Olympics: In the end, Paris was not the City of Light

Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said, following the lighting of the Olympic torch a few months before the start of the 2024 Paris Olympics, that this symbol would make "the City of Light shine even brighter."

On strictly the sporting side, Paris has perhaps indeed shone, simply by virtue of having hosted one of the major international events. But in terms of organization and crime, despite the supposed hard work of the IOC and the competent authorities to ensure security by controlling everything that moved, the French capital has projected more darkness than light due to various problems. Controversy was also looming, and then it broke out.

Fiber-optic sabotage paralyzes Paris

The French National Railway Company (SNCF), parent of several railway companies in France, was attacked by several criminals, who sabotaged the optical fiber, necessary for the transmissions sent by train drivers.

This attack did not affect Paris, AFP reported, but did have consequences in other regions of France, in the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Aude, Oise, Hérault and Meuse, where hundreds of thousands of travelers were leaving for the French capital to attend the Olympics.

Quickly, the SNCF, in collaboration with the French Ministry of Transport, had to act to temporarily solve the issue. Some trains were diverted to another line, while others had to be cancelled and offer alternatives to passengers by ground or air.

This attack also affected Eurostar trains connecting France with London, U.K., and Brussels, Belgium.

The woke ceremony with contempt for Christianity 

It was the first time in the history of the Olympics that the opening ceremony was held outside a stadium. Athletes from the 206 participating delegations sailed down the Seine on barges, accompanied by the enthusiasm and cheers of hundreds of thousands of supporters who gathered along the sides of the river. It was a different ceremony, with impressive fireworks and light shows that were overshadowed by a controversial image that the organizers decided to incorporate into the evening.

At one point during the ceremony, several drag queens appeared on screen to "vindicate" that inclusivity can adapt in any field. Up to that point it was respectable, but what crossed the line was when those "artists" and whoever directed them made a mockery of the Last Supper, offending Christians around the world.

The criticism was, little by little, triggered by this disparagement of a religion that is a large majority in France, where about 70% of residents are Christian. Such was the tension that the artistic director of the ceremony, Thomas Jolly, had to publicly apologize, while stating that at no time did he do his job that way to "mock or denigrate anyone."

Paris was not 'the safest place in the world'

The goal of the 2024 Paris Olympics Organizing Committee, in the words of President Tony Estanguet, was to make the French capital "the safest place in the world" by implementing forceful measures. It is true that there were no serious incidents such as murders or assaults, but the security was not perfect. In fact, crime directly affected the athletes in the Olympic Village.

Several delegations reported theft inside the complex reserved for athletes. For example, several players from the Argentine national soccer team, such as Thiago Almada, had several personal valuables stolen while they were training, according to their coach, Javier Mascherano.

Another delegation that was robbed was that of the Australian BMX team, which had some of its training equipment stolen. Even famous visitors such as former Brazilian soccer star Zico, who was robbed of personal items worth around $550,000, according to Argentine newspaper Clarín.

Aside from the robberies, the security protocol implemented in Paris affected service sector workers. The labyrinth of fences built in the French capital to direct foot traffic and indicate which spaces were off-limits hurt cab drivers and business owners, who were unable to carry out their work properly and lost money.

Pollution in the Seine disrupts the Olympics

The men's triathlon had to be postponed due to high levels of pollution in the Seine, where the swimming leg of the event took place. Ultimately, the event was held the following day.

Several training sessions for open water swimming events were also canceled.

Another pollution-related event in the Seine involved Claire Michel. The Belgian triathlete was hospitalized for several days after being infected by E. coli, known to cause serious stomach and intestinal problems.

It is ironic that this happened, because the IOC and the authorities were so focused on the environment before the 2024 Paris Olympics, adopting the Agenda 2030 imposed by the United Nations (U.N.). In addition, personalities such as Paris Mayor Ana Maria Hidalgo swam in the Seine to demonstrate that it was safe.

Praise for Adolf Hitler

Several pro-Palestinian fans attending the soccer match between Paraguay and Israel began to yell antisemitic chants, displaying banners with hateful messages and performing the Nazi salute. Perhaps most egregious was when they chanted, "Heil Hitler," extolling the German genocidal figure who murdered millions of Jews.

Soon, French authorities launched an investigation to clarify the facts and identify the antisemites who committed crimes of "aggravated incitement to racial hatred" and "incitement to discrimination," according to a report by CNN.

The involvement of a man convicted of raping a minor

The name Steven van de Velde was unknown to many until he appeared on the Dutch delegation call-up list. The volleyball player was allowed to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics despite having a conviction for raping a minor, as reported by Forbes.

When he appeared for a match, the fans in attendance greeted Van de Velde with boos.

Khelif and Lin: Athletes with XY chromosomes participate in female event

Perhaps the most controversy generated at the 2024 Paris Olympics was when boxers Imane Khelif (Algeria) and Lin Yu-Ting (Taiwan) participated in the women's boxing events despite previously failing gender eligibility tests. The controversy was not only that they were able to compete, as they also achieved medals.

Numerous authorities from around the world spoke out about what it meant to see Khelif and Lin in the ring fighting women. After Italian boxer Angela Carini abandoned her bout against the Algerian shortly after it began, Giorgia Meloni's cabinet was highly critical of the IOC's choice to allow Khelif to participate without having passed the gender tests. "It's crazy," said Matteo Salvini, Italian vice president.

From the United States, the most outspoken was Donald Trump. A spokesman for his presidential campaign said the Republican nominee will not allow men to compete in women's sports. Should he return to the White House, he will sign new measures aimed to "protect women and girls."

Giving the go-ahead for boxers Khelif and Lin to fight in the women's category without having passed gender tests has cast doubt on the IOC's credibility. The top sports body has softened its guidelines, abandoning the rules that required gender testing of athletes in order to ban their participation in events that do not correspond to their gender.

Athlete arrested for allegedly buying cocaine

Australian field hockey player Thomas Craig was arrested by police officers who caught him when he was allegedly trying to buy cocaine in the 9th arrondissement of Paris.

After the arrest, he was transferred to police custody. The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) confirmed the news, without naming the detainee, although it assured that no charges were filed. The drug trafficker was also arrested.