Picturesque Paris sets a shining example for the Olympics (2024)

PARIS – Summer was in the air, the music was loud and pumping, and the (Hollywood) stars were out to play.

Here I was at the grandest and biggest sports event that I had read and heard so much about – the Olympics.

I was ready to be impressed, and while it delivered everything I expected – spills and thrills, world-class athletes and goosebump-inducing crowds – I did not expect beach volleyball to leave such a lasting impression.

In Paris as a guest of Omega, the official timekeeper of the Olympic Games, I got to watch the preliminary-round match between Cuba and Brazil at the temporary 13,000-seater Eiffel Tower Stadium.

Bathed in the glow of the Parisian sun and backed by a ooh-la-la-ing crowd, Cuba’s 1.98m Jorge Alayo looked like an NBA star as he and teammate Noslen Diaz leapt and spiked to a 2-0 victory over Brazil’s George Wanderley and Andre Loyola.

All this unfolded against the surreal and gorgeous backdrop of the Eiffel Tower: Magnifique, as the French would say.

So magnificent is this venue, and other iconic ones in the city of love, that celebrities like Nicole Kidman and husband Keith Urban – who were seated just two rows behind me – and American rapper Snoop Dogg have come to be romanced.

The stadium was built specifically for the Olympics at Champ de Mars, a garden and popular picnic spot which draws hundreds of visitors on a regular day. At the Paralympics, it will host blind football before it is dismantled.

The venue has drawn the plaudits of athletes too.

Team USA volleyball player Kristen Nuss, who is competing with Taryn Kloth, told Sports Travel magazine: “That is what dreams are made of, sitting there seeing the Eiffel Tower twinkle, seeing all the flashlights around us going off. That’s a memory that will definitely be imprinted on my brain forever.

“When we are in tough situations, it does put things in perspective like ‘hey Taryn look up’ and you just stare there for a minute and you see the Eiffel Tower and you are like ‘wow, OK we get to play beach volleyball down in front of the Eiffel Tower. That’s just awesome.”

For the millions of visitors in Paris for the Games, the hosts have already won golds for their brilliant use and transformation of the city’s iconic and historical landmarks into sports venues.

I got further reminders of this when I attended 3x3 basketball at Place de la Concorde, in front of the Luxor Obelisk – Paris’ oldest monument – and fencing at the Grand Palais.

The city’s crown jewel and a fine example of its architecture, the Grand Palais usually hosts art exhibitions, concerts and fashion shows.

Such grandeur is fitting for this centuries-old sport of foils and sabres, as fencers duel under its barrel-vaulted glass roof while surrounded by its spectacular wrought-iron staircase – a scene not out of place in 1900 when the palace was opened.

Marvelling at the beauty and brilliance of the Paris 2024 organisers’ choice of venues, I couldn’t help but wonder if there are lessons here for Singapore.

Non, we do not have an Eiffel Tower, but we should take notes on how to host a chic, stylish and memorable Games.

Inspired by Paris’ innovative use of their landmarks, I envisioned how Singapore could organise sports events at its own iconic venues, particularly with the SEA Games returning to the Republic in 2029.

A swimming event at the rooftop infinity pool at Marina Bay Sands sounds far-fetched, but it could serve as a stunning backdrop for a temporary stadium nearby.

For one, it would look more appealing than a temporary venue in a Kallang car park, which is where artistic swimming and swimming events for the World Aquatics Championships in 2025 will be held. The futuristic Gardens by the Bay, with its towering Supertree structures, would also be a perfect setting for outdoor events.

Inspired by fencing at the Grand Palais, I imagine our Olympic fencers Amita Berthier and Kiria Tikanah Abdul Rahman in the Old Supreme Court Building, or Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall.

After a brief romance with Paris, I have learnt that the magic of a Games lies not in the cut and thrust of the action, but in connecting visitors with the history and soul of a city.

In this, the City of Light has set a shining example.