BEIJING: After two Games clouded by COVID-19 restrictions, Paris 2024 are looking to launch a new momentum for the sporting extravaganza, promising an Olympic “light at the end of the tunnel.”
One hundred years after France last hosted the Summer Olympics amid the post-World War One Années Folles (crazy years) period, Paris aims to be the stage for carefree Games as they return to Europe for the first time in a decade.
“We want to take the Games out of the stadiums, with a ceremony out in the city and a marathon open to the general public,” Tony Estanguet, a triple canoeing Olympic champion who was France’s flag-bearer at the 2008 Beijing Games opening ceremony, told Reuters.
Some 600,000 people are expected to attend the opening ceremony with around 160 boats setting off on the Seine on July 26 from the Pont d’Austerlitz for a six-kilometer journey to the Pont d’Iena.
While the lower part of the river bank will be subject to ticketing, there will be free access to the upper part with spectators able to see holograms on the water, dancers on the roofs of nearby buildings and aerial shows.
“We are very ambitious, we want to break new ground and offer a popular and spectacular Games,” said Estanguet of the Paris Olympics.
“With Milan-Cortina two years later, this is an opportunity for us to start a new cycle in Europe.”
The Winter Games were last staged in Europe in 2014 in Sochi, Russia, after London hosted the 2012 Summer Olympics.
EIFFEL TOWER
At Beijing 2022, crowds have been extremely limited as authorities sought to keep COVID-19 out of the country by segregating athletes and Games’ workers from the general public with a strict “closed loop” system.
Just 97,000 people attended events at the Beijing Games, while Pyeongchang in 2018 attracted more than a million spectators, organizers said at the time.
The Tokyo Olympics also took place under similar restrictions. Beijing close with a ceremony on Sunday.
In Paris, the whole city will embrace the Games, with some events staged at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.
The Place de la Concorde will be the stage of new events — breaking and skateboarding — while the Chateau de Versailles will host equestrian competitions, and the Grand Palais will welcome taekwondo and fencing.
Three of those four venues are all within walking distance of each other.
“We want these Games to be popular, close to the people,” said Estanguet.
“For a lot of people, the Paris Olympics are the light at the end of the tunnel, there are a lot of expectations in these Olympics.
“The Games will change everything that has been done before, we’re going to experience something unprecedented.”
With great expectations come great responsibilities.
“We like that kind of pressure, we like to question ourselves. We’re going to do everything so that these Olympics make history,” Estanguet said.
“The Games changed my life, I hope these Games can change other lives and that France will magnify the Olympics.”
Olympics-Paris 2024 to be ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ says next Games chief
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Olympics-Paris 2024 to be ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ says next Games chief
- Paris aims to be the stage for carefree Games as they return to Europe for the first time in a decade
- Some 600,000 people are expected to attend the opening ceremony with around 160 boats setting off on the Seine
Saudia unites football, motorsport with displays in Newcastle, Berlin
- Kingdom’s flag carrier introduces fans to new Gen3 Formula E car at St. James’ Park
- Immersive fan zone offers variety of interactive experiences during Berlin E-Prix
BERLIN/JEDDAH: Saudia, the flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, has flown the new Gen3 Formula E car to St. James’ Park in the UK to coincide with Newcastle United’s final home game of the season.
The carrier has a strategic partnership with the Premier League club and is also the official airline partner of the all-electric Formula E series.
The event coincided with the release of a short film bringing together the worlds of motorsport and football, with football fans being introduced to Formula E and the car.
“This event provides a fantastic platform for us to engage with our guests and the global audience, whether in person or through our innovative digital portals,” Khaled Tash, Saudia Group’s chief marketing officer, said in the statement.
“Integrating our partnerships with both Newcastle United and Formula E in such an engaging manner exemplifies our commitment to bringing fans closer to the sports they love. Each year, we strive to elevate the experience for racegoers and fans worldwide, as part of our commitment to creating unforgettable memories wherever our brand is present.”
Saudia also hosted an immersive fan zone experience during the Berlin E-Prix on May 11-12 in Berlin.
Fans were given access to an E-Village, with a dedicated Discover-E Zone featuring a variety of interactive experiences, as well as games, competitions, and giveaways featuring both Saudia and Formula E merchandise.
Knicks bounce back to crush Pacers, Jokic and Nuggets on a roll
- After losing Game 4 by 32 points, it was an emphatic response from the Knicks
- Denver Nuggets made it three straight wins in their semifinal with the Minnesota Timberwolves
NEW YORK: Jalen Brunson was back to his best on Tuesday as the New York Knicks dominated the Indiana Pacers 121-91 to take a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal Game 5.
A win on Friday night in Indianapolis will see the Knicks advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 24 years.
After losing Game 4 by 32 points, it was an emphatic response from the Knicks, with Brunson piling up 44 points with seven assists and four rebounds.
“He’s willing to share everything with his teammates, and to me, that is the best part of him,” said Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau.
“His play is spectacular, but who he is as a teammate, as a leader, it makes us that. Big shot after big shot.”
The Knicks destroyed Indiana on the boards, with Isaiah Hartenstein leading the way with 17 rebounds (12 offensive) while Josh Hart had 11 rebounds (nine defensive).
Brunson’s impact had been limited in the past two games in the series, with concerns that his heavy workload and a foot injury may have slowed him down.
But there were no signs of fatigue as he reached the 40 mark for the fifth time this post-season.
Brunson, who had only 18 points in Sunday’s loss, shot 18 for 35 and put up 28 points in the first half — a playoff record for the Knicks.
It was his seven straight points, including a three-pointer to open up a 20-point lead at 106-86, that made sure of the victory.
“I just love that there is never any excuse-making from him. He’s never talking about injuries,” said Thibodeau.
“A lot of times when you hear people talking about their injuries, a lot of it is excuse-making and you never get that from him.”
The Pacers got off to a strong start and led 25-20 before the Knicks put together an 11-0 run to end the first quarter up 38-32. By halftime, it was 69-54 and New York were in no mood to let the lead slip.
Thibodeau said he expected the response to the blowout defeat from his team.
“They’ve shown that all year, that’s who they are. We still need one more win, so we can’t be too excited about it,” he said.
Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 22 points.
In the West, the Denver Nuggets made it three straight wins in their semifinal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, with Nikola Jokic leading the defending champions with 40 points.
Having trailed 2-0 in the series, Denver are now just one win away from a return to the Western Conference finals.
Jokic was presented with his Most Valuable Player of the year award — the third of his career — before the game, then quickly provided another reminder of his value.
Denver led 50-44 at halftime, with Jokic scoring 19 of their points. Then, after the Wolves went on an 11-3 run early in the third quarter, Jokic scored another 16 to extend the Nuggets’ lead to 88-74.
Denver were able to keep Anthony Edwards quiet, with the Timberwolves star limited to 18 points on 5-of-15 shooting.
The 22-year-old had scored 44 points in Sunday’s Game 4 loss.
But after the shock of losing the opening two games of the series, Jokic knows a tough test awaits on Thursday in Minnesota.
“Our back is still against the wall and we don’t want to quit. We are still desperate, and we still want to win, and we are going to Minnesota to get one,” he said.
Denver head coach Michael Malone was pleased with the way his team dealt with the threat from Edwards.
“We knew we had to do something different with Anthony Edwards, he is just a one-man wrecking crew,” said Nuggets head coach Michael Malone.
“We trapped him, we double-teamed him, flew around behind it, and that takes a lot of effort and our guys committed to it and that was a big part of the win,” he said.
Daniil Medvedev latest to crash out of Italian Open after loss to Tommy Paul
- The second-seeded Medvedev has never successfully defended a title and he failed again as he lost to American Tommy Paul
- In the women’s tournament, top-ranked Iga Swiatek reached the final four when she swept aside former finalist Madison
ROME: The curse of the defending champion struck again for Daniil Medvedev.
The second-seeded Medvedev has never successfully defended a title and he failed again on Tuesday as he lost 6-1, 6-4 to American Tommy Paul to become the latest top player to crash out of the Italian Open.
“It’s disappointing, to be honest,” said Medvedev, who has won 20 tour-level titles. “I wanted to do better here. I was not even close. What can I say? The more titles I win, the more chances I have to defend.
“So the more tournaments in a year I’m going to play where I already won, maybe not defend, but at least win twice the same tournament, that’s what I’m going to try to do.”
The opener lasted just 28 minutes as the 14th-seeded Paul broke Medvedev on all three of his service games and then served out the set to love.
“Was a tough one. Mentally I had to be much better,” Medvedev said. “I started to calm myself down and focus on the match only at the end of the match, and it was too late. I had to do better. I was expecting myself to play better.”
Medvedev improved slightly in the second set when he broke immediately but Paul broke straight back and never looked back, securing his spot in the quarterfinals when Medvedev sent a backhand long.
The second-seeded Medvedev followed 10-time champion Rafael Nadal and top-ranked Novak Djokovic with early exits in Rome.
The only other players to have won the men’s tournament at the Foro Italico in the past 19 years are Andy Murray and Alexander Zverev.
The third-seeded Zverev, who won in 2017, eased past Nuno Borges 6-2, 7-5 and will face Taylor Fritz.
Fritz reached the men’s quarterfinals for the first time after recovering from losing a lengthy second-set tiebreaker — during which he let slip match point — to see off Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-7 (11), 6-1.
Alejandro Tabilo backed up his stunning third-round win against Djokovic by edging Karen Khachanov 7-6 (5), 7-6 (10) to reach a Masters quarterfinal for the first time. He will face Zhang Zhizhen, who ousted Thiago Monteiro 7-6 (4), 6-3.
Paul will play Hubert Hurkacz after the seventh seed — who eliminated Nadal in the second round — beat Sebastian Baez 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-4. The other quarterfinal pits Stefanos Tsitsipas against Nicolas Jarry.
In the women’s tournament, top-ranked Iga Swiatek reached the final four when she swept aside former finalist Madison Keys 6-1, 6-3 with the same score she achieved against the American in the Madrid semifinals two weeks ago.
The 16th-ranked Keys grew more frustrated at her inability to convert break points — racking up 10 without converting a single one — and at one point hit her racket against the clay.
Swiatek won the Madrid Open and is attempting to become the first player to win the “dirt double” since Serena Williams and Nadal both did so in 2013.
The two-time champion will next face third-seeded Coco Gauff after the American beat Qinwen Zheng 7-6 (4), 6-1.
Real Madrid present Spanish league trophy to fans and then rout Alaves 5-0
- Coach Carlo Ancelotti used the regular starters again after giving them some rest in a 4-0 win at Granada
- It was the ninth straight league win for Madrid and sixth in their last seven matches in all competitions
MADRID: Real Madrid presented their 36th Spanish league trophy to their fans at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Tuesday, then followed up the celebrations with a 5-0 rout of Alaves that featured a pair of goals by Vinicius Junior and another by Jude Bellingham.
Federico Valverde and Arda Guler also scored for Madrid, who were yet to play at the Bernabeu since clinching the league two rounds ago. The club celebrated the title on Sunday through the streets of Madrid, but it couldn’t go through its traditional celebration at the Bernabeu because of a concert at the stadium.
They couldn’t celebrate when they clinched the title in advance with a win against Cadiz on May 4 because it had to play Bayern Munich a few days later in the semifinals of the Champions League, a game they won 2-1 to make it to the June 1 final against Borussia Dortmund in London.
“I’m really pleased with the team’s performance, we need to get into a good rhythm. We have a very important game left to crown our season,” Vinicius said. “We always enjoy wearing this shirt and playing for these fans at this stadium. My dream since I was a child was to play here and now we have the opportunity to deliver this victory for many kids who want to be here but can’t.”
Alaves’ players gave Madrid a guard of honor before the match, lining up near the sideline and applauding Madrid players as they entered the field. Madrid captain Nacho Fernandez stepped onto the field carrying the league trophy.
The other 35 league trophies were represented in images placed around the midfield circle.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti used the regular starters again after giving them some rest in a 4-0 win at Granada on Saturday.
Bellingham opened the scoring in the 10th minute, Vinicius scored his first goal in the 27th and Valverde found the net in first-half stoppage time. Vinícius got his second in the 70th and Guler sealed the result in the 81st.
It was the ninth straight league win for Madrid and sixth in their last seven matches in all competitions. They reached 93 points from 36 matches, 17 points more than second-place Barcelona.
Earlier, relegation-threatened Mallorca drew 1-1 at Osasuna, moving to 15th place and staying seven points from the demotion zone.
Girona missed a chance to overcome Barcelona for second place after a 1-0 loss to mid-table Villarreal at home. Girona stayed in third place after the loss, one point from Barcelona and five ahead of fourth-place Atletico Madrid.
Atletico visit mid-table Getafe on Wednesday, while Barcelona are at last-place Almeria on Thursday.
France’s Paret-Peintre claims Giro 10th stage, Pogacar holds lead
- The 23-year-old follows in the footsteps of his elder brother Aurelien, who won a stage on the Giro last year
- Wednesday’s 11th stage takes the peloton 207km from Foiano di Val Fortore to Francavilla al Mare on the Adriatic coast
BOCCA DELLA SELVA, Italy: Valentin Paret-Peintre won the 10th stage of the Giro d’Italia on Tuesday, claiming the honors on the Bocca della Selva summit finish while Tadej Pogacar maintained his overall lead.
Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale rider Paret-Peintre earned on the Italian Grand Tour his first ever professional win, finishing the 142 kilometer stage from Pompei ahead of fellow Frenchman Romain Bardet and Visma rider Jan Tratnik.
The 23-year-old follows in the footsteps of his elder brother Aurelien, who won a stage on the Giro last year and finished fifth on Tuesday, one minute and 25 seconds behind his sibling.
The pair shared a brotherly hug after the stage before the younger Paret-Peintre spoke to media.
“I can’t describe what I feel now, it’s just amazing. I was there to get a good result in the stage and why not win?” he said.
Paret-Peintre finished 29 seconds ahead of Bardet who has jumped up the general classification after gaining nearly three minutes on the day.
Bardet now stands in seventh at 4min 57sec, which is two minutes adrift of Geraint Thomas in third.
Bardet, who is 10 years Paret-Peintre’s senior, is just under five minutes behind pink jersey wearer Pogacar, who had a relatively quiet day and maintained his healthy lead over main rivals Dani Martinez and Thomas.
“I watched him [Bardet] when I was young, when he finished on the podium of the Tour de France,” added Paret-Peintre.
“I dreamed of seeing him one day, and today I battled with him and I beat him.”
Paret-Peintre won the stage after being part of the day’s big breakaway which at its height was some 30 riders strong.
He worked with Bardet on the final climb before attacking 3km from the finish to blaze past Visma-Lease a Bike rider Tratnik, who had tried to go it alone some time before but run out of legs just as the race came to its climax.
“I think 4km to go, 3km to go, I started to feel a bit of weakness in my legs,” said Tratnik.
“I look behind and they pass me with double speed and then for me it was just a battle to the finish line. In the end, third place we can be happy.”
Wednesday’s 11th stage takes the peloton 207km from Foiano di Val Fortore to Francavilla al Mare on the Adriatic coast, where the sprinters should have a chance to shine.
