10 Controversies of the Paris Olympics

10-Controversies-of-the-Paris-Olympics

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the concerns, conflicts, and controversies that have cast a long shadow over the 2024 Summer Olympics.

#10: Canada Women’s Soccer Drone Scandal

Sometimes, when you pull on a loose thread, the whole sweater comes undone. That’s sort of what happened in the case of the Canada women’s soccer team. Scheduled to play New Zealand on July 25, a major wrench was thrown into those plans when a Canadian-operated drone was spotted observing their rivals practicing a few days ahead of the match. It is forbidden to use drones for recording others without their consent in France. Before long, those involved with the scandal faced a one-year ban from the sport, along with a host of other consequences for Canada.

#9: Olympic Village Conditions

Even the Olympians themselves weren’t immune to the chaotic spirit that seemed to surround this iteration of the summer games. Although a futuristic water-based cooling system was proposed as an alternative to air conditioning, it quickly became clear that more intense measures would be required in what is reportedly the hottest Games ever on record. As the temperature rose, though, the organizing committee acquiesced to providing athletes with air conditioners — for a price. This created a clash of classes, so to speak: critics deemed the system unfair to participating countries who were unable to afford the extra cost.

#8: The Last Supper

In a general sense, Olympics opening ceremonies are meant to not only celebrate that year’s host country and what their unique culture has to offer the games, but the Games themselves, as well as participating athletes. In 2024, though, these sentiments were overshadowed by culture war fallout. “Festivité,” one segment of the opening ceremony which featured drag queens reenacting da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” came under heavy fire from France’s right wing. The Bishops’ Conference of France referred to “Festivité” as a “derision and mockery of Christianity.” Fighting words! The Paris 2024 organizing committee defended the segment, and Barbara Butch, who appeared in the scene, is reported to have contacted French legal authorities in response to the online hate campaign.

#7: World Aquatics/Athletics Ban

Historically a thorny, contentious issue in the world of sport, controversy inevitably followed when, in 2022, World Aquatics forbade the participation of transgender women; in 2023, World Athletics followed suit. Writing for Science, a peer-reviewed journal, researchers Eric Vilain and Joanna Harper found that trans women bore demonstrably little physical advantage over their cisgender peers. In addition, they stated that the organizations had bowed to social pressure without taking science into account. Further criticism was directed towards wording which prohibited cisgender women with disorders of sex development from competing. In March 2024, World Athletics president Sebastian Coe declared that the ban was “here to stay.”

#6: Chinese Doping Scandal

What is with the abundance of plot twists this year? This controversy was a holdover from the 2020 Summer Games, wherein testing revealed that over 20 members of the Chinese swimming team were confirmed to have used performance enhancing drugs. Despite this, the athletes did not face repercussions, and even won medals that year. That wasn’t the end of it — eleven of those that tested positive were once again selected to the Olympic team that year. This scandal developed into an ongoing feud between the World Anti-Doping Agency and its American counterpart, with each accusing the other of sinister cover-ups.

#5: Participation of Steven van de Velde

The Dutch Olympic Committee found itself stranded in scalding hot water for its selection of Steven van de Velde in beach volleyball. Van de Velde is a convicted sex offender, reportedly grooming a 12-year-old British girl, plying her with alcohol, and taking advantage of her. Found guilty on three such counts, the judge who handed out his sentencing called it a “career end” for van de Velde. Clearly, that didn’t end up being the case — the Dutch Volleyball Federation defended van de Velde, referring to him as being totally reformed and “an exemplary professional and human being.” As a means of mitigating the controversy, it was announced that van de Velde would be accommodated separately from other Dutch Olympians.

#4: Argentina vs. Morocco

It seems fair to say that team sports have the tendency to cause flared tempers and hurt pride — the men’s football opening match was a testament to this. The riotous outbreak stemmed from a feeling that Argentina’s team was being given an unfair advantage to win the match, in this case 15 extra minutes of stoppage time. When Argentina scored in the 16th minute, Morocco fans made their displeasure known, storming the pitch and causing a general disturbance. The game resumed behind closed doors, with Morocco winning after the contentious goal was disqualified.

#3: French Secularism Policies

And that’s a very delicate way of putting what’s long been a source of tension in modern-day French society. In line with the aforementioned policies, athletes representing France are forbidden from wearing religious garments while competing, per the French National Olympic and Sports Committee. France has had a globally notorious reputation for strictness when it comes specifically to wearing the hijab publicly, and that was no less apparent at this year’s games. French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla claimed to have been blacklisted from the opening ceremony on account of her religious beliefs and commitment to the hijab.

#2: Anything Involving the Seine

Maybe 2024 wasn’t the best year to try something new. The Seine, one of France’s defining features, isn’t exactly renowned for its sparkling, pristine waters. In fact, it’s quite the opposite — intended to host the men’s and women’s marathon swimming, overwhelming bacteria levels led to concerns as to the health, hygiene, and general sanitary state of participating athletes. While organizers were optimistic that clear skies and the sun’s UV rays would drastically reduce the risk, high levels of bacteria such as E. coli forced significant delays and a number of postponements. That’s not even mentioning that this was the first year that the opening ceremony would be held on a river, bringing with it unprecedented safety and security concerns.

#1: Nations at War

The Olympics often act as a lightning rod for hot-button political issues. In 2024, it was immediately clear that the participation of Israel and Russia, two countries involved in devastating, ongoing humanitarian conflicts, would be an inescapable topic. Pro-Palestinian protests were frequently noted at games involving Israeli teams, such as at the Israel vs. Mali opening football match. Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete as “Individual Neutral Athletes,” unassociated with a country, a move that has been described as controversial. Critics have chastised Russia’s so-called “special treatment” by the IOC, despite its frequent violations of the Olympic Truce.

Which 2024 Summer Olympics moment shocked you the most? Let us know in the comments!