While Ligue 1 resumed its rights, the parade of champions closed the enchanted parenthesis of the summer.
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The Olympic adventure is over. The French athletes took a final lap of honour on the Champs-Elysées and the Place de l’Etoile on Saturday 14 September, before continuing the celebrations until the end of the night. In the meantime, life has resumed its course, the League 1 also, and the top three in the French championship, OM, PSG and AS Monaco, won without forcing. On the Azerbaijan side, Oscar Piastri won the Grand Prix.
Paris is over
A giant best-of, a final party to thrill, celebrate the athletes and these Olympic and Paralympic Games. After the successful summer of the Paris Games, French athletes, supporters and stakeholders of the Games responded in force on Saturday 14 September, in front of 70 000 people, for this celebration wanted by Emmanuel Macron.
The Games Parade: A Joyful Procession of Champions
To celebrate the end of the Paris 2024 Games, 345 French Olympic and Paralympic athletes gathered on the Champs-Elysées for a final moment of sharing and communion with the public.
This last big celebration began with a giant parade on the Champs-Elysées, continued with the presentation of decorations to the athletes, then a summary of the great moments of the four opening and closing ceremonies of the Games and finally a big DJ set.
OM, AS Monaco and PSG ensure
The top three in the championship assumed their status during this fourth day of the League 1. First on deck on Saturday, Olympique de Marseille (2nd), who celebrated their 125th years old and should see Adrien Rabiot arrive as reinforcement. The Phocéens won Saturday in the Mediterranean derby against Nice (2-0), thanks to goals from Neal Maupay and Luis Henrique.
On the PSG side (1st), confidence continues to build before their return to the Champions League on Wednesday against Girona. The Parisians won 3-1 against Brest, who had opened the scoring on a penalty. Ousmane Dembélé found his efficiency again and scored twice. Fabian Ruiz, also a scorer, seems to have been transformed since his Euro.
Monaco (3rd) played in Auxerre and won 3-0 thanks to goals from Thilo Kehrer, Vanderson and Denis Zakaria. Monaco also awaits the C1, and FC Barcelona, Thursday 19 september. Behind the leading trio, Lens, 4th, conceded two points at home against Lyon (0-0).
Oscar Piastri wins in Baku
Oscar Piastri won the second Grand Prix of his career on Sunday. The McLaren driver finished ahead of Monaco’s Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Britain’s George Russell (Mercedes), who took advantage of the accident in the final laps between Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) and Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) who were fighting for the podium ahead of him.
The Australian, who started from second on the grid, seized his chance perfectly just before the halfway point. Combined with the comeback of his teammate Lando Norris (4th), this result allows the McLaren team to take the lead in the constructors’ standings from Red Bull (476 points against 456).
Lorena Wiebes and Tim Merlier European road champions
Belgium has crowned the new European road champions for women and men. Saturday 14 September, it was the Dutchwoman Lorena Wiebes who won on the Hasselt track (Belgium), beating in the sprint the Italian Elisa Balsamo and the Polish Daria Pikulik.
The race was also decided by a sprint for the men on Sunday 15 september. The Belgian Tim Merlier became European champion on his home soil by beating the Dutchman Olav Kooij and the Estonian Madis Mihkels. Merlier, who signs his 14th victory this season, succeeding the Frenchman Christophe Laporte, defending champion but only 9th this year.
France is (already) eliminated from the Davis Cup
Eliminated in the Davis Cup group stage after two defeats against Australia and Spain during the week, France saved its honour by winning its last match against the Czech Republic (2-1) on Saturday in Valencia.
Arthur Rinderknech lost his first match against Jakub Mensik (2-6, 6-3, 7-5). Beaten in the tie-break in the first set, Arthur Fils finally managed to snatch the equalizer against Jiri Lehecka in the second singles (6-7, 7-5, 6-4). And it was the pair Edouard Roger-Vasselin – Pierre-Hugues Herbert who then won the decisive doubles against Jakub Mensik and Adam Pavlasek 7-6 (7/4), 7-5, to avoid France losing zero points.