The Paris 2024 Olympics had many memorable moments: Yusuf Dikec won silver with no equipment in shooting for Turkey, Katie Ledecky beat all of the swimming contestants by a landslide in the 1500-meter freestyle for Team USA, and, most hilariously, B-girl Raygun breakdanced to represent Australia and became a viral internet meme. 

Most people experienced these exciting moments on television, but few people know how memorable it was to actually be there. I recently had the incredible opportunity to attend the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris myself, where I got a feel for the city’s ambiance while attending four events: men’s water polo, women’s marathon, women’s table tennis, and boxing. 

On the streets of Paris, all of the tourists represented their country, either with a flag or just a shirt that showed their country’s flag. While I was eating in a restaurant, France’s men’s basketball team advanced to the finals and everyone on the streets was ecstatic. The servers and customers cheered together, clapping and hugging, which only made the experience more electrifying. The atmosphere was lively with many posters about the Olympics scattered around metros, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe. All of the souvenir shops were stocked with the 2024 Olympic logo and mascot, the Phryge, a liberty cap that symbolizes France’s liberation. 

Most of the events had sold-out tickets, and the environment was exhilarating. While the audience was rarely shown on television, the atmosphere in the crowd was similar to high school football games—there was always a chant going on. During the men’s water polo match between Serbia and the United States, I participated in the USA chants while the people around me participated in the chants for Serbia. Unlike many games in the United States, where fans of opposing teams can get frustrated with each other, there was mutual respect between us and we all enjoyed the game. In addition, I watched the women’s table tennis between Germany and South Korea. Not being part of either country, I decided to cheer for Germany as the man next to me proudly held his German flag, shouting “Deutschland” in the chants. 

Another aspect of the Olympics not shown on television as much is the patriotism and dedication of the athletes and fans. In a regular sports match in the United States, most people go through the motions of the national anthem. However, when listening to their national anthems in the Olympics, athletes from many nations would link arms together with their countrymen and loudly sing the lyrics to their national anthem. Along with this, the fans would participate, some not even singing for their country. I remember a Spanish woman near me singing the Italian national anthem, even though the teams were against each other. During the boxing match, I remember people from Taiwan chanting for Lin Yu-ting every single second of the match, singing their national anthem proudly, as Lin Yu-ting cried passionately when awarded with the gold medal. 

Watching the Olympic games in person is much different compared to watching it on television or even watching an American sporting event in person. The atmosphere is unique with everyone representing their country and coming together to make a diverse yet unified environment. Talking and being around people beside me at the games made me realize how energetic and happy everyone was to be there to cheer on their country. Ultimately, it really illustrates how pride in one’s country and unity with others can go hand-in-hand.