Meeting President Emmanuel Macron

It was the best of selfies, it was the worst of selfies. 

Presidential ones, that is. 

On Monday (22 July), French President Emmanuel Macron joined IOC President Thomas Bach in welcoming over 200 international (non-French) journalists to Palais de l'Élysée, akin to The White House on this side of the Atlantic. 

With thanks to Jill Jaracz of Keep The Flame Alive podcast, who posted to Instagram a photo of her arrival at said palace about an hour before the event (just in the nick of time), I was reminded, "Oh, that's today" (!!!) while seated in boxer shorts at my hotel, prompting a rush to get dressed and make way to the venue. 

The official invitation from Macron's staff went out last week to journalists of Paris Media Centre, the "unaccredited media center" for this Olympiad. Though my badge is still in review, my AIPS press card and a passport were enough to register. And after a short metro ride and four layers of security, we were inside the Elysee awaiting Macron's arrival. 

As reporters mingled, I caught up with USA Today's Christine Brennan, longtime friends Ed and Sheila Hula (founders of Around The Rings) and reporters from the Team USA Media Summit in town from the LA Times, Sports Business Journal, NBC and others. 

It was fun to swap pins with the press lead from Team Ukraine, a TV reporter from New Zealand's Sky network, and several Korean and Japanese reporters more obviously in the pin game.  

Around many corners of the ballroom in which we gathered (reminiscent of the East Wing dance hall in Washington), meters-long tables of gourmet coffees, French wine, exotic local cheeses, Olympic-tailored bread and a smorgasbord of meats and fresh fruit from across the nation were assembled by toque-donning chefs. 

And voila! Macron arrived accompanied by a military symphony and Bach as well as Paris 2024's CEO, speaking for several minutes about the shared journey to the eve of the XXXIIIth Olympiad. Here are some President Macron's remarks:

Remarks complete, Bach made a beeline for the sortie, briefly stopping to shake hands and chat with Brennan and moi (I asked the wherabouts of one of my clients to which Bach replied with surprise). 

Meanwhile, Macron -- much to the delight of the attendees -- stayed in the ballroom, working the crowd answering softball questions, posing for selfies and introducing the First Lady to a few VIPs.

By the time the impromptu receiving line reached my spot, we were in the garden and Keep The Flame Alive podcaster Jill and I swapped photo duties to capture the moment (thank goodness as my own selfie attempt was marred by the wind).

Shaking hands with President Macron -- whose grip is quite strong and confident -- I first thanked him for his team's marvelous hospitality, complimented his remarks and wished all of France great success with what is already turning out to be among the best Games ever. 

"Merci beaucoup!" 

This next part surprised me in that when another journalist interrupted the end of our handshake, Macron did not let go of my hand for about 20 seconds, insisting it was first my turn to finish the conversation and photo. 

Point, smile (or in my case keep talking), snap and the moment was complete, leaving Jill and I time to finally enjoy some drinks and catering in the garden, cheerfully toasting "To all the bullshit!" that got us to Paris.

Exiting the French palace, I snapped one last photo of what may be a presidential Citroen. So fancy! Nice touch.

Meeting Macron was definitely more personal than interactions with V.P. and candidate-turned-President Biden or Vladimir Putin, in 2010 and 2014, respectively. 

What will happen next?

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Born To Skate

One of my favorite Olympic observations took place at Beijing 2008, not far from the Main Press Center and Water Cube. 

Dozens of pin collectors -- some veteran, others new to the hobby -- were viewing one another's boards of trading material.

A Chinese collector took notice of a 1970s throwaway pin I offered, featuring the words "Born to Skate" (likely a roller-skating reference). 

"What is skate?"

This memory came to mind yesterday as a trio of Team USA skateboarders -- Poe Pinson, Paige Heyn and returning Olympian Mariah Duran, exited the Paris Olympic Village to head out for an afternoon skate about Paris. 

Before they set out, I caught up to Pinson and Duran and quizzed them about their arrival at the Village, which turned out to be two days ago (18 July). 

Though lowkey (perhaps day two of jetlag), they were positive about the entire experience, with Heyn joining the conversation to mention she looked forward to visiting the athlete hair and nail salon -- the main Village feature about which she had heard -- at some point before the opening ceremony. 

With several local French children and kids from neighboring apartment blocks surrounding us, all three Olympians started handing out free swag, including skateboard pins and some Tech Deck miniature plastic boards.

"J'aime le Etats-Unis!" 

And then they were off -- the trio of skaters set out on what turned into a 2.5-hour ride (I spotted their return from the corner of an eye but did not speak with them again). 

Other observations du jour: A large batch of Dutch athletes (two busloads) though my Olympic crush Femke Bol was not among them (a Team NL official mentioned she'd arrive later), Team Mexico unveiled what may be their Opening Ceremonies sombreros (much to the delight of the local kids who got to wear them), and some trading with volunteers or staff from the International Olympic Committee, Intel and NOCs from Aruba, Montenegro, Team GB and others. 

Best moment: Conversation with Venezuela's two-time judo Olympian Anriquelis Barrios, who completed interviews with AFP and me before gifting a Team Venezuela pin in exchange for a blog pin (both featuring the Paris mascot). 

Just another day at the Olympic Village.

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Bienvenue à Paris - pour les Jeux Olympiques!

Arriving at Charles de Gaulle airport on 11 July marked my fifth touchdown at Paris since the early 2000s. 

Unlike previous visits, mostly for a few days of tourism, Olympic writing or the handover ceremony from Tokyo 2020, this time I'm setting up residence for several weeks.

The longer visit to the City of Lights is thanks, in part, to a certain national Olympic committee which initially (in early 2024) offered a long-term pre-Games volunteer assignment that was later reneged only after some nonrefundable accommodations were secured. 

But I'm not bitter -- in just two days I've gotten reacquainted with Paris, walked a couple dozen kilometers, seen three museums and stopped by Hotel de Ville (city hall) in relation to blogging credentials. Here's one happy writer easing into a summer of experiences on the heels of a week vacationing in the Mediterranean resort of Antalya, Turkey.  

All across central Paris there's a curious mix of activities in anticipation of the Games. Lots of construction, though most of the venues (except for the stadium seating along the Seine) appear to be in place and operational. 

Look of the Games banners and bunting are going up on a few more buildings each day. Not one person -- local nor tourist -- seems to know a thing about Olympic pin collecting traditions. 

But everyone knows the torch relay, and with today's national holiday hundreds of thousands will see Olympic torchbearers at iconic sites across the city, including the Arch de Triomphe, Petit Palace, Luxembourg/Senat and other destinations. After the morning parade my intent is to reconnect with the torch relay convoy at the Louvre, where the flame will visit Mona Lisa herself. Stay tuned for photos.

By the way, thank you for reading. If you made it this far, count yourself among the 851,375+ all-time visitors to this website. 

Will it reach 1 million by mid-August 2024? 

With appreciation to all readers, please share, comment and repost if you care to help achieve this ambitious goal in play since 2008. 

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Paris 2024 Unveils Grand Relais de la Flamme

Want to help the Olympic flame reach Paris? 

There's still time for nominations -- deadline 15 July -- for those seeking to fill one of the 10,000 torchbearer segments unveiled this Olympic Day. 

Each torchbearer will transport the flame about 200 meters, or just over 650 feet, which is shorter than my occasional Midtown Atlanta walks for lunch at Mary Mac's Tea Room. 

In press materials, this is estimated at four minutes per segment for the average torchbearer. Less officially that's 19 to 22 seconds for Usain Bolt or Florence Griffith-Joyner, respectively, the world and Olympic record holders for the same distance. 

With help from Google Translate, I call it la petite segment (though la petite tranche sounds more dramatic). 

During an online media preview held Tuesday morning, 2024 Olympic press team members showcased next year's torch relay route and other details under embargo until noon today in Paris. Since the first media question on the call regarded the in-progress police raid at Paris 2024's headquarters, it was not immediately clear how much resonated with other reporters in attendance. 

For this writer, the scope of next year's five-ringed route is impressive, as much for its blend of torch relay traditions with new elements as for its first-time destinations exotiques. 

Of course, the map starts in Olympia, Greece, where the Hellenic Olympic Committee will welcome the host city to launch the relay with rays from the sun on April 16, with VIP and Greek runners helping whisk aloft torches toward an April 26 ceremony at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens. 

Borrowing from past relays, the Olympic flame and its entourage will next travel by ship -- specifically aboard the triple-masted Belem -- embarking from the Port of Piraeus on April 27, heading westward to Marseille in time for a May 8 arrival ceremony. Historians may appreciate the Belem enjoyed its maiden voyage in 1896, the year Athens hosted the first modern Olympiad. 

I'm not sure how the route overlaps with past torch relays on French soil, but the chosen path generally hugs the southern coast and border -- including a hop to Corsica -- then north through several western towns until arriving at coastal Brest, where on June 7 things get intéressante thanks to the crew of another sailing vessel, the impressive Maxi Banque Populaire XI, capable of getting the Flamme Olympique across the Atlantic in eight days. This video provides a peek aboard.

Simultaneous to this oceanic crossing for the flame's first visits to Guadeloupe (June 15) and Martinique (June 17), other segments will be carried at ceremonies in French destinations including Guyana (June 9), Reunion (June 12) and French Polynesia (June 13), where weeks later Olympic surfers will ride the waves. Sidebar: Martinique is where Humphrey Bogart got quizzed RE: whistling in "To Have and Have Not."

Not sure how -- my guess is by jet (as it was not made clear in the press kit) -- but on June 18 the flame returns to France tout suite, where voilà, the route resumes in Nice for its five-week final march to the City of Lights. 

One noted curiosité: though the eastern map pinpoints a visit to 1924 Olympic host Chamonix, the route was charted sans Albertville and Grenoble, perhaps intentionally, which may leave each city's chambre de commerce to exclaim sacrebleu and others with their culotte dans une liasse.

No matter the possible flaming snubs, of the 2024 route -- it's a lot! 

Not the longest nor most elaborate torch relay, but definitely an expansive plan that will give tens of thousands of islanders or South American mainland and French residents a new or renewed option to experience the moving Olympic flame tradition. 

Those seeking to complete nominations may find helpful the Paris organizing committee's FAQ for the process.

As for the crew of Maxi Banque Populaire XI, they'll be looking for Mother Nature to follow Lauren Bacall's instructions to put [her] lips together and blow. 

Images courtesy Paris 2024, CFP on CGTN.com, and this Dailymotion link. Lauren Bacall photo via We Are Movie Geeks. Florence Griffith Joyner photo via Paul Hellstern/Daily Oklahoman

Paris 2024 En Cinq Cents Jours

Where will you be in 500 days? 

With God, a bit of planning, several serendipities and a month's pay, my aim is to be somewhere along the Seine. 

That's where, rain or shine, the flotilla of French watercraft will transport athletes of the Games of the XXXIIIrd Olympiad as part of the riverfront Paris 2024 opening ceremony. 

A lot can happen in 16 months. It's perhaps easier to predict my location just after next year's 26 July, since the recent five-ringed ticketing sale yielded two wish list track and field tickets at Stade de France.  

What tickets did you secure so far?

It's also easier to predict my desired location in about 400 days, when the next Olympic Torch Relay begins in Greece. 

The traditional route from Olympia to Athens will be a fitting preamble to the flame's arrival aboard the Belem, a massive ship, at the scenic French port of Marseille, fitting as the Greeks founded the city around 600 B.C. (thanks, Wikipedia).

In addition to Paris' opening ceremony, my hope is to also discover ticket options for tennis at Roland Garos, as well as climbing (already sold out), diving and equestrian, one of the Olympic sports not yet experienced in person. 

Also curious which City of Lights parks may emerge as pin trading hubs (a personal favorite is Tuileries Gardens). On which points of the Paris map would you pin your badge exchange dreams?

See you in 500 days -- bon voyage on the journey and adventures that await us all!

Images via Paris2024.org and this site

Getting My Games On In Paris (And You Can, Too)

With just one more day of Olympic competition at Tokyo 2020, some already are looking ahead to Paris 2024. 

Here in the French capital -- where I landed today after securing accréditation médias during the first week of the action in Japan -- organizers presented the penultimate session of Le Live Des Jeux or Live Games. 

Held daily since the start to Tokyo 2020, French citizens and a handful of tourists enjoyed live broadcasts via France 2, which I understand is the nation's equivalent to NBC in terms of broadcast rights. Today's telecast included a rerun of the men's basketball final during which France played Team USA. 

Built across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower, the live site fills the Fountains of Chaillot with a large stage, billboard-sized monitor, VIP seating, children's sports activities for families, and an Olympian meet and greet area most returning Team France athletes took time to visit. 

At today's event, three French Olympic Team medalists and two other returning Olympians spoke to a growing crowd of fans who also lined up for athlete autographs. 

The medalists also signed a large keepsake board celebrating their gold, silver or bronze accomplishments, with about 25 French media and one blogueur Américain snapped photos. Children took turns launching lawn dart-style javelins or watching karate demonstrations presented by a local dojo. 

In a media briefing held Friday, the Paris 2024 team revealed their portion of the Tokyo 2020 Closing Ceremony, also known as the handover ceremony, will include both the formal presentation of the original Olympic Flag from one city's mayor to the other. 

Simultaneously, an estimated 500 million television viewers will see "the largest ever" banner to be unfurled on the Eiffel Tower as French air force buzzes Paris with a fleet of jets and helicopters. While I did not see the evening test run of these aircraft I certainly heard and felt the vibration from their low flyover The Trocadero while dozing at the Best Western. Racing was mon cœur!    

For souvenir-minded Olympic fans, a word about Paris pins. They don't have any! 

Well, at least there are none to be seen anywhere in the live site. 

I spoke with a Paris 2024 media representative about their retail plans, and with some intention, they also do not yet have an Olympic Store as in some other host cities by the three-year-out milestone (or much earlier). Hoping to trade a few pins or Euros for one of the stylish volunteer hats which match T-shirts of green, maroon or dark blue and red for other staff roles like sanitation, officials and security. 

The rose-colored media badge was hand-written, tempting me to request they write Steve Buscemi in place of my name. 

As stated on the event press kit, Paris 2024 invite le monde rendez-vous le 8 août. 

Paris invites the world: Rendezvous on Aug. 8

So, if you are as exhausted from NBC's Olympic coverage as I was before heading to the Atlanta airport on Friday, there's an alternative option to watch the Paris 2024 handover ceremony and events in France via this Facebook event link (for access, be sure to "Like" Paris 2024's official Facebook page). 

I'll be the guy smiling and waving while donning that pink badge. 

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

 

We'll Always Have Paris

Like other five-ringed sports fans in the USA, today I woke up to the International Olympic Committee's news making it official: Tokyo 2020 will exclude overseas fans. 

After hitting snooze and a shower, two quotes came to mind. 

On the more desperate or depressed end of the spectrum, there's the classic lyrics by U2. 

Cue the iconic drum intro:

I can't believe the news today. Oh, I can't close my eyes and make it go away!

More optimistically, Rick Blaine's words on the Moroccan airport tarmac in "Casablanca" also came to mind. 

As of this post, there are just 1,223 days remaining until Paris 2024. 

For this blogger, of course it's a huge bummer that Tokyo 2020 won't be happening for most outside Japan. This Olympiad was to be one that made up for many mishaps -- some real, others perceived -- via Rio 2016. 

At the moment, London 2012 still has my vote for "best Games ever" though my first and hometown Olympics of Atlanta remain a close second and sentimental favorite of nearly 25 years, as detailed in the centerfold spread of the 2017 WHERE Guestbook. 

Amid the pandemic, it will be a remarkable feat for the Tokyo organizing committee to just get the athletes, coaches, officials and other Olympic family members assembled safely. For those who care to read it, the complete IOC statement is online, as are the words of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, with each link noting how additional updates for the Games will be shared in the weeks ahead. 

During a member event hosted by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum on Thursday, at least one former Team USA employee stated her Olympic media travel is secured though there will be a "bubble" for reporters akin to the one for athletes -- the thought of corralling journalists in this manner brings to mind notions of herding cats. 

In spite of today's news, I'm optimistic at least a handful of fans will find a backdoor entry to the Games of the XXXIInd Olympiad. For some, maybe they'll score a credential as part of a sponsor delegation or national Olympic committee gig. For others, maybe there's a family connection to Japan to be leveraged.  

For this writer, there's still a potential Olympic berth -- albeit a very long shot plus a vaccine shot -- via the Games media credential front. 

No stone will be left unturned, and I'm not yet ready to cancel my Tokyo accommodations, though it is reassuring they'll be fully refunded via Hotels.com should I eventually surrender to the inevitable. 

The Morohashi Museum of Modern Art -- a.k.a. the Salvador Dali Museum of Japan -- near Fukushima, as well as Nagoya, Mount Fuji and other destinations also remain on my travel wish list for Japan, even if an eventual visit takes place beyond 2021.

Speaking of refunds, designated Olympic ticket broker CoSport was quick to address today's official announcement, which provided some level of reassurance my ticket investment will be returned. As to when is anyone's guess -- paraphrasing another fan quoted by media, it had better be before the Opening Ceremony on July 23. 

I applaud the IOC, Tokyo 2020 and others for persevering over COVID-19 and keeping the Games on track for the athletes. It won't be the same, but then, what else is in this pandemic? Glad also to see the Olympic Torch Relay will resume in five days, which everyone may enjoy virtually.

Heavy doses of determination kept things on track for the athletes, and it will still be inspiring to witness Olympian feats this summer, no matter the room in which we are viewing. 

And don't forget: We'll always have Paris. 

Tokyo photos via Associated Press Kuchiro Sato and Clive Rose; Paris image via Olympic.org

With Simplicity & Class, New Paris 2024 Logo Fuses Flame, Style, Gold Medals and French Symbolism

An email from the Paris 2024 media relations team arrived today like a batch of fresh cookies.

It seems the organizing committee baked up a sweet and golden macaron in the form of a new logo for the post-Tokyo Olympiad.

And like the delightful French confections savored around the world, the new Paris 2024 emblem relies on four simple ingredients, according to the official announcement.

In place of egg whites, sugar, almond powder and food color, the "new face" of the French Olympic Games relies on three emblems and a dash of style, almost perfect in its simplicity at once bursting with multiple flavors of symbolism.

The icons in this case, as described in press materials, include:

-- The medal: a symbol of sport and victory

-- The flame: a symbol of the Olympic Movement

-- Marianne, a.k.a. Liberté: a symbol for all of France. You know, the topless banner-bearing beauty in the Louvre's famous painting by Eugène Delacroix (see below)

When assembled the trio yields a face, embodying the idea of a friendly, people's Games (see above left).

Add to this an original Art Deco-inspired typeface drawn from "a complete artistic movement which reached its height at the 1924 Games in Paris" and you have "an emblem that pays tribute to Paris."

Organizers also point out that, for the first time, the golden visage represents both the Olympics and Paralympics. For this writer, that's the jam or ganache that makes this cookie of a logo even sweeter.

Here's a video the Paris 2024 press team shared with other logo-related materials:

Digging the visuals that tell the story of the logo. The lone hiccup of the day's announcement may be the selection of a male narrator to describe a logo otherwise of feminine physique.

The press materials did not state the venue at which the Paris 2024 Olympic emblem unveiling took place, but photos from the event included the city's mayor, several Olympians and Paralympians, and media. Looks like a fun time was enjoyed by all. I'm guessing they feasted on macarons en masse. 

Can you see the lips of Liberty blowing a kiss in the new logo? What do you think of the design? Is there anything you love about it or would love to change? Please post a comment and let's discuss!

Olympic photo, video and logo via Paris 2024. Image of Liberty Leading the People via this link.