'Something incredible' France's national spirit rises in Olympic unity

When the French rugby sevens won gold with their national hero Antoine Dupont blasting through Fiji's defence, and tens of thousands of fans in berets and cockerel outfits at the Stade de France began chanting Non, je ne regrette rien, it was clear that France was on a roll like never before.

- Angelique Chrisafis

No one had expected the sheer scale of togetherness and patriotic emotion in France in the first weekend of the Olympics. A nation which had been sceptical about hosting the world's biggest sporting event got on board with the Games with such fervour even "Toto" Dupont himself was surprised.

"I've rarely seen an atmosphere like this before, even though I've played matches in this stadium," the Toulouse rugby star said.

In the early hours of yesterday morning, Dupont jumped from the stage at the Club France venue in La Villette wearing a pair of giant bunny ears and was passed gently around above fans' heads.

It seemed like the country, hit by political crisis and without a proper government, was now desperate to forget its troubles for two weeks and party day and night.

But sport was not enough; there had to be dancing. On the pitch, Dupont and his teammates rushed back out with their gold medals round their necks to perform a choreography they had been taught by Moulin Rouge cabaret stars. The crowd went wild. "I've never in my life seen 80,000 people like that," said Aaron Grandidier Nkanang.

France's opening weekend was a masterclass in healing - however briefly the national psyche, which Emmanuel Macron, who grabbed Dupont's face in his hands and said "well done", is hoping can continue. First there was the rainsoaked disco extravaganza of the opening ceremony. Then came a historic haul of French medals.