Beaches open in Paris as Olympic city gears up for summer

By Xiaofei Xu, CNN

Paris (CNN) — Lying on a sunny beach in France, occasionally sipping an ice-cold beverage, and then jumping into warm water. This must be the French Riviera, right?

Or, actually, Paris.

In an effort to transform how tourists experience summer in the French capital this July and August as it hosts the 2024 Olympic Games, the city is opening three beaches in its center, bringing a taste of St. Tropez and Nice to more northerly, urban shores.

As usual, Paris will open its regular summer beach on the banks of the Seine river. But this year, it’ll be joined by two more along the Saint Martin canal – a return of a regular fixture in the Bassin de la Villette cultural district plus a newer plage further along.

Paris’ city government confirmed to CNN it is confident that the water quality will meet health standards during the game.

Pierre Rabadan, Paris deputy mayor in charge of sport and the Olympic games, said the city will deploy 30 testing sites along the Seine and its branches before it reaches Paris to monitor water quality in real time and quickly identify and handle potential pollution risks.

For those who still might recoil at the idea of jumping in a city center waterway, there are other options. The beaches are the centerpieces of a program of activities in Paris aimed at creating an Olympic festival for visitors descending on the city during the 2024 summer Games.

This has been revealed as Paris, traditionally one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, faces a potential struggle to lure visitors amid fears of overcrowding and overpricing during the Olympics.

An alternative Paris Olympics, for everybody

The 2 million-plus residents of central Paris have always had a strong sense of pride in the arrondissement, or district, that they live in. It’s not unknown for residents of the 16th arrondissement and those of the 11th arrondissement to harbor subtle prejudices against each other.

The city is planning to harness those rivalries in a “District Olympics” that will pit the fastest, highest and strongest from each arrondisment to finally settle the debate of which neighborhood is best –- at least in terms of sport.

But these games are actually open to everybody aged seven and above. Which means you don’t need to live in Paris to participate. All you need to do is pick an arrondissement you’d like to represent. Participants will be separated into four age groups: 7 to 12, 13 to 16, 17 to 35 and those aged 36 or above.

From June 22 to July 13, Parisians and visitors can compete in seven different sports: laser run (cross-country running combined with laser pistol shooting), 3×3 basketball, boccia (a Paralympic ball sport) table tennis, 60-meter run, breakdancing, and 50-meter freestyle swimming.

Olympic flames

For those who just want to party and watch other people, professional or amateur, do the sport, Paris has you covered.

The arrival of the Olympic flame to the French capital coincides with France’s July 14 national day – and the city is throwing a huge party to celebrate.

On the day, Parisians and visitors will be able to watch the torch relay at several city center locations. In Place du Colonel Fabien it’ll be soundtracked by a DJ and at Petit Palais, right by the Champs-Élysées. French opera group D.I.V.A will provide the music.

In the Paris LGBTQ district of Marais, a bingo drag event is being organized for the viewing party.

For those who miss the flames in Paris on July 14 and 15, the torch returns to the French capital for the opening ceremony on July 26.

This time the flame will journey down the Saint Martin canal to the opening ceremony on the Seine river, offering the potential of watching it from one of the new beaches.

A marathon for all

For runners, Paris is offering the chance to run the exact Olympic marathon route between the city center and suburban Versailles – said to be the first such event in the history of the Games.

The event will take place on August 10, with an additional 10-kilometer route for less ambitious participants that will take runners past landmarks such as the Opéra Garnier, Place de la Concorde and the Eiffel Tower.

The full-length marathon is open to those aged 20 above while the shorter version is open to anyone aged 16 and above. Entry is via a lottery through the Paris Olympic Games app.

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