A steady stream of athletes and support staff has started flowing through arrivals terminals at Paris airports as the Olympic Games opening ceremony looms ever closer.
Maria Luisa Doig Calderon, a fencer from Peru, has travelled to Paris to participate in her third Olympiad, this time as her country's flag bearer. She couldn't be more excited.
“The Olympic Games is the dream that every athlete wants to achieve”, she told the Associated Press as she waited by the registration desk set up in the 2F terminal at Charles de Gaulle Airport.
A seasoned British athlete, Kirsty Gilmour has a few tricks up her sleeve to ease the stress as she waits at the Olympic Village for her first badminton match.
“I brought my pillow from home. I brought a little candle from home. Just to try and make it feel a bit more homelike,” she explained.
Andrea Becker, a sports psychologist for the US men's volleyball team, said that following the plan they've set for themselves is really important for an athlete to deal with stress and anticipation.
“Not getting caught up in the noise and the excitement and the distractions of the Olympic Games, but maintaining your focus on the mission itself is really important,” she said.
Andy Murray: One final tournament
Two-time Olympic men's singles champion Andy Murray confirmed Tuesday he will end his career next week at the Paris Games.
“Arrived in Paris for my last ever tennis tournament,” the 37-year-old Murray posted on the X social media platform.
Tennis at the Paris Olympics starts Saturday on the clay courts at Roland Garros.
Murray won his first gold medal on grass at Wimbledon at the 2012 London Olympics — beating Roger Federer in three straight seats — and retained his title in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, beating Juan Martin del Potro on hard courts.
“Competing for (Britain) have been by far the most memorable weeks of my career and I'm extremely proud to get do it one final time!” Murray said Tuesday.
Murray had hip replacement surgery in 2019 and several subsequent injuries. After a procedure to remove a cyst from his spine, he withdrew from singles at Wimbledon this month.
US set to win most medals?
The United States is the favourite to win the most medals. China is unlikely to overtake the US in the overall medal haul but has a chance to win more gold medals than the Americans.
Though the games highlight great individual athletes, they are also a surrogate for geopolitical influence and national pride.
The United States is projected to win 112 medals overall — 39 gold, 32 silver, and 41 bronze. China is forecast to win 86 overall — 34 gold, 27 silver, and 25 bronze.
This forecast is by Nielsen's Gracenot e Sports, which supplies statistical analysis for sports leagues around the world. It also tracks major competitions involving Olympic sports leading up to the games.
