The first men’s football and rugby sevens matches were underway as fans began flocking to the French capital for the Olympic Games.
The Paris Olympics have officially started with the first matches in football and rugby sevens on Wednesday.
Some sports kicked off two days before the opening ceremony on Friday night to respect the athletes’ recovery times and ensure the finals take place before the closing ceremony on 11 August.
According to the rules, there must be at least three days between matches involving the same team.
There’s excitement for the start of the competitions, though some fans have expressed frustration over organisational issues.
Phil from Ireland said he had no trouble getting to the Stade de France in Paris, but once there, he found the venue “a bit messy, with no fences or anything…”
Denis from France feels very lucky to be watching a different sporting event each day with his family to celebrate his 60th birthday.
“Today I start with rugby, tomorrow I’m going to see the handball. It’s fabulous to be able to watch the games. It’s a dream,” he said.
“It’s a great moment of sharing, for sure”, said another French fan who came to see the rugby sevens games. “Full of matches, very fast, lots of teams, and lots of nations. So it’s always a joy to meet other countries.”
However, not everyone found it easy to navigate Paris during the games. Clara from Los Angeles said she faced difficulties during her visit because of various issues in the French capital.
“We’re just unhappy about doing touristy things and all the blockages that we encountered,” she told Euronews. “We downloaded the app that said ‘don’t go here, don’t go there, take this train instead of that.'”
