ARIS — Throngs of tourists flocking to the Eiffel Tower on a warm, humid afternoon cannot help but notice the 2024 Summer Olympics are close at hand. Much of the surrounding gardens have been cordoned off with chain-link fencing, transformed into construction sites with big trucks rumbling in and out. Work crews in hard hats are finishing a temporary beach volleyball stadium and the grandstands around a plaza where athletes will receive their medals each night.
It makes sense that Paris has put the iconic landmark to use — these Games will be nothing if not a picture-postcard affair. Equestrian events at the Château de Versailles, fencing at the Grand Palais, skateboarders at the Place de la Concorde. “Each Games has to find a way to rise to the challenge,” says Michael Payne, a sports marketer and former longtime Olympic executive.
“Paris has got that phenomenal backdrop.” The venues themselves will be stars during the coming weeks of competition as organizers hope to showcase the Games on a made-for-television stage unlike anywhere else in the world. Château de Versailles Modern pentathlon has never been a fan favorite.
The event can be quirky and fun to watch as athletes transition through five seemingly unrelated sports, but it simply doesn’t draw a lot of attention. U.S.
team member Jess Davis is hoping for a boost this summer. In early August, modern pentathlon will follow equestrian at the temporary sites on the grounds of this historic palace. Horse jumping among the topiaries.
Fencing and pistol shooting surrounded by hundreds of statues. Cross-country running near the Grand Canal. Swimming, too.
Converting the 2,000-acre property, which dates back to Louis XIII, into a playing field will help lend these Games what International Olympic Committee executive Christophe Dubi has described as “a French touch, a French spirit.” Which might rub off on Davis’ sport. “I can’t think of a better venue,” she says.
“I’m really excited for people to watch it and experience it.” Grand Palais.
