Olympic Torch Relay Lights Up Paris on Bastille Day

Sunday marked the French national holiday Bastille Day, which kicked off with a presidential military parade and air force flyover along Ave. Foch. 

The occasion also included the early afternoon start of a two-day tour of the 2024 Paris Olympic Torch Relay with FIFA legend Thierry Henry as the first runner du jour. 

In front of thousands of onlookers and media surrounding Rond-Point of Champs-Élysées, Paris Mayor Ann Hidalgo joined Paris 2024 lead Tony Estanguet and other VIPs assembled to cheer Henry as his torch was ignited from a minor's lamp source flame from Greece.

Eagle eye readers may also note the stylish, custom-made Louis Vuitton torch carrying case, which was in the middle of the road for about an hour -- with its own LV security detail -- before its star content was unveiled and handed to Henry. 

Donning summer gear, my camera, walking shoes and a media wristband, I kept up with a few of the relay entourage stopovers, starting with my own dash to Jardin du Luxembourg, where several runners assembled to receive their official torch relay keepsake, which is an impressive metal ring and presentation box. 

When asked whether they would have preferred to receive (or purchase) a torch, had that been offered (an option provided to past torchbearers in other Olympiads; Paris 2024 opted to make fewer torches), most torchbearers responded they were happy with the engraved souvenir. 

Torchbearers from this early afternoon stage included a youth worker from the French Senate (adjacent to the park), educators and world-famous pianist Lang Lang from China (I initially did not recognize him and was told he was "a scientist" -- he did this interview steps away from my conversations with other torchbearers) who captivated the attention of dozens of his nation's tourists who anxiously awaited selfie or autograph options. 

As the official torch relay convoy resumed its slow procession across Paris, I made way to the Louvre Pyramid, at which a mid-evening photo opp was hosted featuring the acclaimed artist JR. He spent a bit of time with media and a very young fan who reluctantly, albeit adorably, posed for photos with the torch (see below).

It's my understanding the shrieks of adoring fans near the Louvre -- reminiscent of The Beatles' arrival in the USA -- were waves of cheers for Kim Soek-Jin, also known as Jin of BTS and K-Pop fame.

In the media mixed zone for this segment of the relay, I spoke with a French physician and researcher who claimed to have lived in Atlanta during 1996. He was selected to carry the torch for his decades of research related to Alzheimer's disease -- bravo!

The torch apparently visited the Mona Lisa as well, before a brief courtyard lantern ceremony placed the Olympic flame in the capable hands of Olympic silver medalist and NBA Minnesota Timberwolves player Rudy Gobert. Here's some footage of that moment:

While Gobert and the entourage made their way east along the Seine, I was hustling in the same general direction toward Hotel de Ville, the Paris city hall site for the big finale. 

Thousands of invited guests enjoyed a live Paris Symphony and Opera performance during sunset as the torch relay's progress was televised on jumbo screens across the packed venue. By this time both my legs and camera batteries were kaput from several hours crossing the city -- it was fun to log a few initial pin trades with volunteers during this chill time.

Bookending the day, Mayor Hidalgo and Estanguet joined the live event's emcee on stage with a portable Olympic cauldron to green the final torchbearer, French tennis and pop music star Yannick Noah, entering as the astounding fireworks and drone display near the Eiffel Tour concluded. 

As the crowd dispersed, one additional media opp took place inside City Hall as the Olympic flame miner's lamp enjoyed an overnight stay in one of the building's public spaces, a nice resting point before another big day of torchbearers set for Monday. 

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver 

Future Looks Great Now Through 2028!

Fabrice Coffrini/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

On Monday afternoon (July 31), about five big alerts or texts popped up within a two-minute period, with one potential life-influencing message akin to a day in September 1990 when Atlanta won its Olympic bid for 1996.

In the moments of these inbound missives, I was navigating westbound 53rd Street in Midtown Manhattan with a friend, the two of us urgently searching for a gas station to replenish a near-empty rental car fuel tank (technically, the first in the series of "alerts" arrived as my travel companion pointed out the illuminated "fuel low" light on the dashboard, and the second urgency-inducing element was the then-imminent conclusion to our interesting weekend of Long Island sightseeing and conversation).

Then, in rapid succession ... 

Alert: "The Mooch" out at White House (whew!)

Text: Family member in hospital (recovering, sort of OK, whew!)

Alert Press Release: Los Angeles announces deal creating LA28!

The initial alerts all sort of got blurry after that biggie ... Los Angeles is likely gonna host the 2028 summer Olympics. Amazing! Not entirely surprising given recent news, but an astounding headline that will certainly influence the trajectory of my life and countless others' lives during the next 11 years. 

Congratulations, LA28!

Here's the bid team's refreshed video highlighting so much of what Los Angeles offers as a three-time Olympic host:

Kudos are also due to Paris 2024 -- which will present Les Jeux Magnifique! -- for the city's eminent selection as the Games host on the city's centennial of presenting the 1924 summer Olympiad.

Favorite headline du jour may be from the French Olympic news site FrancJeux.com.

With thanks to the screenwriters for "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" for 21 years ago teaching me the phrase-turned-headline, Les Jeux Sont Fais -- The Game Is Up! (In this case, for Paris' five-tries-for-the-win bidding efforts.)

Here's a peek at Paris 2024's team video showcasing how the City of Lights is, to their bid motto, Made For Sharing:

The International Olympic Committee also deserves a high-five as the organization got creative and rewrote the books to accommodate two outstanding candidate cities found in LA and the French capital. In the words of IOC President Thomas Bach, a "win-win-win" indeed. Now the upcoming IOC Session in Lima, Peru, will be more of a formality to bestow two Games for the world to enjoy during this century's third decade. 

Several friends later wrote to ask my take on the news.

In a word: HAPPY!

The next three Olympic cities starting with Tokyo in 2020 are going to bring some overdue stability to the Olympic Movement not seen since the LA84 to Seoul '88 to Barcelona '92 era. Atlanta '96 delivered many ups and downs, Sydney 2000 was amazing, then the rive-ringed migraines of Athens '04, Beijing '08 and Rio 2016 shook things to the core. Even London 2012 struggled with world economic challenges. 

In three years, I believe Tokyo will deliver the most technically advanced modern Games, with Paris set to celebrate history and potentially restore traditions of the Cultural Olympiad, an element of the Games experience that once rivaled the sports competition.

Los Angeles will innovate things further with more than a decade to prepare. I, for one, can hardly wait to see things take shape over the next 10+ years, not only in the Olympic scene but also personally as I envision relocating professionally at some point, marriage and starting a family, preparing for retirement and other milestone events along the roads and flights to Japan, France and Los Angeles (not to mention future winter Olympic destinations). 

So many surprises occurred in my world in recent months. Who'da thunk Paris and LA would both prove victorious in their bids? Who'da thunk this would be the biggest year in client work for my growing public relations enterprise? Or finding new friends who've proven to be close quality companions? 

I am so optimistic on many fronts, and the creative and unexpected solutions that led to LA28 is inspiring to me. Some very creative and open minds collaborated through flexibility and patience -- the results will be dramatic and fresh.

Now, some have already found ways to poke holes in the future Games sites, like late night TV hosts (all in good fun, LOL). It will be interesting to see how the world's grizzled Olympic reporters rake up crud on which to hang some headlines now that they don't have Rio 2016 to kick around anymore.

As with that September day in 1990, when I returned home from a day of high school senior year classes to learn from my mother "some great news on NBC" that Atlanta won its bid to host the Centennial Games, I will always remember the person I was with and the place at which the LA28 news arrived. Big smiles. Happy. Very happy.

Where will you be in 11 years? Let's all meet in the City of Angels for some fun. Bravo!