Through observations, winks and anecdotes, the Carnets de Paris immerse you in the heart of the Olympic Games.
Athletes in the Olympic Village and spectators in the stadiums of the Paris Games have been put on a dry diet. Actually, not so dry for everyone.
For a country that has elevated wine to an art of living, not to mention a national cultural treasure, the measure seems quite strict. Alcohol in all its forms has not only been banned from the restaurants and grocery stores in the Athletes’ Village, but also from all competition sites. To accompany their meals or quench their thirst, spectators must fall back on products from one of the main sponsors – well known for its dark, sweet and sparkling juice – water and sometimes, if they are lucky, de-alcoholized beer.
In France, the organizers are basing themselves on a law enacted in 1991 (the Évin law) which stipulates that alcohol “is prohibited in stadiums, in physical education rooms, gymnasiums and, in general, in all physical and sporting activity establishments,” recalled The world a few weeks before the start of the Games.
Since then, alcohol has generally not been sold in stadiums during soccer matches in France. The authors of the law have been cautious and have left the possibility for local authorities to invoke exceptions. This is what the organizers of the Roland-Garros tennis tournament did until this year, when it was decided to ban alcohol in the stands following inappropriate behavior by spectators.
The exceptions granted are sometimes very broad. Broad enough, for example, to contain all the matches of the Rugby World Cup in France last fall. But it’s not the same, explained its organizers. We’re talking here about being able to drink a “fraternal” beer in a sport where the spectators don’t have a reputation for being aggressive. And then, “we can’t imagine a Rugby World Cup without beer in the stadiums,” they said in The world.
This is not the only exception. People can be seen with a glass of wine or a glass of champagne in their hands in the areas reserved for dignitaries and VIP spectators. It is also said that it is accepted for athletes to bring a few bottles back to the Olympic Village as long as they are well closed. Do they stay that way once they have passed through security? It is difficult to say if people manage not to make too much noise by popping the cork.
This report was financed with the support of the Transat International Journalism Fund-
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