DESPITE ALL THE fabricated hype, the collective global mood entering the Paris Olympics was distinctly dour: two major military conflicts being waged; societal tensions flaring up across Western Europe; summer temperatures soaring; and a majority of Parisians angered by the disruption to their lives. The botched opening ceremony, with its faulty cultural messaging, seemed to follow the doomed script.
Yet as I walked off the air bridge into Charles de Gaulle on my way to attend the Games, I felt a blast of good vibes. The immigration lines in Paris can be torturous, but this time the wait lasted less than a minute. The officer at passport control had a warm smile and waved me through. Not what I was expecting at all.
I was a guest of Omega, which has been the official timekeeper of the Olympics since 1932, and things seemed to be working like clockwork. I boarded a special coach that whisked me to the Mandarin Oriental in the heart of the city in less than 45 minutes, miraculously avoiding the traffic snarls that the City of Light is notorious for. After a quick change at the hotel, I was back on the coach, this time heading to the iconic Stade de France, located in the gritty suburb of Saint Denis. Among our travelling cohort was Abhishek Bachchan, who has had a long-term association with Omega, and is also an unabashed sports nerd-in other words, perfect company for the occasion. We were seated in some of the best spots in the house: trackside and opposite the podium.
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