France ‘happy’ and ‘united’ in Olympics joy, say organisers

PARIS: Paris Olympics organisers celebrated the country being "united" and "happy" during the widely hailed two-week sports extravaganza amid doubts about how long the feel-good mood will last.

"France has shown itself to the world in a very, very good mindset: confident, united, warm, welcoming," head of the Paris 2024 organising committee Tony Estanguet told reporters on the penultimate day of the Games.

Estanguet repeatedly voiced his "pride" at organising what he had promised would be an iconic Olympics, which have seen record ticket sales and packed fanzones around the country. "It´s an absolutely incredible collective success. France has made these Games successful and I am extremely proud," he said.

He added: "We´ve seen a happy France, happy French people, and you shouldn´t underestimate that in terms of the legacy of these Games," he added.

The Paralympics will start on August 28 and the former triple gold medal-winning canoeist said he was aware the end of the Olympics and the summer holidays would spell a change in atmosphere.

"We will be in a different period, the back-to-work time, the restart of political life," he said. "We will need to adapt to that."