The first athletes arrive at the Olympic Village

The first delegations arrived at the Olympic Village, which officially opened its doors on Thursday, eight days before the start of the Games.

The whole world is gathering in Seine-Saint-Denis. While the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games will take place on Friday, July 26, the ballet of delegations has already begun. The athletes are already taking up residence in the Olympic village, which opened its doors on Thursday in Seine-Saint-Denis. Since Thursday morning, the largest delegations – the United States, China, Great Britain and Australia – have been impressive to watch with their logistics: the vans, the luggage and the staff who supervise them.

But behind them, in the queue, there is also Tatiana, who has stars in her eyes, a big smile and who looks everywhere around her. This 26-year-old Moldovan swimmer is experiencing her second Games, but she had never been to France. “It’s definitely going to be better than Tokyo. Because it’s Paris and I’ve never been here, so I want to discover. I’m just so excited to be here.”

Tatiana’s Moldovan delegation is represented by only 26 athletes, 20 times fewer than the French. The Azerbaijani delegation has 48 athletes who arrive with the same almost childish enthusiasm. “We are very excitedconfided a member of this delegation. It’s very nice to be here. We hope everything goes well because for us it’s very important to succeed here.”

Now everyone discovers their building, their room, their living space too. Joy, who came from Taiwan, is amazed: “The village is great. Everyone is settling in, each country has put its decoration on its building and that is really the spirit of the Olympic Games.” Joy then headed to the athletes’ restaurant, which with 3,300 seats is one of the largest in the world. And the food is apparently delicious, according to a member of the British delegation.