Paris is hit by a ‘power blackout’ – hours after the city was battered by rain and public transport was brought to its knees by protesters…as outrage grows over the opening ceremony
Paris has suffered a power outage after hours of heavy rain and transport disruptions as outrage mounts over the opening ceremony.
The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris have gotten off to a slow start, with the opening ceremony drawing widespread criticism.
More problems seem to have come to light for the city during the global sporting event, as videos have surfaced showing Paris completely cut off from the electricity grid.
There have been fears that the widespread power outage in the city could impact Olympic scheduling.
This follows heavy rainfall that devastated the city and forced the postponement of several sporting events.
Paris was hit by a power outage, but only after hours was it hit by heavy rain and transport problems as outrage grows over the opening ceremony
The catwalk-turned-stage element of the opening ceremony was criticized by some Christians for being a parody of the Last Supper
Olympic venues across Paris were hit by heavy rain on Saturday
Top tennis stars like Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz saw their matches suspended as many matches were cancelled or postponed.
The men’s street skating competition was postponed and moved to Monday because the terrain was too wet and the chairs were flooded.
Recent rainfall has seen a surge of umbrellas and rain ponchos, with long lines forming outside the Olympic stadiums.
Fan Marc Hobes, 25, from Paris, said: ‘This is not typical weather. For a tennis fan like me it is very unfortunate and also for Paris.
‘We want to show the Olympic Games to the world in one of the best cities, but the rain ruined the opening ceremony and now the sport.
“But I was at Wimbledon last month and it rained then too. So it’s not just Paris.”
Debbie Lyons, 42, from Wembley, who was with her French partner Pierre, said: ‘We moan about the weather at home and now maybe the French will understand why we are miserable most summers.
‘Pierre and I are going to Nice tomorrow. The sun is shining there.’
The bad weather also caused problems for the women’s cyclists. During the time trial, several athletes fell on the rainy streets of the capital.
Spectators seek shelter from the rain as wet weather delays the start of the match on the outdoor courts of the Roland-Garros stadium
The men’s street skating competition has been postponed until Monday after heavy rain made conditions too dangerous
American cyclist Taylor Knibb crashed into the cobblestones several times. In one crash, the fall was so bad that she had to change bikes.
Her teammate and 2023 world champion Chloe Dygert also suffered a crash, losing her pole position in the final stages of the 20-mile race around Paris.
But her fall saw Britain’s Anna Henderson beat her to win the silver medal by less than a second.
However, it has not only been the weather that has affected the Olympic Games so far. The opening ceremony in the French city has also attracted much criticism.
Thousands of people visited X (formerly Twitter) and shared #boycottOlympics and #boycottParis2024, which trended all day.
In particular, the appearance of a ‘naked blue man’ in a scene resembling the Last Supper angered many spectators, including Christians.
One of them wrote: ‘What a shameful opening of the 2024 Olympic Games #BoycottOlympics.’
Another stated that they “didn’t care about the Olympics” but were now “boycotting them 100 percent.”
‘Are you serious?!? This is blasphemous and God cannot be mocked! #BoycottOlympics.’
‘Respect Jesus Christ and reject any mockery of Jesus’ Last Supper. Retweet if you support #BoycottOlympics.
‘The spectacle was despicable, insulting and utterly vile. #BoycottOlympics #BoycottParis2024.
‘Will these be the first Olympics that never happened? Which country will be the first to be brave enough to boycott? Fingers crossed #BoycottOlympics.’
Although many disagreed with this part of the ceremony, as it was a parody of the Last Supper, the official Olympic report, X, suggested the opposite, describing the ‘naked blue man’ as an ‘interpretation of the Greek god Dionysus’.
Dionysus is the Greek god of fertility and has nothing to do with the Last Supper.
French actor and singer Phillippe Katerine, who played the controversial role, dismissed the critics.
He told BFM TV: ‘It wouldn’t be fun if there was no controversy. Wouldn’t it be boring if everyone on this planet agreed with each other?’
The French Catholic Church has now spoken out against the segment and the French Bishops’ Conference has issued a statement.
It said: ‘This ceremony has unfortunately included scenes of mockery and ridicule of Christianity, which we deeply regret.’
Many were also unhappy with the subsequent performance by French heavy metal band Gojira, who played “Ah! Ça Ira” – a popular song during the French Revolution.
The band was accompanied by opera singer Marina Viotti and a large number of decapitated figures representing the murdered Queen Marie Antoinette.
