The Paralympic Games ended Sunday evening with the closing ceremony at the Stade de France, leaving many Parisians nostalgic for an extraordinary summer.
It’s officially over. The closing ceremony of the Paralympic Games took place on Sunday evening at the Stade de France, ending a summer apart, punctuated by the performances and emotions of the athletes.
In a few weeks, Paris has been transformed. Abandoning their skepticism and distrust, Parisians have let themselves be carried away by the Olympic and Paralympic Games. To the point, this Monday, of feeling a certain nostalgia when thinking back on the past two months.
“I don’t want it to end. We had 15 days of communion, everyone was really happy. I’m going to miss it a lot,” admits a young spectator I met at Club France. “It’s a huge collective success,” adds Christophe, who has followed many events. “We don’t know what we’re going to do now, we’re desperate. Is there a toll-free number?”, a woman asks ironically in front of the giant screens.
“Everything was perfect”
However, between the controversies surrounding the organization, the transport or even the quality of the water of the Seine, the challenge was far from won. “As a Parisian, we did not expect it and it was better than what we expected, everything was perfect. It does France good”, rejoices a resident.
The volunteers, who numbered nearly 45,000 and were mobilized at the various competition sites, also regret this excitement. “We met a lot of people, we got excited about all the sports. The return to reality is going to be hard,” says one volunteer.
And even the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, wanted to highlight this in his speech the day after the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games.
“This morning, we all feel a bit nostalgic (…) We lived for more than two weeks in a country where we felt that the air was lighter, that something had changed. We don’t want life to resume its rights because, deep down, life is what we have experienced in recent weeks. It must continue, and that is the true face of France.”
“Like a family”
The French were then able to see the Paralympic Games, which they enjoyed just as much. But now, the nostalgia is more intense. Axelle, retired, was able to enjoy the Paralympic marathon in Saint-Denis this Saturday.
“I even have tears in my eyes to see that it is the last day, so I got up early to enjoy it in my city, which was a host city with great success and a great pride I believe for all its inhabitants, and which also showed an image of Saint-Denis to the whole world which was really an opportunity from which I hope we will reap fruits afterwards”, she explains, moved.
For Katia, a nurse, “it created, I would say, like a family, a real social cohesion where everyone was really happy to be together.”
A unique event
A real attraction of the Paris Games, the French were able to admire the Olympic cauldron for the last time on Saturday evening. “It will remain an event that you can only experience once in your life and that’s what makes it beautiful,” assures a man, in front of the flame.
As one volunteer, wearing her Olympic bucket hat, says, “everything comes to an end, it was a great experience and it will remain a good memory that we will treasure.”
