The Olympics!

Our tickets were for judo, a sport I really knew nothing about. Thankfully, NBC had a webpage dedicated to everything I needed to know to watch Olympic judo, and this summary was consumed on our trip into the venue. We arrived at the Stadt de Mars and got in line for the tickets. Volunteers were handing out tiny fans, but luckily the heat wasn’t too bad. Our tickets specifically told us what lines to stand in and entrances to use, and it was really well organized. Volunteers helped corral the lines, blocking them back to allow pedestrians to cross streets, and assisting with directions. We found a merch store inside and were able to buy some souvenirs of our time here! The judo arena was packed. We got to see three different matches. All were mixed pairs (6 people, men and women) per team. The teams are matched and compete by gender and weight. Every single match we saw ended in a draw, which then goes into a randomized tie-breaking match. 

The first set was Brazil and Italy. At the end of the draws, the randomized pair was a set of women, where the Italian woman had suffered an injury in her round. She fought valiantly but ended up losing. I’ve watched the Olympics as long as I can remember, and I love watching the joy of the winners. However, with this woman I was drawn to her obvious devastation. You could see she gave it her absolute all, both in her first match, and her tie-breaking match. She knelt at the edge of the mats, sobbing. Her teammates supported her to congratulate the Brazilians, but she once again collapsed on the edge of the mat. You could feel the emotion emanating off her. The only word I could think to describe her face was anguish. Her coaches tried to comfort her, but she was inconsolable. I admire anyone at an Olympic level. I resonated with the pain of giving your all, despite physical injury, and yet not accomplishing your goals. She carried the weight of her entire team, and her nation with her. Her effort was admirable, but she clearly will remember this moment.

The second match was Germany and South Korea. The tie breaking match was two guys, who had gone into significant overtime in their first match. You could see the exhaustion on both faces, yet they rallied. The crowd decided to chant for the German. The stadium rocked on the syllables. And yet- at the last moment, the South Korean pulled off a win for his team.

And then, the final match was about to begin: France vs. Japan. From seemingly nowhere, the stadium transformed into French flags everywhere. Songs and chants began. As the teams were announced, a massive French flag unfurled over one audience section and waved as a banner. The national pride was palpable. The matches began, and the cameramen shared with us the intensity of each match. I could see the sweat dripping in streams of noses and being blinked out of eyes. You could see the determination as opponents tumbled in circles around the mats, each trying to best the other. And you could see the absolute exhaustion as the overtime in matches started. The crowd was deafening. Every single French athlete had a personalized chant. Alle *insert team member name* rocked through the stadium. Then another alle-name-6 syllable chant. Then another clapping rhythm that ended with the name. While the French were vocal, the Japanese flags dotted the arena in clusters, and you could see the joy and silent fist pumping as the Japanese stood to cheer their teams on. As each match came to defining moments, the crowd lifted out of their seats as one, then settle back down as the sparring continued. Japan held the lead, but when the 5^th match was won, giving France a chance at gold, you could feel the tensions rise. This judo match was an interesting blend of individual competition, but your win contributes to your team. I admire that 6^th team member. She carried the weight of herself, her team, and her country. And she tied the score. The minute she won, the stadium, like a well-organized choir, began the national anthem. They finished the verse and sat in anticipation as the randomizer wheel selected the tiebreaking pair. And when it choose Teddy, the reigning French judo champion, verse 2 of the anthem was sung. Every second of that tie breaking match was spent standing. You could feel every person leaning towards the mats, willing a win for their teams. And the very second the match was won, the place erupted.

I’m not French, but in that moment, I felt like I was. To see such a hard-fought French victory, sitting in Paris: just wow. Grateful for this incredible experience and the people who made it wonderful.