Paris, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Olympic flame was successfully collected at the ancient Olympia site in Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic movement, on April 16, and a day later, the Paris Olympics ushered in an important moment of 100 days of countdown.
Exactly a century later, the Olympic Games are back in Paris, and the French capital will become the second city after London to host the Summer Olympics three times. Here, the connection between reality and history is everywhere, and the inheritance of Olympic history is no longer a slogan, but a vivid picture in front of us.
Actress Mary Minaj (front right), who plays the role of High Priestess, lights a tinder jar during a ceremony on April 16. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Jing
The "Games Wide Open" is a promise made by Paris – the opening ceremony planned on the Seine, the transformation of famous attractions into arenas, and the Olympic marathon track for the public to look forward to the world.
While carrying expectations, the organizing committee also faced many challenges, the first of which was security, transportation and other topics that are closely related to everyone. From French President Emmanuel Macron to Paris Olympic Organizing Committee President Tony Estanguet, they have not shied away from these objective difficulties, and have promised to seize the final sprint stage of Olympic preparations and make every effort to deliver a satisfactory answer.
Pedestrians pass by the construction site of the Olympic competition venue and grandstand on the Place de la Concorde in Paris, France, on April 2. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Gao Jing
The Olympic tradition has been passed down for 100 years
The Yves Di Manoir Stadium, located on the northwestern outskirts of Paris, will be used as a hockey stadium for the Games. The venue is significant in the history of the modern Olympic Games – 100 years ago at the 1924 Olympic Games, it was the main venue for the opening ceremony, as well as athletics, football, gymnastics and even some equestrian events.
Over the next 100 years, the stadium became home to several local football and rugby clubs. Until the Games, it was redesigned and renovated to become a modern stadium with a capacity of 14,000 (expanded to 15,000 at the time of the Games) and will host hockey matches.
There have been many stadiums that have hosted two Olympic events, but this span has been extended to a century, which is a romance that belongs to Paris and is the foundation of the city's long Olympic tradition. It is the undisputed city of fashion, culture and art, and as the hometown of Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games, it is fitting to call it a city of sports.
On March 20, spring flowers bloomed under the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Gao Jing
In 1892, Coubertin gave a speech in the auditorium of the Sorbonne in Paris, in which he publicly proposed for the first time the resumption of the Olympic Games. On June 23, 1894, it was also in this auditorium that the International Olympic Committee was officially established, opening the prelude to the modern Olympic movement.
In 1900, the Second Modern Olympic Games were held in Paris. This year's World's Fair was also held in Paris, and compared to the World Expo, which already had a wide influence at the time, the Olympic Games could only be regarded as a "baby" on the ground, so this Olympics was also held as part of the World's Fair. For that year's World Expo, France built the famous Grand Palais, which, although it bears the word "Palais Royal" in its name, is not a royal palace, but an exhibition hall.
Today, 124 years later, the trajectories of history coincide again -
The Olympic Games have long since become a sporting event for all mankind, and the Olympic spirit has been widely disseminated throughout the world. The Grand Palace, which was once an exhibition hall, will also be transformed into a gymnasium for fencing and taekwondo competitions.
The history of the Olympic Games is perfectly alive in Paris.
Renderings of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Xinhua News Agency (Photo courtesy of the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee)
The beauty of the Olympics The beauty of the city
Just last month, the Paris Organising Committee officially released the official poster for the Games. Once the souvenirs were on the market, they were almost out of stock, becoming the "most popular item of the Paris Olympics" so far.
Created by renowned French photographer Gattoni over a period of 2,000 hours, the work depicts a diverse and bustling microcosm – a massive city stadium in which Paris's landmarks are rearranged. The Eiffel Tower runs through the middle of the Stade de France, the Seine, the Arc de Triomphe, the Place de la Concorde and other symbols of Paris and France, and in addition to these iconic elements of Paris and France, the sports of the Olympic and Paralympic Games are also scattered throughout the poster.
The official poster of the Paris Olympics (left) and the official poster of the Paralympic Games taken at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, France, March 4. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Gao Jing
This is the most intuitive and vivid presentation of the vision of the Paris Olympics - a sports carnival integrated into the city.
There is no doubt that the opening ceremony planned to be held on the evening of July 26 on the Seine is the most daring and whimsical initiative of the organizing committee – a flowing feast slowly opens on the Seine in the afterglow of the sunset, and the athletes take a boat from the Austerlitz Bridge from east to west and sail 6 kilometers to the Trocadero Square on the other side of the Eiffel Tower, where they will participate in the celebrations.
Data map: On July 17, 2023, the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee held a mini rehearsal for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on the Seine River in France. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Gao Jing
From the Palace of Versailles to the Invalides, from the Place de la Concorde to the Eiffel Tower, these famous landmarks will be transformed into temporary sports fields during the games, welcoming a global audience. Renovation work is in full swing, with spectator stands being erected at the beach volleyball court under the tower and an urban sports park on Place de la Concorde.
"We are blessed to have one of the most beautiful cities in the world, so we planned from the beginning to integrate the Olympics as much as possible into the city. Paris is our stage and we will do our best to perform on this stage," Estanguet said.
Final Sprint Rise to the challenge
Since the beginning of 2024, preparations for the Paris Olympics have been on the fast track.
In terms of venue construction, the Olympic Village, La Chapelle Stadium and Water Sports Center have been delivered successively. In March, the La Chapelle Stadium also held an Olympic test match for badminton, which was praised by the athletes.
On the volunteer side, the recruitment of about 45,000 volunteers, selected from about 300,000 applicants, 20% of whom are from overseas and hundreds from China, is almost complete.
Models show off their volunteer uniforms at the Paris Olympics Volunteer Meeting on March 23. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Gao Jing
In addition, the release of posters, stamps and other Olympics-related souvenirs has set off waves of panic buying among the public. With the successful lighting of the Olympic flame and the start of the torch relay, the preparations for the Olympic Games have also ushered in the sprint stage.
"My work day is so full that I'm like a schedule full of to-dos, ticking off boxes and moving on to the next one," says Estanguet, describing his recent state.
The first torchbearer, Greek athlete and Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Stefanos Ntuscos (right), and the second torchbearer, French Olympic champion in swimming, Manodou, relay the flame on 16 April. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Marios Roros)
In an interview this week, French President Emmanuel Macron once again raised security and transportation concerns. He told the public that the level of security for the Games, especially the Opening Ceremony, would be the highest level.
"If I were to ask where the safest place in France was that day, I would say it was at the opening ceremony," Macron said.
But having the confidence to be fully prepared doesn't mean ignoring the risks. Macron also frankly told the public that if the security risks faced at that time are too high, he does not rule out the possibility of changing the location to host the opening ceremony.
"There are 100 days left and we are looking forward to it, but we have to be more cautious. There's a lot of work to be done, but it's normal to have challenges in hosting such a major multi-sport event, and what we have to do is face them and find ways to solve them," Estanguet said.
The countdown to the Olympics under the Eiffel Tower has been pointed to 100 days. Soon, the Olympic rings will also be installed on the tower. The world is waiting to see what kind of answer Paris will hand over this summer.
This is the countdown to the Olympic Games photographed at the foot of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, on April 16. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Gao Jing