The 2024 Olympics in Paris was the third time the city has hosted the Olympics, the previous time being in 1924. The 1924 Olympics formed the basis for the film Chariots of Fire, with the main stadium being the Stade du Colombe which, although heavily modified, was used for hockey 100 years later. Paris used either existing stadiums or modified locations for events; some not in Paris, with the furtheset away being Tahiti for surfing. This approach enabled the city to show many of its amazing assets and consequently was a great showcase for the city as a whole. Despite scepticism over the ability of the city to deliver, including transport and the water quality of the Seine, those Parisians remaining in the city were joyful and welcoming and the city looked at its best.

We attended athletics, hockey, waterpolo and the men’s marathon; each event was staged with flair and creativity. The begining of each event was marked with a celebrity making three knocks to the ground with a ceremonial stick (a brigidier), based upon a French theatrical tradition, to gain the attention of the audience.

One of the highlights, which summed up the atmosphere and feeling was 70,000 people in the Stade de France standing and applauding to support Megan Keith of the UK finishing the 10,000m having been lapped by the rest of the field but persevering to finish before collapsing in the arms of teammates.