Zareena Gaibee shares her excitement on the cusp of the Paris Olympics; she is ready for the games to begin, and so are we!
South Africa (23 July 2024) – The Olympic Games ignite this week. Rugby Sevens starts on Wednesday, 24 July and the Opening Ceremony on Friday, 26 July at 19:30 local time in Paris and SA. There are no guaranteed medallists, but Team South Africa has several hopefuls. It’s not just about the medals, though. The Olympics shine a spotlight on lesser-watched sports, highlighting the powerful impact of sport in South Africa across disciplines like athletics, hurdles, and the marathon.
This year, South Africa is sending one of its largest teams ever, with about 45% of the team being female. This is partly due to Paris hosting the first gender-equal games, featuring an equal number of male and female athletes. Whilst this is a start, the infrastructure and workforce for the games are not yet equal, with less than an estimated 30% of accredited media being female. However, progress is evident, as shown by the pioneering all-female recording team that captured the Netball World Cup in Cape Town last year.
New Olympic sports like breaking (break dancing) have been added to the programme. Although no South African competitors qualified for the games, they were contenders on the circuit. Being included in the Olympics has spurred reputable and organised international competitions, creating a qualification pipeline. Watching these competitions can be confusing for novices and commentators alike, but growth isn’t always straightforward. The games provide an opportunity for legends in their fields to gain international recognition.
The games restrict the number of athletes each country can send for certain events. For example, in the Women’s marathon, it’s conceivable that one country could sweep the podium. However, with only three athletes allowed per country, this leaves the door open for others. Currently, among the top 11 in the world ranking for this event, six are Kenyan, four are Ethiopian, and one represents the Netherlands.
Medal favourites give us hope, but with South Africans competing in a vast array of sports, including Archery, Artistic Gymnastics, Athletics, Badminton, Canoe Sprint, Cycling (BMX Freestyle, BMX Racing, Mountain Bike, Road, Track), Diving, Equestrian, Fencing, Golf, Hockey, Judo, Rowing, Rugby Sevens, Skateboarding, Sport Climbing, Surfing, Swimming, Triathlon, and Wrestling, there are many moments to look forward to.
His Excellency Mr David Martinon, France’s Ambassador to South Africa, Lesotho, and Malawi, said at the official Team South Africa send-off for the Olympics and Paralympics:
“The Olympic Games are also about triggering emotions. Yours and ours… As athletes, your mission, if you accept it, is to inspire the rest of us. Us, who will never be the god of the stadium. Who can’t run fast, who can’t jump high, who can’t swim without sinking, and who can’t even shoot anywhere other than in our own feet. So please accept the mission. Trigger our admiration, bring us joy, and create memories for all of us.”
He went on to provide a cheeky checklist:
- Eat as much baguette as you can.
- Drink as much wine and cognac as you can.
- Smoke.
- Spend all your money at Chanel and Louis Vuitton.
- Go dancing and drinking every night in the French and Persian clubs. Try all of them, night after night.
- Be involved in passionate and desperate romances. And then repeat. Don’t stop—go from one love affair to the other.
- Bring back medals to South Africa.
- Make South Africa proud.
I can’t speak for all the items on the list, but the games have a place in the sporting calendar because they give athletes something to strive for; Faster, Higher, Stronger—Together as the Olympic motto, revised in 2021, goes. More than that, as the ambassador said, they “trigger our admiration, bring us joy, and create memories for all of us.”
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Zareena Gaibee will be on the ground in Paris for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics events, sharing her take on the prestigious sporting event, giving exclusive insights into life at the games, and hopefully meeting many of the South Africans in Paris who are competing and supporting. She will be reporting her findings for Good Things Guy, giving readers a glimpse of what flying the flag in Paris is all about.
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