© Copyright – 2024 – Athletics Illustrated

“The Olympics remain the most compelling search for excellence that exists in sport, and maybe in life itself.”
– Dawn Fraser (Australian swimmer, 3-time winner at the Olympics)

Say what you will about the various Olympic Games that have come and gone, but the 2024 Paris Olympic Games are shaping up to be the most troubled. Due to bad luck with heavy rains, lack of a Plan B for the heavily polluted River Seine, sprinters locked out of the race venue and Diongate, the falling down continues.

Sochi was so expensive, to be absurd, Atlanta was the crass Coca-Cola Olympics, and Beijing fronted beautiful state-of-the-art neighbourhoods covering up a zoo of slum-like neighbourhoods.

The falling down

The pitchfix is in. Celine Dion did not sing live. Starting with the beginning of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games opening ceremony, Celine Dion did not sing live. This would have been fine if organizers had come out and stated that as a safety net, she would sing to a backing track or at the very least mime in case of heavy rains or disaster. The performance of Edith Piaf’s L’Hymne A L’Amour was a stunning finale to the opening ceremony.

To be fair, it was indeed Dion’s voice and the track she mimed to was recorded the night before. So, talent-wise, the recorded performance was great. However, the producer working on the track fixed her pitch so that it was consistent enough to be beyond human-like control. She probably would have sounded more than good enough without the pitch fix and she would have sounded more live and human. Beijing did one worse by publically saying that the girl miming the Olympic theme replaced the original singer because she wasn’t good-looking. Ouch.

The upside-down Olympic flag, incorrect naming of South Sudan and backward-facing nations on boats was bad enough.

The dirty River Seine

Organizers, public works, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), operations and World Triathlon. No one said, “No, use a lake somewhere?”

The river originates at Côte d’Or and discharges into the English Channel near Le Havre after a course of nearly 800km. Heavy rains cause wastewater and runoff to flow into the river. This causes bacteria levels to rise, while the sun’s ultraviolet rays can kill the bacteria if the weather permits.

Triathlon swim practices were repeatedly cancelled. The triathlon competitions were delayed. The triathlon relays may not happen. Options for the triathlon (before they ran), were further delays or switch to duathlon with run, bike, run. This is problematic as some athletes are stronger than others in the run. Some swimmers are weaker than others. The three events level the field, while duathlon would favour those who are specifically stronger runners and at the same time weaker swimmers. There are a number of swimmable lakes in France.

A complete, Plan B triathlon and swim site (marathon open-water swim competition), should have been prepared in advance, there are a number of lakes in France and across Europe.

Sex offenders working at the Olympics

Australian, Brett Sutton, 65, attended the triathlon event Wednesday to coach his Swiss athlete Julie Derron. She claimed silver. A spokesman for Sutton confirmed that he was an accredited coach for China at the Paris Olympics.

The Olympics drew criticism for allowing convicted rapist Steven van de Velde to compete for the Netherlands in beach volleyball.

Van de Velde, who was jailed for raping a 12-year-old British girl, was jeered in his first two matches in Paris. The Chinese Volleyball Association and China Triathlon Sports Association need to be reprimanded by the IOC.

Boxinggate

Is she or isn’t she, that is the question. There are legitimate sources on both sides who claim that Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was born female or male. Depending on who you ask, she is a biological male or not. The IOC does not want to change boxing eligibility rules without the International Boxing Association’s own firm commitment in writing. IOC President Thomas Bach defended Khelif and demanded the social media frenzy stop. He also said that the IOC will not make a decision on its own. The IBA needs to get organized on the matter. So, there is an issue? Or there isn’t?

The IBA claims that Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting of Taiwan failed “gender eligibility tests” at the 2023 World Championships. The IOC says they are eligible to compete — which conflates Bach’s defence. There is no transparency around any of the so-called facts. However, there was little transparency around the tests of middle-distance runner Caster Semenya, yet the Olympic gold medallist was found to have internal testes, no womb and produces (naturally) as much testosterone as men. The question here is, how to protect women’s sports, not how to damage an athlete for their gender, if the rules are not clear. It is a complex matter. However, if any athlete knows full well that they passed through male puberty, and are competing against women, they should be banned.

On Thursday following the welterweight match between Khelif and Italy’s Angela Carini, social media exploded with vitriol. Carini took one punch and called it quits. The video shows the disparity in power. It is wrong to have men competing against women in any sport. It is another level of distress to have a violent sport where there is a gender difference. There are cases of boxers dying in the ring and or suffering brain damage. The IBA and the IOC will be complicit in wrongdoing if it turns out that the two suspected boxers, Khelif and Yu-Ting turn out to have passed through male puberty. This is now a safety issue.

Sprinters locked out

Jamaica’s Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce and the USA’s Sha’Carri Richardson were locked out of an entry gate to the competition venue before the semi-finals of their 100-metre sprints. There is a video circulating of Fraser-Pryce being quite stressed, talking to a bus driver about being locked out. While organizers claim that the nine-time Olympic medallist simply went to the wrong gate, they should have done everything to help her get in. Perhaps escorting her through or escorting her to the appropriate gate. Fraser-Pryce could be heard saying that it was the same gate she went through the day before, and staff admitted to changing the gate. Richardson got in.

However, Richardson entered the final with palpable nerves. She appeared stunned. The world champion got off to a very slow start in the 100m and only rallied late to earn silver. Fraser-Pryce did not start claiming injury. Richardson has competed at the World Championships and the Diamond League in front of large crowds with confidence and showmanship, the Olympics are big, but not that much bigger than a World Championships in terms of the athletics portion. More may come of this.

Non-sex beds

The state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation…”
— Pierre Trudeau,
Former Canadian Prime Minister

Organizers want to limit the amount of sex going on between athletes in the Olympic Village. The phenomenon is misunderstood by many and the state or in this case, the IOC and Paris Olympic Organizing Committee. They have no business being in the athlete dorms of the village.

Apparently, the passionate French have lost their mortal compass.

Also, let them eat cake. Qu’ils mangent de la brioche.

Some good news

For Paris and France’s sake, hopefully, the above and other potential issues will not define these Games. On the positive side, the novel concept of using the River Seine for the opening ceremony, the laser show, and the faux hot air balloon as the Olympic torch are well-intentioned. Certainly, the laser show from the Eiffel Tower was very well done. The Olympic theme performed by 28-year-old mezzo-soprano Axelle Saint-Cirel was amazing and Lady Gaga’s performance, albeit to a recorded backing track, was a pleasing spectacle.

The men’s 10,000m race was arguably the greatest in history. It was certainly the deepest and fastest. Competitively, it was tight between 12 athletes — half the field — to the line.

American gymnast Simone Biles pulled off a stunner winning gold again. Her exchanges with Snoop Dog were a treat.

The Stade de France seems to be mostly full for medal events and well-attended for non-medal events.

Games organizers have the second half of the Games to put the negative behind them.

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