When the French rugby sevens clinched gold, with their national icon Antoine Dupont breaking through Fiji’s defense, thousands of fans donned in berets and cockerel costumes at the Stade de France began chanting Édith Piaf’s iconic cabaret song, Non, je ne regrette rien. It was evident that France was experiencing an unprecedented wave of excitement.
No one could have predicted the immense display of unity and fervent patriotism observed in France during the opening weekend of the Olympics. A nation that had exhibited skepticism about hosting the world’s largest sporting event suddenly embraced the Games with such enthusiasm that even “Toto” Dupont himself was taken aback.
“I’ve seldom witnessed an atmosphere like this, despite having played numerous matches in this stadium,” remarked the modest Toulouse rugby star at the Stade de France.
In the early hours of Sunday, the 27-year-old leaped off the stage at the Club France venue in La Villette, sporting a pair of oversized bunny ears, and was gently passed around fans as if he were a treasured human artifact.
It appeared that the nation, grappling with a political crisis and without effective governance, was eager to set aside its troubles and celebrate continuously for the next two weeks.
But mere sport wasn’t sufficient; dancing was essential. On the rugby field, Dupont and his teammates rushed back out wearing their gold medals, showcasing a routine they had learned from Moulin Rouge cabaret performers during their training—now a beloved, albeit clumsy, cult classic. The crowd at the Stade de France erupted in appreciation for their dance. “I’ve never seen 80,000 people react like that,” stated Aaron Grandidier Nkanang, one of the victorious sevens squad.
The opening weekend for France was, albeit momentarily, a brilliant demonstration of mending the national spirit, something Macron hopes to continue as he grasped Dupont’s face in his hands and congratulated him. First came the unconventional, rain-drenched, disco-themed opening ceremony along the Seine, followed by a historic collection of French medals on the very first day.
Among the first four medals earned on Saturday was a judo silver for another rising star, Luka Mkheidze. The 28-year-old emigrated from Georgia to France, after a challenging journey through Poland with his family at the age of 14, arriving without knowing a word of French. He approached a judo club with a polite letter, translated into French, requesting training opportunities. Years later, he attained French citizenship. “On the day of the games, you can surpass yourself,” he explained.
In terms of political significance derived from sports, the atmosphere has not been this charged since France’s World Cup triumph in 1998, inspired by Zinedine Zidane, when the diverse team was celebrated for its ability to heal and unite a divided society while combating discrimination. However, merely four years after that football victory, far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen reached the second round of the presidential election. This time, weeks prior to the Olympics, his daughter Marine’s far-right National Rally party faced an obstacle in forming a government due to a substantial wave of tactical voting in a snap parliamentary election.
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Every moment of the Olympics is now being perceived in France as a means to heal the divisive issues surrounding the recent elections, particularly regarding dual nationals, identity, and racism.
At the close of the opening ceremony, former Olympic sprinter and gold medalist Marie-José Pérec ignited the magnificent flying Olympic cauldron alongside another national treasure, judo champion Teddy Riner. Both hail from families with roots in the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. Pérec shared the significance of this moment. “I asked Teddy, shall we hold hands?” she narrated to Le Parisien. “I remarked: ‘Notice us: both black, both from Guadeloupe, a man and a woman, and we are lighting the Olympic cauldron at the Paris Games.’ It’s phenomenal, perhaps even more powerful than winning an Olympic gold medal.”
The cheers from French supporters during sports events were so thunderous that, just two days into the festivities, numerous fans had lost their voices. When French swimming sensation Léon Marchand, nicknamed the “aquatic missile,” appeared, the audience erupted. Each time he surfaced for breath during the breaststroke, the crowd cheered in sync with his breaths.
France’s cross-country mountain biking gold medalist, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, was met with a resounding performance of the national anthem as she crossed the finish line on Sunday. “It’s this fervor that has inspired us,” commented one of the cycling team’s coaches. With all the enthusiasm, athletes felt “invincible.”
French fans have also showcased their distinctive ability to boo louder than any others during the initial days. Each time an Argentinian team – be it in football or rugby – took to the field, loud jeers erupted from French supporters, upset by the racist lyrics of a chant that some Argentinian footballers sang after their Copa América victory.
The first weekend’s medal tally for France included a silver in fencing awarded to Auriane Mallo-Breton and a bronze in judo for Shirine Boukli. The country is under pressure to secure a place among the top five on the medal table, and this was perceived as a solid start.
Other national figures made their debuts at the Games during the opening weekend, including the prodigy “Wemby” — Victor Wembanyama, aged 20.
Even the minor setbacks appeared to be rectifying themselves. Once the men’s rugby sevens achieved gold, the rain that had accompanied their play suddenly ceased, and sunshine broke through. The country’s train services, which had been disrupted by coordinated sabotage just hours before the opening ceremony, began resuming normal operations.
Olympic merchandise stores in central Paris had experienced slow sales throughout the previous week; however, now they were bustling with lines around the block. Spectators gathered to admire the Olympic cauldron in the Tuileries gardens. Following months of complaints, polling by the IOC revealed that 96% of the French populace regarded the opening ceremony as a success.
Now, the focus is on maintaining the positive momentum. As Thomas Jolly, the architect of the opening ceremony, remarked the day after the event: “We’re soaring on a wave of tolerance, acknowledgment, and extraordinary energy, a sense of unity that is revitalizing us all.”
