Canadian athletes revel in spectacle of Olympic venues
Karissa Donkin | for CBC Sports | Posted: August 6, 2024 7:14 PM | Last Updated: August 6
Paris Games have featured fencing in Grand Palais, beach volleyball under the glow of Eiffel Tower
Inside Paris La Défense Arena, Canadian swimmer Finlay Knox stood behind the blocks and soaked in the feeling of hearing more than 13,000 cheering fans.
Sharing the pool for a couple of races with French swimming sensation Léon Marchand, who won four gold medals and a bronze at the Paris Olympics, Knox estimated the crowd was 10 times louder than normal.
Even though the French fans may not have been cheering for Knox specifically, he drew energy from them.
"It was a truly incredible moment for me, and something that I had never experienced in my swimming career," Knox told reporters on Sunday.
With the last two Olympic Games staged during a pandemic emergency, Paris has marked the return of fans.
Organizers promised a spectacle, and so far, it's lived up to that promise, from the venues to the celebrities in the stands.
Take the women's road cycling event, which Olympic organizers say drew about 400,000 spectators to the street.
Even sports where athletes may be accustomed to drawing smaller crowds are noticing some extra energy.
Competing in her fifth Olympic Games, Canadian tennis table player Mo Zhang said it was easier to focus in Tokyo without fans. A quiet venue makes it easier to hear your competitor hitting the ball.
Even with the extra noise, Zhang enjoyed the atmosphere inside South Paris Arena, where table tennis matches were held.
"The crowd didn't affect me at all," she said. "I was focused only on playing."
A view of the Eiffel Tower
One of France's best known landmarks, the Grand Palais, played host to fencing. More than 6,000 fans could feel like they were back in another time, watching a duel inside the structure built for the Paris Universal Exhibition nearly 125 years ago.
Like table tennis players, fencers don't always compete in front of big crowds. But the fans showed up in Paris.
"It's cool to be at the Olympics, no matter what. But to fence in the Grand Palais? This is the coolest venue I've ever fenced in," Canadian fencer Blake Broszus said.
"And seeing how many fans are here and how enthusiastic they are about fencing, it's something we're not really used to. So it's great to come here and feel like a celebrity and fence our best."
Of course, there's no better-known Paris landmark than the Eiffel Tower. Not only did the Tower take a starring role in the opening ceremony, but it's also the backdrop for some of the outdoor venues.
The best view might be from the Eiffel Tower Stadium set up to host beach volleyball.
The temporary outdoor arena and the stands for spectators were built so competitors and fans alike could have an unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower. More than 11,000 fans can pack into the stadium to take in both the sport and a spectacular light show at night.
The view of the Eiffel Tower helped Canada's team of Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes a few days ago, as they won a lucky loser round match after a loss earlier in the day.
"It was so special for so many reasons, especially when it's something you visualize," Wilkerson said.
"It's beautiful, and when you're having a hard go and what we experienced just a few hours [before], it really helps lean into the gratitude of what we're doing here and to be able to show up and appreciate just what that moment is."
Wilkerson and Humana-Paredes will take on Spain's Daniela Alvarez and Tania Moreno in the quarterfinals at Eiffel Tower Stadium on Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET.
WATCH | Wilkerson and Humana-Paredes advance to quarterfinals after win over U.S. team:
Organizers also staged swimming events in the Seine, with $1.5 billion spent to clean up the long-polluted river. That's come with mixed success.
Triathlon swimming went ahead in the Seine, though the men's triathlon was delayed due to concerns around water quality. A training session ahead of open-water marathon swimming events in the Seine was also cancelled on Tuesday.
Friendly faces in the stands
The return of fans also marks the return of friends and family, friendly faces in the crowd that were missing during the last two Games in Tokyo and Beijing.
Canadian siblings Gunnar and Isabella Holmgren both competed in their first Olympic Games in cross-country mountain biking.
They raced a course built on Elancourt Hill, the highest point in the Paris region that features a view of the Eiffel Tower from the top.
"I think there were like 15,000 people each day [watching the races] which is way more than I expected," said Gunnar Holmgren, who finished 30th in his race.
"Fans cheering the whole race for everyone. It was one of the louder races I've been at, which is cool."
Their parents and three siblings, plus some extended family, all came to Paris to cheer on Gunnar and Isabella.
"Our family, it's hard to get everybody in one place at the same time, just our immediate family," said Isabella Holmgren, who finished 17th in her event.
Isabella's twin sister, Ava, can also be found travelling the world to compete in mountain biking, just like Isabella and Gunnar.
Another brother, Max, is training to become a police officer, but was able to leave to see Isabella and Gunnar compete at the Olympics.
"That definitely made it really special," she said.