDG airport, you’re met with dozens of armed security personnel. We saw many in military fatigues carrying high-powered firearms as we walked near Centre Pompidou and headed towards the Louvre (which we couldn’t get to). The security force here is staggering: 45,000 policemen, 20,000 private security guards and a 10,000-strong detachment of soldiers — reportedly the largest military gathering in Paris since World War II.
When I tried to go near the River Seine, I could not. There are barriers installed and a perimenter blockade restricting entry. Paris developed SILT (translated into Strengthening Internal Security and the Fight Against Terrorism) that divide areas into zones (red, gray, etc), restricting entry before the Opening Ceremony unless you have a Pass Jeux.
DANCESPORT. If Cebu City became the first Palaro city in 64 editions to host Dancesport, there is also one sport that Paris 2024 will unveil: Breakdancing. Yes, for those who grew up in the 1970s and 80s, this was our “sport.” Dancing to the tune of my favorite breakdance song, “Rockit” by Herbie Hancock, we would strut, drop to the ground, balance, swirl, kick or do a headstand. The “Breaking” Olympic competition will have two events, 16 “B-Boys” and 16 “B-Girls,” and will be one of 32 sports to be played in Paris with a total of 329 medal events. “Breakdance” will join the new sports introduced in Tokyo that include sport climbing, surfing and skateboarding, the sport of our own, Margielyn Didal.
GENDER EQUALITY. Another first in Olympic history: there will be the same number of women and men competing in Paris. There are 206 countries that will be represented and an estimated 10,500 athletes. This number will be equally divided: 5,250 women and 5,250 men. Talk about fair play. Bien joué, Paris!
