If there is a lesson to countries like India, it is to focus on schools, develop a competitive sports program within its army, and copy Australia’s Institute for Sport
On Saturday morning I got up early to run the first and last parts of the Olympic marathon course, a few hours before the actual race. The course joins the most memorable parts of Paris with Versailles and is consistent with the spirit of the two-week Games in showing the accessibility of the city and its magnificence.
I have spent much of the past two weeks at the Games, mostly at the rowing, athletics and other endurance events like triathlon and bike (my favourite performances were Cork’s Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy –in the men’s lightweight sculls, Cassandre Beaugrand in the women’s triathlon, and the USA’s Grant Fisher in the 10,000m).
Once the security-driven tension of the opening passed, Paris relaxed and blossomed, and I think it is fair to say that the Games have been a huge success for Paris, France and the morale of the French people (their morale always needs boosting, their self-regard not so).
The success of the Games is a sharp contrast to the mood one month ago, when the country was confronted with the possibility that Jordan Bardella might be prime minister during the Games. Yet, Bardella has now effectively disappeared from public view. The question now is whether the success of the Games will colour the process of the formation of a new government?
My hunch is that it makes a government led by either the far left and far right less likely, and points to a preference for a centrist government – which I think is predicated on a split in the NFP left coalition (coming once they all return from holidays). I do not think that Emmanuel Macron’s reputation will be vastly enhanced by the Games, but they could be decisive in the race for mayor of Paris (Anne Hildago might opt to stand again, against the likes of Rachida Dati and Clement Beaune).
One reason that the atmosphere in Paris seemed so relaxed is that most of the Parisians left the city.
In my experience one motivation for this is that, unlike say England, there is no ‘sports culture’ in France (at least in the realms of the upper and middle classes). Achievement in sports is something for people in the regions, or the suburbs.
