Empty seats and full workshops. On this Friday, “the atmosphere is quiet” in the Trocadero fan zone, summarizes Halim in his folding chair, one eye on the giant screen. “There are not many people, probably because of the holidays and the Covid”, guesses this Yvelinois fan of athletics. Because the fifty seats are struggling to fill up at 11 o’clock.
“Communication was very poor,” comments Martine, a marathon runner at heart responsible for guiding visitors. No one has been warned, it’s a shame. “With his Japanese sidekick Cuangquigi, the two women try to gather people in the enclosure, accessible with a health pass, or an antigen test delivered if necessary at a stand at the entrance.
A success for the initiation workshops
The sports workshops scattered around the enclosure, on the other hand, seem to be a great success with leisure centers. “The children are delighted,” relates Emmanuelle, leader of one of the groups. So far, we were very well received. The children feel quite free in the middle of all the workshops, and the giant screen allows them to follow the matches during the breaks. “
A finding confirmed by Mehdi, fencing coach. “The lessons are open to everyone, but there are many children”, rejoices the coach of an Essonnien club. Among the other initiation stands on offer, adults and children can choose between badminton, laser shooting, handball or even judo.
Applause for Riner’s Bronze
Suddenly, a round of applause from the spectators: at noon, Teddy Riner has just won the bronze medal at the end of his match against the Japanese Hisayoshi Harasawa. Hugo and Clément let out laughs of joy. The two high school students came especially for judoka. “He’s amazing,” one exclaims. “He’s a great champion,” adds his friend. Moreover, Clément follows all the matches on TV, even at night: “It’s complicated with the time difference, since the matches end very late in France. “
Further on, Noam does not hide his amusement: “He has it under his shoulder,” he said at the sight of the two-meter medalist wrapping his arm around the head of his trainer. Sandra, his mother, does not miss a beat of the show, she who has done sports, from the gym to French boxing. If she is saddened by the places left vacant on the esplanade, she knows how to console herself: “There is worse scenery, with the Eiffel Tower in the background, the setting is exceptional”. Others have come a long way, like Valentin, who came straight from La Rochelle. Asked about the French record of medals at the Olympic Games, the young man has the answer: “At the Olympics, there are always surprises. Some good, some bad. “
* Event open every day until August 8, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.