in Paris, fans rekindle the flame during the big clearance sale

The sky is covered with a gray veil, the cold bites the skin, but in the endless queue, smiles light up the faces of some 2,500 fans – gauge obliges! – to hunt down the Paris 2024 stock sale, on the square in front of the Paris City Hall (1st arrondissement). The date of Saturday October 12 had been marked for many weeks for the hundreds of Ile-de-France residents nostalgic for the Olympic interlude. Since the beginning of autumn, these fleas have been organized throughout France, to the delight of onlookers, who can treat themselves to the latest “goodies” from the Olympics. A large part of the stock has in fact already been donated to sports federations and communities.

The most motivated set up their tent on Friday, at 4 p.m., so as not to miss the opportunity to wander through the aisles of the clearance sale. From the first rays of sunshine this Saturday, hundreds of people quietly waited for the doors to open at 11 a.m. The line was so long that after going around the town hall, it went up rue de Rivoli, rue de la Coutellerie then rue Victoria, so much so that the organizers were forced to curb the enthusiasm of the Parisians gathered in front of it. the grids. “The queue for the Braderie de l’Hôtel de Ville is closed, there is no longer any access possible”wrote the City on X from… 11:02 a.m. “I’m taking the train at 3 p.m., I hope that will do it”sighs Bastien, far away in the queue.

“Banana bag”, “shoes” et “duffel bag”

The wait can last several hours. So, to kill time, everyone has their own technique: reading a book, choreographing or singing to the rhythm of a Paris 2024 staff member. But the moment is above all conducive to exchange between enthusiasts. Aline arrived 6 hours from the south of Essonne, where flooding linked to the Kirk depression caused heavy damage. With a creamy white hat screwed onto her head, she was carried away by the enthusiasm of the JOP. “We spent the holiday budget on the events: women’s rugby sevens, football, wrestling and table tennis for the Olympics, swimming, judo, blind football and athletics for the Paralympics”she lists. Here she is, commissioned by her daughter to find “a fanny pack”. She wants to find “shoes” and a “duffel bag” marked Paris 2024.

In addition to the other outfits and accessories of the volunteers present, the items sold are varied: athletes’ bath towels, accredited lanyards, country flags for medal ceremonies, reusable cups, etc. All are offered at low prices between one and thirty euros, reduced by -70 to -90%, from unused orders or with a manufacturing defect. “It’s a good thingestimates Fabienne, a retiree from Issy-les-Moulineaux. It’s a circular economy, everyone is happy in the process. And it gives us a physical memory of this period!»

Behind a family sitting on camping chairs, and in front of a group of friends jumping around to keep warm, Victor goes to his second rummage sale. Last week, he was in Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine), where he waited nine hours outside due to logistical problems with the organization of Paris 2024. “I participated in the two closing ceremonies but not in the events», Breathes the young man of 21 years, who does not follow sport the rest of the year. But he sees this period as “a golden parenthesis”. “We could walk on the Champs-Élysées in complete tranquility, with peace of mindhe insists. There, I have the impression of rediscovering this moment of joy and conviviality that the JOPs were! In the lines, you can chat with everyone. We share our anecdotes, our stories, our daily life.»

Much further, Arthur, forty-year-old with “The Crew» by Joseph Kessel in hand, enjoys the ambient calm. “The values ​​of Olympism reignhe begins. I never imagined seeing so many Parisians remaining so calm in the face of this waiting time!»

«A bob because it has too much flow”

The event did not only attract Ile-de-France residents or the French: in the queue, tourists heard about the event and decided to stop by, like John and Sydney, who arrived in the capital on Wednesday . “A friend asked me to bring him a bob because he had too much ‘flow’ (like, Editor’s note) on the volunteers on television, laughs the 42-year-old Australian. I would like to collect a key ring to put in our van as a souvenir of these Games. Frankly, at home, we were impressed by the setting of the tests. It took our breath away, and with the good results (Australia finished 4th in the medal table Editor’s note), we had a progressive media frenzy despite the time difference.”

Further on, Soojin, who came from South Korea, remembers with emotion the archery events at Les Invalides, where the Koreans had harvested a harvest of charms, in “a breathtaking atmosphere”. “My friend asked me to bring him a flag of our country which was used for the medal ceremonies”she explains alongside her friend who, given her drawn features, seems less delighted to get up at dawn after a short night.

La Phryge, in great absence

Some looked in vain for the Phryge plush toy, the viral mascot of the sporting event. “She blew me away, she was THE star of the Games, Pauline exclaims. We bought quite a few during the Olympics but I didn’t see any today.” There was no point searching the stalls set up under tents for the famous stuffed toys or official posters: only products which were not sold and were used to hold the competition were available.

The disappointed, also wanting to recover a souvenir, will still have a few catch-up sessions in their calendar: the Olympic and Paralympic Games clearance sale will also set up its stands in Montpellier (Hérault), Reims (Champagne-Ardenne), Vichy (Allier) and Verny (Moselle). The most passionate Olympic flame has not yet been extinguished.