There has been plenty for the rest of us to enjoy too, from Cindy Ngamba winning the Refugee Team its first ever medal to Novak Djokovic adding Olympic gold to 24 grand slam titles. And for Britons, there was the sight of Keely Hodgkinson electrifying the track, Toby Roberts tearing up the climbing wall and Tom Pidcock employing ridiculous daring on the mountain bike course.4/5
London
For British tastes, nothing will ever top 2012. Andy Murray winning the tennis, Chris Hoy dominating the velodrome and Super Saturday: come on, there was joy and delight at every turn. 5/5
Fan experience
Paris
Unlike Germany, where the train system collapsed under the pressure of staging the Euros earlier in the summer, the Parisian public transport has been a model of brisk efficiency. Moreover, lessons were learned from the wretched mistakes made when the Champions League final was staged at the Stade de France in 2022. This time getting in and out of stadiums has been smooth and easy, security evident but not overwhelming. And while the signage was not always helpful and volunteers seemed initially unaware of venue layouts, any issues were quickly ironed out.
The informal Olympic Park around the closed-off, traffic-free, Champs Elysees has teamed day and night with high spirited tourists collectively gawping at the splendour all around them. Indeed, in a country which only recently banned sizable public gatherings on the street for fear they might turn into a riot, nobody minded as huge crowds lined the streets around the Tuileries Gardens at 9.45pm every evening to watch the balloon with the Olympic flame rise up. The one caveat has been the catering: for a nation that prides itself on its cuisine, the food available at venues has been execrable. 5/5
London
The manner in which spectators were spun away from the Olympic stadium by quick, fast, efficient trains was a marvellous riposte to the naysayers who predicted public transport would prove a national embarrassment. Amid the wild flower beds of the Olympic Park, there were bandstands and entertainers and big screens showing the action from elsewhere, turning the place into a joyous tourist destination. But the food was rubbish. 4/5
Legacy
Paris
The decision not to build any new structures (apart from an aquatic centre that they didn’t use for the swimming) has meant, unlike Athens or Rio, there will be no white elephant buildings hanging around to remind everyone of the staggering cost of staging the Games. Perhaps the most significant legacy has been in France’s attitude to itself.