Olympic sites across Paris were being tidied up few days after the Paris 2024 Summer Games’ closing event.
The Place de la Concorde in central Paris – host to skateboarding, BMX, 3×3 basketball and breaking – was subdued, a stark contrast to 17 days of spectacle and sporting fervour.
Absent were the athletes, spectators, helpers and police presence, as workers removed metal barriers and roads reopened to traffic.
The Paris Olympics brought thrilling sport to the city centre, revitalising an Olympic brand damaged by the challenges of Rio de Janeiro’s 2016 Games and the lacklustre atmosphere of Tokyo’s COVID-affected event.
There were 10,500 athletes competing in the Olympics at various locations across France, including surfing in Tahiti.
Organisers reported that 10.8 million tickets were sold for the Olympics and Paralympics, which will commence on 28 August.
