From the ceremony to the Seine: How did Paris cope with the Olympics?

When Paris won the bid to host this summer's Olympics, officials promised a Games like never before with the River Seine at the heart of it all. As the Paris Olympics draws to a close, we take a look at what worked, and what didn't.

Opening Ceremony

For the first time in Olympic history, the Opening Ceremony wasn't held in a stadium, but rather on Paris's historic River Seine. The idea was audacious - not least of all because of the security risk - but the ceremony was largely hailed as an epic success... at least by the French. Conservative groups, however, weren't too pleased with one scene that they interpreted as a mockery of the Last Supper.

The one thing organizers couldn't control was the weather and the ceremony turned out to be a soggy affair. Massive downpours drenched the 11,000 athletes parading down the river on boats and the hundreds of thousands of spectators lining the Seine banks.

But for many, the rain failed to dampen the mood.

"It's part of the magic of the celebration of the Olympic Games," said Yasmine, a young woman who lives in Paris.

The real showstopper was a stunning performance by Celine Dion - her first since going public with her stiff person diagnosis.

Swimming in the River Seine

Olympic organizers raised more than a few eyebrows when they announced the triathlon and marathon swimming events would take place in the Seine, Paris's notoriously polluted waterway. The city spent north of a billion dollars trying to clean it up and install a massive holding tank under the river to hold back sewage, which spills into the Seine during heavy rainfall.

Concerns over the Seine's water quality hung like a dark cloud over the entire Games - and bouts of torrential rain caused bacteria levels to temporarily spike. At least five training sessions were canceled and the men's triathlon gunned off a day late.

After the men's and women's triathlon got underway, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said "We won our bet - the pollution has been cleaned up."

‌But declaring 'Mission Accomplished' proved premature. Days after the swim a Belgian triathlete said she contracted a nasty virus - while a Swiss swimmer came down with a gastrointestinal infection. Neither athlete knows for sure if their time in the Seine was the culprit.

Was the significant investment worthwhile?

Hosting the Olympics is always expensive, and this time was no different. France spent just shy of $10 billion preparing. Ahead of the Games, the French statistics office forecast a 0.3 percent boost to GDP in the third quarter as upwards of 15 million tourists descended on the capital.

But despite massive queues outside the official Olympic merchandise store, hotels, cafes and restaurants complained of low foot traffic. Tight security around the downtown core and road closures made some parts of the city difficult to access. And it seemed Parsians heeded officials' pleas to leave the city or work from home.

‌"We were told not to take any holidays. That there was going to be work," said one taxi driver waiting for a fare along the Champs Elysees. "We have been sidelined by special transport companies dedicated to the Games and the delegations. In terms of business, we've lost between 30 and 40 percent of our turnover."

Event venues capitalize on France's beauty and history

One of the biggest highlights of the Olympics was the venues themselves. Fans soaked in the excitement at some of France's most iconic landmarks. Fencing under the glass dome of the Grand Palais. Equestrian in the gardens of Versaille. And beach volleyball at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.

"I think it's iconic," said one young German girl visiting with her family. "I think everyone knows Paris for the Eiffel Tower. And then you have an event and the bottom, and you can take great pictures."

French fall in love with the Olympics

Perhaps the biggest victory of Paris 2024 was how the Games united the French people after bitterly divisive national elections last month and years of Olympic skepticism. Crowds rallied behind the blue, white and red and fell in love with one athlete in particular.

"We love Leon Marchand altogether. We vibe for him!" declared one French fan.

The shy, smiling, video-game loving swimmer captured the heart of the French after winning an unprecedented four gold medals at this Summer's Olympics. Judoka Teddy Riner also rallied the crowd.

‌"The French medals do a lot for the atmosphere in the country because they bring a bit of cheerfulness, joy and hope to a country whose politics aren't exactly rosy," said one French fan.

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