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The Paris Olympics are an impending catastrophe, but only until they have begun – The Globe and Mail

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The Olympic rings are set up at Trocadero plaza that overlooks the Eiffel Tower in Paris on Sept. 14, 2017.Michel Euler/The Associated Press

When Paris was bidding for the Olympics nearly 10 years ago, it had a grand vision for opening night. Instead of the traditional, stadium-bound opening ceremonies, Paris decided they would take place along the River Seine.

In this original iteration, two million spectators would be on hand to watch 10,000 Olympic participants float by on barges.

Once the actual planning began, that number had been reduced to 600,000.

Now it’s down to 300,000, most of whom will need tickets. The ratio of police to spectators will be 1:6.

Now there’s a new problem – balconies.

Thousands of apartments line the six-kilometre route along the Seine. Most are well over a century old.

It stands to reason that many of their occupants will invite a few friends over to watch the festivities. What happens when tens of thousands of Parisiens throw open their windows and lean in unison on rusty 19th-century railings?

That’s how you get a call to do a quickie inspection of all the balconies in Paris. Negotiations about how exactly to accomplish that are ongoing.

Four months out and Paris’s Olympic anxiety is starting to peak. There are travel concerns, residential concerns, business concerns and ironwork concerns.

It once seemed sensible to shut down the book-selling kiosks that line the banks of the Seine for the duration of the Games. Until the literary establishment heard about it. One French author called it a plot by “the enemies of poetry.”

After an intervention by the French president, the kiosks will remain open, obstructing what were already some of the busiest sidewalks on Earth.

Another sensible idea – tell people to work from home for the three weeks of the Games. Who would object to a patriotic call to do Zoom meetings from bed and work half days during the height of summer? Paris. It would and could object to that.

“It feels a bit like COVID lockdown again,” one irritated Parisian, Julie, told the Guardian.

She says that like it’s a bad thing.

This is playing host to an Olympics works. You are sold utopia. A few months out, you’re looking at Planet of the Apes. Everything that can go wrong will go wrong, possibly including the collapse of human civilization.

This tendency to overpromise is universal. In its initial proposal, Paris said all public transportation would be free. This was part of its push to make this the most carbon-neutral Games ever (which is the 21st-century version of ‘best Games ever’ and just as big a lie).

Nothing that involves millions of people flying somewhere is carbon neutral. The only way to make the Olympics more carbon intensive would be to hold them at a coal mine. The only carbon-neutral Olympics is one that’s cancelled.

Anyway – the Metro. In Paris’s imagination, it would be free. In actuality, it is doubling prices. Possibly to offset carbon. More likely to buy huge nets to put under balconies.

The Metro itself has become symbolic of Olympic jitters. Originally, there were plans to massively expand its reach, including an express line to both airports. Few of those expansions have panned out.

Instead, faith in public transportation is cratering. Pictures of Metro platforms jammed like club gigs proliferate on social media. The usual refrain is something along the lines of, ‘If it’s this bad now, imagine how bad it will be during the Olympics.’

Nevertheless, there is a run on Metro tickets. People want to stock up before Paris starts fleecing tourists. Local government has set up a series of alerts to warn people which subway stops to avoid on certain days.

So here is the expectation – calamity.

And here is what will happen – nothing, probably.

It’s been a while since they held an Olympics in a metropolis that was also a tourist magnet – London 2012.

Sochi was too terrifying; Rio only a little less so; Pyeongchang too distant (also, terrifyingly close to North Korea); Tokyo and Beijing were pandemic no-go zones.

Understandably, everyone is a little out of practice.

London was primed for the same logistical horrors, with a little less balconies and a little more terrorism. The effect was to empty the city of its chickens.

The result was an ideal Games. The roads were passable. The subways worked (much better than they do during a typical London summer). The sidewalks, shops and restaurants were full, but not thronged.

Those who remained were determined to make an occasion of it. London during those Games was buzzing 20 hours a day. You could not step foot in a pub without making a half-dozen new friends. By the end, the city had fully embraced the occasion. It may have been the last truly great global event.

Paris is following the same template. Sell the best-case scenario, wait a bit, admit the worst-case scenario, understand that things will end up somewhere in the middle, and then let people decide for themselves. By July, there won’t be any citizen of Paris who can claim they don’t understand what they’re signing up for.

It is the way of these things that the first couple of days will be chaotic. They always are. By Day 4 or 5, everything will have settled into a new routine.

Some things will go badly wrong. That’s a guarantee. Try to bear in mind that no great story starts with something that went exactly as you planned it.

The worst disaster scenarios have yet to befall a Games (knock on wood). Eventually, they will. But there is no contingency for disaster. All any of us can do is show up and try our best.

Paris will be an impending catastrophe right up until it starts.

Then it’ll be like every other Games – a party that’s only as good as the people at it want it to be.

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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November 8, 2024

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LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

___

AP cricket:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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November 8, 2024

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

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November 8, 2024

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Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

—

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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