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For 19 days, more than 200 countries met in Paris to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics. The spectacle featured 32 sports and 329 athletic events in one of Europe’s most prestigious capital cities.
So what was it like to cover this event?
Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes and photographer Andrew Nelles worked the Olympics for the USA Today Network. Here are their perspectives of working nearly three weeks in Paris.
What was the most difficult challenge in covering the Olympics?
Estes: The signage at some venues wasn’t great. First time at a place, you’d often end up walking around forever without much of an idea where to enter (or exit) as credentialed media. Then the language barrier would be a problem with security people who’d start yelling at you in French if you tried to guess and go a certain way, and it didn’t always make much sense. They’d let you through one time and then change their mind the next time or close a gate without warning and for no reason.
Nelles: This is probably too much information, but I was dealing with a case of kidney stones for most of the Olympics, which resulted in me spending a night in a Paris emergency room. Not fun. Dealing with the stress and exhaustion of covering the Games when you are completely healthy is hard enough. This really added an extra challenge.
Olympics coverage exposes journalists to unfamiliar sports and athletes. What was your experience covering a sport you’re unaccustomed to?
Estes: There were plenty of sports I’d never covered before, but none that was unfamiliar. I’m someone who has meticulously mapped out daily schedules each Olympics of what I want to watch and stream. I knew what I was watching and often who I was watching, and one of the things I enjoyed most was how much the coverage meant to certain athletes who weren’t used to it in some sports.
Nelles: This is one of my favorite parts of the Olympics. This was my third time covering the Olympics, and each time I’ve had to cover a sport that I’ve never photographed before. This year rugby sevens was a new one for me. It’s a fun experience getting the opportunity to experience a new sport. It can also be stressful since the stakes are so high given the importance of the events. You have a short period of time to figure out the dynamics of the sport and what will yield compelling photos.
What was the most memorable moment you had while in Paris covering the Olympics?
Estes: There were so many. Watching golfer Scottie Scheffler, who has won millions on the PGA Tour, sob on the podium after winning a gold medal was up there. I can vouch for the fact, too, that there is nothing like hearing “The Star-Spangled Banner” in another country.
On the final day, I was walking back to my hotel after covering my last competition and passed a bar on the street where the women’s basketball gold medal game between the U.S. and France was on television and entering the final quarter. So I stopped and watched the U.S. win. Being the lone American in an establishment that was packed with cheering — and ultimately disappointed — locals, that was quite an experience.
Nelles: It’s really difficult to pick just one. I had the privilege to watch a beach volleyball game under the Eiffel Tower, equestrian cross-country outside of the Château de Versailles, a triathlon starting in the Seine River — these were truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.
What was a particular story or photo you are most proud of from the Olympics?
Estes: I mentioned the emotion of Scheffler’s win. Here’s what I wrote that day.
Nelles: One photo that sticks in my mind is of the line of athletes diving in the Seine at the start of the triathlon. The triathlon had been canceled the day before due to water quality issues, so the water itself has become a part of the story. I wanted to find a photo that would illustrate this, which proved challenging, because the vast majority of the photo positions were on a bridge or otherwise elevated, not at water level.
There was a small pontoon platform that had 10 or fewer photo positions at water level. These spots are highly sought after and access is granted only by the venue photo manager, and when there are dozens and dozens of photographers from all over the world covering the event, the chances of getting one are slim. I started negotiating for a spot the day prior to the event.
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