Thomas Bach, outgoing president of the IOC, expressed his gratitude to Paris for making the City of Light shine brighter than ever before. “What a magnificent stage this was,” he said. “Millions of people in iconic venues created an overwhelming atmosphere.”
There was, deservedly, a giant groan throughout the building as Bach hailed the Games as “Seine-sational”. It was the last such message that Bach would impart. He has agreed to step down as the most powerful executive in global sport next year, with Lord Sebastian Coe emerging as a prime candidate to replace him.
Bach’s soaring oratory could not mask the troubled chapters, from the triathletes who came down with E.Coli due to river pollution to the barely believable decision to permit Steven van de Velde, a convicted child rapist, to compete in beach volleyball for the Netherlands. But the magic trick of the Olympics is that the wonder almost always drowns out the wretchedness. And this instalment will be remembered, ultimately, for the transformative effect it wrought in both the city and the country. In every session, in every sport, the French cheered their athletes and sung La Marseillaise with a rare, palpable fervour. As Tony Estanguet, the head of Paris 2024, put it: “The whole of France became Olympic.”
For the British team, there were conflicting sensations. In terms of total medals, they ranked third with 65, behind only the United States and China, but the haul of 14 golds was substantially down on the three straight 20-plus hauls since London 2012. Still, the collective accomplishment drew unconditional royal approval.
The King wrote: “Your achievements, across so many disciplines, were forged from that invaluable combination of raw talent, true grit and hard toil over many years, burnished these past weeks by sportsmanship and team spirit in the finest tradition of the Games. To those who missed out on the greatest prizes, you have most certainly not fallen short in the pride that you, too, have generated for your nations. I can only say that you have all been an inspiration.”
Paris has produced the same unforgettable effect. For all the cynical machinations of those who run the Olympic movement, the 2024 Games have served as a salutary reminder of the sheer, transcendent beauty of sport.