Australian beach volleyball player Taliqua Clancy got an unexpected surprise walking around the athletes' village at the Paris Olympics on Monday. (More Sports News)
Among the legions of other athletes from around the world, one figure stood out: French President Emmanuel Macron.
바카라We got to see him which was cool. I was hanging around hoping to get a selfie, but I had to come here" for a news conference, she told reporters, laughing. She probably wouldn't have got close enough, anyway, because Macron's security team ushered her away.
바카라But hopefully we can see a few more famous faces,바카라 said Clancy, who is one of 66 indigenous athletes on the Australian Olympic team in Paris 바카라 six more than in Tokyo.
바카라I'm a proud aboriginal and it is special to have the artwork and design" in the village, the 32-year-old Clancy said.
Clancy and her teammate Mariafe Artacho del Solar were silver medalists at the Tokyo Games three years ago.
Artacho del Solar gave her first impressions of the village, where more than 14,000 athletes and officials are staying and which is the size of 70 soccer pitches.
바카라It has been amazing so far, it feels very safe,바카라 she said. 바카라We had a walk around today, had some good old photo of the rings.바카라
The village itself sits in the suburb of Saint-Denis, known in the sports world as the home to the Stade de France where France's national soccer and rugby teams play. It is located in a formerly run-down area now transformed into a vibrant international hub for the July 26-Aug. 11 Paris Games, and for the Aug. 28-Sept. 8 Paralympics.
바카라It's great to see a whole ton of different countries here,바카라 United States rugby sevens center Lucas Lacamp said Monday.
The village has a large dining hall with different food stations catering for different tastes from around the world, a vast gym, training grounds for a number of sports, a polyclinic, prayer rooms and an anti-doping centre.
바카라I was definitely looking forward to the food court, I won't lie about that," said New Zealand rugby sevens player Risaleanna Pouri-Lane, who won the women's gold medal in Tokyo. 바카라It's been pretty cool. We've had a couple of days to soak up the whole village and Olympic environment."
Andrew Knewstubb, a silver medalist in men's rugby in Tokyo, explained the marked difference between pandemic-marred Tokyo three years ago and Paris.
바카라The most noticeable thing is people are not wearing masks,바카라 Knewstubb said, adding that he likes how athletes can now say hello to each other or come up and swap pins 바카라without the hesitation of Covid.바카라
Athletes lodge in five residential areas, each named after a well-known area of Paris: Abbesses, Bastille, Dauphine, Ătoile, FĂȘtes. With environment protection in mind, the eco-friendly village has electric cars ferrying athletes around. Pouri-Lane enjoyed riding one of the many bikes provided for athletes to use.
Former track cycling star Anna Meares is a four-time Olympian and two-time gold medalist. Meares is now the Australian team's Chef de Mission and said decisions were made regarding the team's residency in the village.
바카라There was a lot of learning to take out of Tokyo, that played in the decisions we have made in our set up," she said.
One of them was more important than it may sound.
"We have kept our barista,바카라 she said. 바카라One big question I asked when I took on this role was Why was the barista so popular?' And that was because it created this social hub for the athletes.바카라
Meanwhile, the American men's rugby sevens team are preparing for a huge game on Wednesday against host France 바카라 which boasts arguably the best player in the world in scrumhalf Antoine Dupont.
바카라Preparation has been good. They've taken really good care of us; fields were good, facilities were good," U.S. captain Kevon Williams said. "Things have been rolling smooth for us. We're ready for the moment.바카라
That moment will involve facing the roar of a sell-out 80,000 crowd at Stade de France. It should be quite an experience for Williams and his teammates at France's landmark national stadium, but beach volleyball players have arguably the best location of all.
They play their matches against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower which, as iconic venues go, is hard to beat.
바카라I'm definitely not being biased but I think it's the best venue of them all,바카라 Artacho del Solar said. 바카라It's going to be amazing.바카라
They had a taste of things to come when they watched a video of the Australian men's time training there.
바카라We know it's going to be electric, exciting as beach volleyball always is,바카라 said Clancy, whose first task at her first training session was testing the wind, the depth of the sand and its grain quality.
