It could be like the opening minutes of a superstar concert. Standing in front of their seats warmed by the scorching sun, 13,000 spectators are getting ready to welcome their new idol at the Parc des Champions, a stadium built for the Olympic Games in the middle of the Trocadéro gardens, in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. For those lucky enough to arrive early enough to find a place in the stands, the view is breathtaking: the stage welcoming the athletes faces the majestic Eiffel Tower, lit by the golden reflections of the late afternoon, while the Palais Chaillot serves as a luxurious backdrop for the artists’ entrance. For the spectators who crowd into the pit, the spectacle is no less magical: without having paid a cent, they will be able to almost touch the international athletes who will parade just a few meters away.
The music goes up a notch, and on the giant screens, the face of Léon Marchand finally appears. The crowd exults. The 22-year-old, who won four gold medals in four days during the swimming events of this first week of the Olympics, rushes from the wings with a broad smile on his face. The Toulouse native is no longer the shy swimmer of the first days of the competition: sunglasses on his nose, he takes possession of the stage bare-chested, cheered by the public. Quickly joined by the other members of the French team – who have also taken off their shirts -, the Blues will thrill the supporters, who religiously begin a “clapping” launched by Florent Manaudou. The French flag bearer tries to answer the host’s questions, but his intervention is masked by the “Florent” chanted by the spectators, which quickly give way to the first notes of The Marseillaise. “King Leon” is also widely acclaimed by his fans, who thunderously chant “Thank you Leon” throughout his speech.
On stage, swimming legend Michael Phelps, who opened the ceremony a few minutes earlier, also shows his admiration for the young swimmer, raising his arm to the photographers and cameras in victory. Alongside them, the equally celebrated silver medalist in the women’s 1,500-meter freestyle Anastasiia Kirpichnikova lends herself to the selfie game, willingly posing to the rhythm of the Olympic anthem or the Gala music, Freed from desire. In the stands, Louis is won over. “For me, swimming is the best sport of the Olympics. And seeing these legendary athletes here, just a few meters away from me and completely free, is magical!” comments this Parisian, who came to cheer on the French with his partner. For his neighbor Julie, who also lives in the capital, the opportunity was too good to miss: “I came for the Olympic atmosphere, to enjoy this incredible setting, and to see our new star,” she says, pointing to Léon Marchand. Two weeks ago, the young woman had never heard of the swimmer, and did not know the ten athletes who will take turns on stage to celebrate their victory. “But honestly, the Olympics made me want to watch more competitions, and to take a little more interest in sport!” she admits with a smile.
“It allows us to have our little piece of the Olympics”
The Francilienne is not the only one to have been seduced by the effervescent atmosphere of the competition in the streets of Paris. Every afternoon since July 29, the same ballet has been repeated around the Place du Trocadéro. When the Parc des Champions opens, thousands of tourists, sports fans or simply curious onlookers begin to pour in, around 4 p.m., from the metro entrances or adjacent streets. Proudly wearing the flag, jersey or colors of their nation, they advance at a hurry, determined to pay tribute to the athletes who have thrilled them during the previous 24 or 48 hours. Places are rare, and many latecomers express their frustration when volunteers refuse them access to the gardens: the capacity is limited to 13,000 spectators, and the first come, first served. In the line leading to the temporary stadium, Italian, Serbian, British and Portuguese accents mingle with the comments of French people still blown away by the performance of Léon Marchand, or captivated by the performances of judoka Teddy Riner.
Every evening, the deserted stands fill up in a matter of minutes with a motley, international crowd, fired up by the hosts and volunteers. The day before, Monday July 5, Alexandre was already losing his voice before the festivities even began. After three days of closure, the Parc des Champions has just reopened, and this twenty-something is determined to party. “The atmosphere here is fantastic, 13,000 people screaming, dancing, singing, applauding the sport… I didn’t want to miss it for the world,” he confides to L’Express. Aline, a mother of three who came specially from Pas-de-Calais, is equally happy. “We weren’t able to see any of the events because the tickets were way too expensive. So this allows us to have our own little piece of the Olympics, so that the children can remember this historic event,” she pleads, waving a fan. It’s over 30 degrees, and the family has been waiting for 3 p.m. in hopes of getting seats.
At 5:30 p.m., the opening show can finally begin: at the beginning of this week, 30 dancers led by choreographer Mourad Merzouki arrive on stage, and perform figures, perched on stilts, on roller skates or on BMX. Waves cross the ranks of the audience, while flags of all colors wave in anticipation of the upcoming parade. The Norwegian Markus Rooth, gold medalist in the decathlon that took place the previous Saturday, is the first to open the show. Then, to the applause of the audience, the tennis player Novak Djokovic makes his entrance, provoking screams from the audience. Angela has tears in her eyes: this young 20-year-old Serbian, who has been living in Paris for a few months, would never have believed she would see her idol “in real life”. “Never in my life would I have been able to afford tickets to Roland-Garros, and we don’t know yet what his career will be like. Seeing him here, being able to applaud him, it’s a unique opportunity!” she exclaims, waving her flag in her country’s colours. Around her, the spectators tirelessly chant the name of “Djoko”, himself carried away by the emotions of the public. “You have been the most incredible support in the world, you have crazy energy”, underlines the gold medallist, before going backstage to the song by Queen We will rock yousung in chorus by 13,000 voices.
In an electric atmosphere, the cyclists Valentin Madouas and Christophe Laporte, respectively silver and bronze medallists, the bronze medallist archer Lisa Barbelin, and the French judo team, led by Teddy Riner, take turns. When the five-time Olympic gold medallist appears – including three individually – the shouts redouble: the champion was not announced in the evening’s programme. “But it’s Teddy, he’s here! He’s come!” exclaims Myriam. The Parisian woman raises her voice, launches a wave, a Marseillaise. “We must honor her as she deserves, she’s a bit like our new Marianne, our new national symbol!” she shouts without taking her eyes off the athlete. In front of the Eiffel Tower, the Blues put on a show, igniting the crowd by launching dance battles or songs in honor of Joan-Benjamin Gaba. Myriam is won over. “France is magical, it’s a real success! I’m blown away,” she confides as she watches the sun set over the Trocadéro. If she can, she’ll come back tomorrow. To cheer on “Léon, Florent and all the others.”