The Paris Olympics with a twist

Article/Blessing CALD Editorial；Photo/Internet

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The Paris Olympics are now in full swing, with the 2024 Paris Olympics marking the 100th year since 1900 and 1924, and the third time in the history of France that the city has hosted a summer Olympics. This year’s Opening Ceremony will certainly go down in history: the traditional stadium ceremony will be replaced by an open-air flotilla of boats on the Seine, and the much-anticipated return of five-time Grammy Award winner Liliane Dion will be full of surprises.

French romance and relaxation

From the moment it was announced that the ceremonies would be held outdoors instead of in stadiums, the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games was destined to be different: free, romantic, multifaceted and unrestricted. For the first time in the history of the Games, the opening ceremony was not held in a stadium: on the evening of July 26th, the 33rd Summer Olympic Games opened in Paris, France. With the French flag painted in pyrotechnics on the Austerlitz Bridge and a huge cloud of blue, white and red floating over the city, an unprecedented parade of 85 boats filled with athletes set off from under the bridge.

As the boats skimmed the river, streets and iconic buildings, performances blending classical and modern, traditional and avant-garde took place. The treasures of French art and culture were presented to the audience in a variety of whimsical ways, interpreting the contemporary spirit of “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité” in a way that was both immersive and infectious. The most sacred moment of the opening ceremony was when the female singers and choir sang the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, in tribute to the great women who have dedicated themselves to the women’s rights movement in French history. The Opening Ceremony reserved this solemn and serene moment for the great women of history, and is a manifestation of the Olympic Games’ commitment to “respecting the power of women and promoting gender equality”.

The Seine was filled with stars and illusions, and the Opening Ceremony, held along its banks, was drenched in rainwater, breaking the mold. Not since Helsinki in 1952 has it rained on the opening ceremony of any other summer Olympics, but despite the weather, optimism soared as the performances went on, living up to the Parisian motto of “Never Sink”. Crowds still filled the banks of the Seine and the bridges, and some gathered on balconies to watch with gasps and cheers. Every Olympics is different, and this one was very French. The ceremonies began with great solemnity and splendor. As the rain started to pour down and time went on, everything became more lively and fun, like an open-air party for all.

Laziness, relaxation, romance …… France’s labeling is a desire, and the opening ceremony undoubtedly proved it. In fact, this is closely related to the country’s system and philosophy of life. mid-July to the end of August, is a period of French people concentrated vacation. The Olympics did not prevent Parisians from traveling to the south of France, Spain, Italy and other sunny places with beaches. Therefore, after July 15, the busy streets of Paris were mostly filled with tourists. The locals who stayed in the suburban neighborhoods of Paris were mostly tending to their gardens, working out, strolling, walking their children, walking their dogs, running, biking and barbecuing, as if the Olympics had nothing to do with them.

The Olympic Spirit of Never Giving Up

At the end of the Opening Ceremony last weekend, as the giant balloon carrying the Olympic flame rose into the night sky, Celine Dion performed French chanson singer Piaf’s legendary “Ode to Love” beneath the five rings of the Eiffel Tower. It was the first time the French-Canadian singer had returned to the stage since being diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder, also known as Rigid Person Syndrome. After suffering and battling with the disease, Celine Dion sings with her still beautiful and powerful voice on the world’s stage, delivering the gift of life, a spirit that matches the spirit of the Olympics.

In an interview in April, Celine Dion said she was learning to live with Stiff Person’s Syndrome through exercise, physical and vocal therapy five days a week to help manage her symptoms. Celine Dion said she had two choices; train like an athlete and work very hard, or just shut down and end it all, stay at home, listen to her own songs, stand in front of a mirror and sing by herself. At the time, Celine Dion was reluctant to comment on whether she would (or could) return to the stage, but she was adamant that she would continue to try, “One thing that never stops is the will. That’s passion. That’s the dream. That’s determination.”

Previously, Celine Dion said her goal was to “see the Eiffel Tower again,” and she not only did just that at the Olympic opening ceremony, but she also gave a spectacular performance in a white beaded dress adorned with tassels on the historic landmark’s first stage. Her return was an exciting conclusion to the opening of a showcase of French art, culture, history and society, and a sign that this singer-songwriter suffering from a rare disease is rising above the pain and dedicating herself to becoming the best version of herself, and that the spirit of the Olympics is slowly unfolding in a way that will move the world.

Celine Dion also sang “The Power of Dreams” at the opening ceremony of the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. Her appearance at the Paris Olympics will mark her return to the stage after her July 2019 performance in London. Behind the perfect performance, Celine Dion’s recovery from a strange illness is also very difficult to imagine. It’s no wonder that some have commented that Celine Dion should have won the first gold medal of the Olympics. “If I can’t run, I’ll walk. If I can’t walk, I’ll crawl, but I’m not going to stop.” There could be no more Olympic story of extraordinary effort against overwhelming odds.

A Different Kind of Olympics

The reason why the Olympic Games have evolved from a regional religious festival to the most influential event in the world is that, for more than a hundred years, all the participants have actively inherited the original ideology of “education” and “internationality” in the thinking system of the Olympic Movement of Gulbadan. Now that the shadow of the epidemic has lifted, people are still looking forward to the Olympic Games as a beacon of hope for more open answers to common human challenges such as regional conflicts, gender equality and climate change. After a century, Paris is once again buzzing with the Olympic Games. The Olympic Games have also welcomed a long-awaited audience to Paris, ending two consecutive years of empty stadiums forced by epidemics.

If Greece is the mother of the Olympics, then France is the eldest daughter of the Olympics. Christopher said, before, France has organized a total of five summer and winter Olympic Games, contributed to many Olympic history of innovation. Whether it is in the Seine River to host the opening ceremony, in landmarks and other open space to watch the Olympic Games, or the public can be selected to participate in the marathon, have made the Olympic Games into a completely open field, in line with the definition of the Paris Olympics motto “to make the Olympic Games more open”. Bold, ambitious and different from previous Games. These are the high-frequency words used by Paris OCOG officials to describe this year’s Games, demonstrating the ambition and consensus of a country with deep Olympic roots to influence the future of the Olympic Games.

At the Opening Ceremony, a cluster of laser beams lit up the Eiffel Tower, awakening memories of the Olympic Games from a century ago and spreading Olympic fever to 3,473 streets, 544 squares and 373 avenues in Paris. …… For more than a hundred years, the Olympic Games have been like a compendium of the development of human civilization, showcasing in the name of sport the human body, its limits, scientific and technological progress, and civilization, as well as the development of the world. In the name of sports, the Olympic Games have demonstrated the eternal pursuit of human limits, technological progress, and the wisdom of civilization. The Olympic Games originated in the West, but with the development of the Olympic Games around the world and the popularization of the Olympic spirit, the Olympic Games have become a platform for the complementary coexistence of global cultural diversity and differences. Especially nowadays, with the intensification of geopolitical conflicts and the prevalence of national self-protectionism, the Olympic Games, which can bring the people of the world together, will play a positive role in the stability and unity of the world.

Unlike previous Olympics, which pursued a medal list, the Paris Olympics proved that it is not only an arena for competition, but also a “meeting” for making friends. More and more athletes are showing up at the Olympics to join in the intense atmosphere of competition and to share their sense of relaxation. They not only represent the iterative change of the young generation of athletes’ outlook on sports, but also promote the emergence of skateboarding, surfing, breakdancing, rock climbing, and other sports that are highly respected by the young people. This year’s Olympic Games will inevitably be marked by the Olympic Games’ brand of “change”, promoting sports that are more urbanized, younger, more equal, more inclusive and more sustainable.

The Olympic Games in History
According to Greek legend, Heculus, the god of power, started the competition on Mount Olympus every four years after winning the competition among the gods. However, the first recorded Olympic Games were held in 776 B.C., with representatives from all Greek city-states participating in the event, which became a competition for honor among the city-states. At that time, there was only a sprinting competition, with a length of 192.27 meters, which was known as the distance of a Stadion, or 600 times the length of Hercules’ feet, and later became the Stadium, or Sports Arena. Later, boxing, wrestling, ancient Greek combat, track and field, long jump, javelin throwing, discus and other sports were added, and the competition was changed from one day to five days, with offerings to the gods and feasts. On the first day of competition, 100 oxen are slaughtered and offered to Zeus, the father of the gods. The winners of the Olympic events were rewarded with wreaths of olive branches and honors. It is important to note that during the Olympic Games, the city-states were not at war with each other, and over time, the olive branch became a symbol of peace. Thus, although the Olympic Games are now a sporting event for all nations, the main spirit of the games is still world peace. However, in 393, the Roman Emperor Theodosius I banned the Olympic Games because he considered them to be a “pagan event”.
The German Curzius spent years excavating the ancient Greek village of Olympia. In January 1852, he read the report of his expedition in Berlin and recommended that the Olympic Games be restored. The French educator Pierre de Goubertin, honored as the “Father of Modern Olympics,” expanded the scope to the whole world in 1892 at the Sorbonne. The Olympic Games have been held every four years since 1896, with the sixth (1916), twelfth (1940) and thirteenth (1944) not being held due to the war, but the number of years is still in order.
The first Olympic Games were held in Athens, and it was established that different cities around the world would bid to host the Games. 1904 saw the third Olympic Games held in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, which at the time was a center of shipping and transportation, but over time, St. Louis has a population of only 300,000 and is not considered to be a major metropolis. The 10th Olympics were held in Los Angeles in 1932, and the next Olympics, in 2028, were held in Los Angeles. 1936 was the Olympic Games in Berlin, where Germany won the most gold medals, and the Olympics became the focus of Hitler’s “Aryan superiority” campaign, and in 1954, the IOC apologized for choosing Berlin for that year. In 1954, the IOC apologized for choosing Berlin for the Games. The 1940 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, were canceled due to World War II, and it was not until 1964 that the Games were held in Tokyo for the first time.
In 2008, China hosted its first Olympic Games in Beijing, marking China’s emergence as a major world power, with a grand opening ceremony that no other country can match to this day. Melbourne, Australia hosted the first Olympic Games in the southern hemisphere in 1956, and many of the Olympic venues of that year are still major sports facilities in Melbourne. Sydney hosted the Olympic Games in 2000, the first time in the 21st century. Brisbane was successful in its bid to host the 2032 Olympics, and preparations for the Games are now underway in Queensland.
The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, held every four years, has become an opportunity for host governments to showcase their country’s successes and characteristics to the world. However, the number of medals won by each country has also become an important indicator for some countries. For this reason, these ten days or so of the Olympic Games have become the center of attraction for the world’s attention.