‘Paris has been amazing’, say locals who embrace the Paralympics

PARIS – Ahead of the Olympic Games from July 26 to Aug 11, Paris resident Nassim Foreix, who works in the hospitality industry as a project director, took her family out of the city for fear of the disruption that usually comes with a major sporting event boasting about 15 million spectators, including two million from abroad.

But as the capital warmly embraced the Games and their sporting heroes, she soon developed Fomo, or fear of missing out, and did not want to make the same mistake with the Paralympics from Aug 28 to Sept 8.

The 42-year-old said: “We missed the opportunity to watch the Olympics in July, but we were able to get tickets for the Paralympics, and I thought it was a good opportunity for the kids to see it but it was quite expensive to come as a family.

“Paris has been amazing (during the Games), everything’s been super well organised, and it’s a wonderful city to walk and see during and after the Olympics.”

Admitting that she regretted leaving Paris to go on their summer holiday, Foreix said: “During the Olympics, a lot of Parisians, including me, left Paris but it was wrong, and we actually regretted it.

“A lot of us got tickets at the last minute because we realised that it was very well organised and it had a big hit on tourism here.”

Parisians Cassandre Marchetti and Patana Phandouangsy, on the other hand, stayed in town and managed to bag tickets to catch water polo during the Olympics.

Marchetti said that it was a “once in a lifetime” experience to catch both Games in their home city.

She added: “It’s very wonderful to see people with difficulties, compete with courage, and we have the chance to see it in France, so it’s a very big opportunity.

“We have to wait 100 years to see the Paralympic Games in France. Maybe the last chance, or the only chance, to see that, so it’s a rare opportunity and I’m very happy to be here.”

Phandouangsy added: “We are very impressed by all the athletes from around the world and it’s very good to see people (here) who are encouraged by the athletes.

“I think especially for the children, because they watch them on the TV, they see that we create something magical and for the children that want to be like these champions.”

Like the Olympics, the Paralympics have also been welcomed warmly and celebrated in Paris, with crowds packing the La Defense Arena to catch the para-swimmers, Champ de Mars Arena (para-judo) and 80,000-seater Stade de France (para-athletics) when The Straits Times visited the venues as part of a press trip organised by Toyota Asia’s Start Your Impossible campaign.

Over 80 per cent of the crowd at these locations were French, who made sure their local athletes enjoyed great home support by loudly cheering each time their names were announced, and whenever their events and races were completed, regardless of result.

For Ilya Kostianovsky, the Paralympics were a chance to allow his son to experience a sporting spectacle.

He said: “It was an occasion with my son, to show him different sports with different athletes, and to develop his inclusivity skills.”

Kostianovsky, who lives close to Paris, also noted that many Parisians had moved to the outskirts during the Games as they were “afraid of the Olympics and that there would be a lot of traffic and disturbance”.

He added: “But when they saw how people behaved and the fact that there was a great ambience, they wanted to come back.

“It was probably the best period to visit Paris, as it was in parallel with many activities returning, most people came back from their holidays, so more are around to watch the Paralympics.”

And as Paris bids farewell to the Olympics and Paralympics on Sept 8, France will celebrate a successful campaign in both events.

The French contingent put in their best performance at the Olympics since 1900 when Paris first hosted the Games, winning 16 golds, 26 silvers and 22 bronzes – they won 27-28-37 over a century ago.

At the Paralympics, they claimed 19 golds, 28 silvers and 28 bronzes for their best haul since the Sydney Games in 2000, when they scored 30-28-28.

While the legacy of both events remains to be seen, as the curtains come down on the sporting extravaganza that has captivated the nation for the last six weeks, Parisians whom ST spoke to hope that the support for athletes, including para athletes, will go on after the Games.

Said Marchetti: “I hope that this opens the opportunity for people to see more sports generally.

“Accept differences, accept channels for people to see other people with the difficulties they have and still compete. Maybe that will be a good inspiration (for the future).”