Paris is known as the City of Light. Its famous riverfront, world-class restaurants and shops, and of course the Eiffel Tower have made the city a picturesque destination for centuries. This year, however, the city has a new title: hosting the 2024 Olympic Games. As a Princeton student spending the summer in Paris, I witnessed this great city transform into the world’s greatest stage—everyday life turned upside down as the world turned around to watch Olympic history being made.

It is not the first time that the city has hosted the Olympic Games. In fact, the 2024 Games will be the third time that the French capital has hosted the Olympics, after 1900 and 1924. However, Paris has grown since the last Olympic Games a century ago – its population has doubled. The city’s status as a global business hub and popular summer tourism destination has made preparations for this year’s Games more challenging than ever before.

I arrived in Paris at the end of May to start my internship organized by Princeton’s International Internship Program (IIP). The company I was interning with moved my internship schedule forward by a week to avoid any clash with the Olympic Games. That was the first indication that the Games would be a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle, and I made sure to stay even after my internship ended to experience Paris at that special moment.

Along with other Princeton students who were also spending the summer in Paris as part of the IIP, I observed the signs of progress. Small stadiums were gradually being built in the city center and bleachers were being set up along the Seine. But I was not prepared for the big change that came two weeks before the opening ceremonies. Several of the city’s central bridges connecting the left and right banks were closed, making traffic on both sides extremely difficult. I noticed heavily armed members of the French National Guard constantly patrolling the grounds of the metro stations. In addition, new arenas and stadiums appeared as if by magic in the city center. Paris was a transformed and strengthened city.

There were various Olympic sights and surprises throughout the summer. Bastille Day featured the typical holiday fireworks display in front of the Eiffel Tower, with elaborate drone footage of various sports. Later in July, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo jumped into the Seine to prove it was clean enough to serve as a pool for the Olympic triathlon competitions.

My friend Justin Anderson (class of ’26), who was also in Paris through IIP, saw this in person.

“It was quite a spectacle. Nearly a hundred swimmers were led into the water by Mayor Hidalgo, and many of them stayed in the water longer than necessary, floating around and playing catch,” he said.

As the Games began, the city became increasingly crowded, but it was not as noticeable as one might expect; there were still quiet corners in the Place des Vosges and the Marais. It was reassuring to know that parts of Paris remained seemingly untouched by the global phenomenon that would soon reach the city.

Opening day soon arrived and the officials involved in planning this edition of the Games kept their promise and staged an unprecedented river cruise-style opening ceremony. The presentation was magnificent and well executed despite the rainy weather, culminating in a brilliant closing performance by Celine Dion on top of the Eiffel Tower. The Olympic Games were officially in full swing.

Next came the events I’d bought tickets for: beach volleyball and the gymnasts’ team finals. Beach volleyball was held first, in the Eiffel Tower’s open-air stadium, right in front of the famous landmark. Although it was drizzling, the mood was still high on the first day of the Games. I spoke to a couple in line who had traveled from Orlando specifically for the Olympics and could barely contain their excitement. After a short line, spectators were treated to hard-fought matches between the women’s teams of China and Australia and the men’s teams of Brazil and Morocco. Australia and Brazil took the wins for their home countries.

Even more exciting was the men’s gymnastics. The men’s team finals were held at the Accor Arena in Bercy – the same venue where Simone Biles would compete in her first competition the next day. We were treated to a range of events including rings, pommel horse and parallel bars. To our surprise and delight, Team USA took the bronze medal behind Japan and China after a stunning performance on the pommel horse by Stephen Nedoroscik. It was the first time in 16 years that the US men’s gymnastics team had won a medal and we celebrated along with the families of the gymnasts who were sitting directly to our right.

Of course, Princeton was represented at the Games sooner or later. Just a few days after the opening ceremony, Maia Weintraub (class of ’26) won a gold medal in the women’s team foil fencing. In total, 25 other former and current Princeton students took part in other Olympic competitions in the following days.

Get the most out of ‘the prince’ delivered directly to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Ultimately, the 2024 Olympic Games transformed what could easily have been a routine summer in Paris into a truly special experience. The city didn’t always seem prepared for the huge number of visitors the Olympics would bring, but ultimately it lived up to high expectations. Hopefully it will be less than another century before the Olympics return to the City of Light.

Edward Rogers is a staff writer for The Prospect in Durham, North Carolina. He can be reached at [email protected].