The Paris Olympics began with soccer matches on Wednesday, two days before the grand opening ceremony. As over 10,000 athletes prepare for the Games, the first events featured Spain’s men’s team playing against Uzbekistan at the Parc des Princes and Argentina facing Morocco in Saint-Etienne.
Argentina’s match was marred by boos from the crowd, linked to a controversial video featuring a song deemed “racist and discriminatory” by the French Football Federation.
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At halftime, Morocco was leading 1-0.
The start of the Paris Games was overshadowed by a scandal involving video footage that led Charlotte Dujardin, Britain’s most decorated female Olympian, to withdraw. The video shows Dujardin repeatedly whipping a horse’s legs, which International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Veterinarian Director Goran Akerstrom condemned as unacceptable in horse training.
As the first post-pandemic Summer Olympics, Paris 2024 follows the largely spectator-less 2020 Tokyo Games, which were postponed due to COVID. Meanwhile, three additional Australian women’s water polo players tested positive for COVID, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to five, according to Olympic team chief Anna Meares.
Security
Later in the day, six more men’s soccer games were scheduled, including a match between hosts France and the United States at 9pm. France, the 1984 Olympic soccer champions in Los Angeles, is facing heightened security concerns due to geopolitical tensions, including Israel’s ongoing conflict in Gaza. Israel’s match against Mali at the same time will be a key security test for the Games, with thousands of police officers deployed by France.
Additionally, Rugby Sevens was featured on Wednesday, with French star Antoine Dupont boosting hopes for a gold medal after their disappointing XVs World Cup performance last year. France’s Rugby Sevens team is set to play against the US at 4:30pm and Uruguay at 8pm.
Handball and archery will make their debut at the Paris Games on Thursday, followed by shooting on Friday. Additionally, the Games will feature their inaugural opening ceremony outside a stadium, with floating parades of athletes and artists on the River Seine.
Doping Issues
Concerns about doping and its regulations reemerged on Wednesday. Ysaora Thibus, a top contender for gold in the foil fencing event, is currently part of the French Olympic team, but she may face the possibility of losing any medals due to a pending appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) involving the 32-year-old athlete.
American swimming star Katie Ledecky expressed hope that athletes will compete fairly at the Paris Olympics, amid controversy surrounding a doping case with Chinese swimmers.
WADA President Witold Banka cautioned that the United States might face isolation from global sports if it challenges the uniformity of international anti-doping regulations over the Chinese case.
In security news, French police have apprehended a Russian individual suspected of attempting to disrupt the Olympics, potentially through disinformation or other forms of attack, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office.
Winter Games
On Wednesday, the International Olympic Committee conditionally selected France as the host for the 2030 Winter Games, pending the provision of crucial financial guarantees in the coming months. Meanwhile, Salt Lake City was awarded the 2034 Winter Olympics.
For the summer Games, organizers have promised that Friday’s opening ceremony will be an adventurous and celebratory event, with security provided by 45,000 police officers and additional military personnel.
The ceremony will feature dozens of boats transporting athletes and performers along a 6km stretch of the Seine River.
Details about the event, including some of the participating artists and who will carry the torch and light the Olympic cauldron, remain undisclosed. However, Canadian singer Celine Dion’s recent appearance in Paris has sparked speculation about her potential involvement in the ceremony. French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera suggested that Dion’s presence in the city is deliberate.
