Paris Olympics Struggles to Unify Amidst Glitz and Glamour

The 2024 Paris Olympics have so far presented a dichotomy — a chic and beautiful event, yet one that at times has felt a little atomised and disconnected. Sport remains a powerful intoxicant, and there have been some wonderful moments of celebration, particularly for the host nation.

The men's rugby sevens victory was greeted with unbridled delight, with French players still engaged in an unceasing party, even spotted dancing in sunglasses in Ibiza. The opening ceremony was a slick and persuasive TV advert for Paris itself. And the triathlon event was a wonderful spectacle, though it also felt like a mashup of ominous pollution bulletins and a super-shiny Netflix series.

Yet beyond these moments of national pride, there has been a vague sense of being a guest at someone else's party, a background filler in the grand scheme of things. France has been hogging the karaoke, disco-dancing in the center of the lighted floor, and generally having the time of its sporting life.

The Games thus far have been grand, exhilarating, and unusually light and sustainable in their staging. But the big moments have mainly been Francophone, leaving some observers to wonder if the true spirit of unity and global sportsmanship has been lost amidst the glitz and glamour.

Sport has the power to transcend borders and bring the world together. The hope is that as the Paris Olympics progress, more of those unifying moments will emerge, reminding us all of the true purpose and magic of the Olympic movement.

Paris Olympics Ignites French Passion, but Risks Fading Amid Divisions

The 2024 Paris Olympics have so far been a glorious midsummer swoon for the host nation, as evidenced by the rapturous reception for swimmer Léon Marchand's double gold medal triumph at La Défense Arena on Wednesday. The front page of France's prestigious newspaper Le Monde gushed about the moment, describing it as one where "time stands still" and Marchand "knocks on the door of history.

This outpouring of national pride is understandable. France, a country otherwise in political stasis, caught between prime ministers and grappling with the rise of its far-right, is now flying flags out of car windows and gorging itself on a sense of patriotic fervor. The Olympics, after all, are designed to create these emotions, with huge amounts of money spent to engender a spontaneous sense of wellbeing.

However, the danger is that these feelings may prove fleeting, fading with the summer leaves as the Games progress. London 2012 also witnessed a joyful and patriotic atmosphere, but it too eventually dissipated. Sport's power as an intoxicant is undeniable, but the true test will be whether Paris 2024 can sustain this national unity and enthusiasm.

For now, the only surefire winner after the first week has been the International Olympic Committee itself, which desperately needed a successful Games to re-establish its rhythm after the fever dream of Tokyo. The event has delivered color, light, and a sense of scale, but two key elements remain as Paris clicks into week two.

The first is whether the host nation can maintain its fervent support and feeling of national purpose. The second is whether the Games can transcend France's own political and social divisions to truly unite the world in the spirit of sportsmanship and global community. As the Olympics progress, these will be the true measures of Paris 2024's lasting legacy.

Unifying the Paris Olympics Beyond Host Nation Fervor

For the 2024 Paris Olympics to truly be considered great, they must do more than just speak to the pre-converted or pump up the patriotic fervor of the host nation. The legend of the Olympic Games is built on moments of exceptional competition, a sense that what we witness is the pinnacle of sporting achievement.

The middle-aged NBC subscriber base may already possess that shared folk memory of the Olympics' grandeur. However, a pre-Games survey by EduBirdie suggested that almost 90% of the UK's Gen Z demographic had never watched a single minute of the Olympics, and one in three wouldn't even notice if the Games were cancelled altogether.

While this may be an alarmist view — after all, a large portion of people in their 20s tend to be disengaged from many mainstream institutions and events — the International Olympic Committee should still be concerned. If this unwieldy, essentially quite strange event is to remake its mark among a more diffuse and youthful audience, two key things need to happen.

Firstly, there needs to be a genuine sense of overlap and unity across the various Olympic disciplines and venues. Wonderful moments of national celebration aside, Paris 2024 has felt a little atomised so far. This is partly a function of the sprawling nature of the different event locations, but it also speaks to a deeper existential issue. The Olympics are, at their core, an idea — a collection of separate elements like "horse dancing" and "pole vault" that need to be actively bound into a cohesive, singular entity.

Secondly, the Games must deliver on the promise of sporting ultimacy — those transcendent moments of competition that captivate not just the traditional Olympic audience, but also engage the younger generations who may be more skeptical or disconnected. If Paris 2024 can achieve this, then it has a chance of remaking the legend of the Olympic movement for a new era.

The challenge is clear. The host nation's fervor is wonderful to behold, but for these Olympics to be truly great, they must move beyond simply preaching to the converted. Unifying the disparate events and delivering on the promise of athletic excellence are key to sparking a renewed global passion for the Games.

The Divided Spectacle of the Paris Olympics

The 2024 Paris Olympics have, at times, felt like a series of excellent events taking place simultaneously, often divided along distinct national lines. This Balkanization of the Games is a concerning trend that threatens to undermine the spirit of global unity and sportsmanship.

For example, on Tuesday lunchtime, the South Paris Arena hosted a brilliant and notably East Asian table tennis final, with China's domestic stars cheered on by a large Chinese crowd. That same evening, the women's team gymnastics final at Bercy Arena was an overwhelmingly American affair, with rippling American flags and a celebrity-filled American contingent, including Bill Gates and Spike Lee, in the seats.

Even the media areas have been dominated by the distinct "hive structures" of national broadcasters, each with their own well-groomed presenters protected at all costs, while everyone else scrambles for coffee and moans in the corridors.

This Balkanization is the general direction of travel, and it poses a real risk. Watching the BBC for too long, for instance, can lead to "powerfully nauseating waves of jingoism." The same can be said for the coverage of other national broadcasters, like NBC, which is laser-focused on creating American stars for American audiences.

China's newspaper coverage, meanwhile, is distinctly devoted to analyzing the emotions of its athletes in oddly generic terms, seemingly disconnected from the broader Olympic narrative.

The Olympics are, at their core, meant to be a global celebration of unity and sportsmanship. However, the divisive nature of the Paris Games threatens to undermine this fundamental principle. If left unchecked, this trend towards Balkanization could erode the very foundation upon which the Olympic movement is built.

Moving forward, the organizers of the Paris Olympics must find ways to foster a greater sense of interconnectedness and shared experience across the various national contingents. Only then can the true spirit of the Games be fully realized and celebrated on the world stage.

The Nuanced Nationalism of the Paris Olympics

As the 2024 Paris Olympics unfold, an interesting overlap has emerged in the media coverage of the event. While China is often portrayed in Western media as a relentless sports machine, the reality of its coverage has been relatively sober. In contrast, there is a far more energetic strain of sporting nationalism in the United States and United Kingdom, with journalists "literally shrieking" when American stars like Simone Biles enter a room, and British outlets portraying their heavily funded high-performance programs as underdog triumphs.

In this sense, the differences in national sporting cultures are more a matter of degree than kind. The US, UK, and other nations are essentially engaging in the same game of anointing their own "world queens and kings," just in different rooms and registers. It's a nuanced form of nationalism that deserves closer examination.

One area where the Paris Olympics could benefit from is a little more open rivalry, particularly between the traditional powerhouses of the United States and China. On paper, the medal table race between these two superpowers is the big one-two narrative. Yet, to date, they have only gone head-to-head in two events, with a relatively muted showdown.

Genuine rivalries are, in fact, quite rare at the Olympics. Peak athletes in the same event for just two weeks every four years requires a complex web of variables to align. But when they do occur, they often produce some of the most memorable moments in Olympic history — from Daley Thompson vs. Jürgen Hingsen, to Mary Decker and Zola Budd, to the iconic "Miracle on Ice" between the United States and Soviet Union.

As the Paris Games progress, the hope is that more of these compelling head-to-head showdowns will emerge, transcending the nationalistic fervor and bringing the world together in genuine sporting drama. It is in these moments of open and honest rivalry that the true spirit of the Olympics can be most powerfully felt.

The Pursuit of Medals Over Rivalries at the Paris Olympics

In recent times, the high-performance culture surrounding the Olympics has, in part, contributed to a sense of nations enjoying their own separate Games. Both the United States and China have established "Dream Teams" in certain disciplines, such as diving for China, where they excel and dominate. This has led to a stultifying dynamic where the focus is on maximizing medal tallies rather than fostering genuine, exciting rivalries.

The US, for example, even produces its own version of the medal table, or "medal count," ensuring they finish at the top, which differs from the rest of the world's interpretation and the official IOC rankings, which have China leading on gold medals.

The lack of obvious US-China face-offs in marquee events like track and field — usually the most unifying and visceral week of any Olympics — is a notable absence. However, there are still some tantalizing individual matchups on the horizon, such as Femke Bol vs. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in the women's 400m hurdles and Jakob Ingebrigtsen vs. Josh Kerr in the men's 1500m. The showdown between the Jamaican and US women in the sprints also holds the potential for electrifying drama.

Ultimately, sometimes even one great race is enough to captivate the global audience and transcend the nationalistic fervor. The Paris Olympics have, so far, been a wonderful spectacle, smartly run and beautifully staged. But there is still room for the event to shift in another direction, where the political elements at the edge of the spectacle may begin to intrude after the initial sugar rush of success.

For now, "Project Reconquer The Sporting Summer" remains resolutely on track. However, the pursuit of medals over genuine rivalries is a dangerous path that threatens to undermine the unifying spirit of the Olympic movement. Finding the right balance will be crucial as the Paris Games progress.

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As the 2024 Paris Olympics move forward, the organizers and participating nations would do well to reflect on the delicate balance required to truly capture the spirit of the Games. The current high-performance, medal-chasing culture has led to a troubling Balkanization, with nations retreating into their own siloed celebrations of success rather than engaging in the kind of open and honest competition that captivates the global audience.

While it is understandable for countries to want to showcase their athletic prowess, the Olympic movement is at its best when it fosters genuine rivalries and transcendent individual matchups that bring the world together. The lack of overt US-China showdowns, for example, is a missed opportunity to harness the natural tension between these superpowers in a spirited yet sportsmanlike manner.

Moving forward, the organizers of the Paris Olympics should strive to create an environment that incentivizes and celebrates these types of rivalries. Perhaps new initiatives or event formats could be introduced to encourage athletes and nations to engage with one another in a more direct and compelling way.

Ultimately, the true legacy of these Games will not be defined by the final medal tallies, but by the indelible memories created through unforgettable moments of sporting drama and global unity. If the Paris Olympics can strike the right balance between national pride and international camaraderie, they have the potential to reignite the world's passion for the Olympic movement and all it represents.

The opportunity is there. Now it is up to the key stakeholders to seize it and deliver an event that transcends the tired tropes of medal chasing and nationalist posturing. The world is watching, and the chance to make history has never been greater.