Monday 1 August 2011

Watching the Olympics whilst in France

The announcement recently that there was only one year to go before the start of the Olympics in London, reminded me that since the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996 we have watched the games (along with various World Athletics Championships) here in France.

Are there any differences in the coverage? You would expect no but there some subtle and some not so sutable differences. France seems to have the same two comentators who cover virtually all the major sportrs, athletics, football and rugby and others I am sure. I can remember David Coleman getting excited at the end of close races etc but its nothing compared to this duo especialy when French athletes are involved. "Extrordinaire" is uttered many many times. So if it happens so often is it that extraordinary?  Nevermind lets move on.

Are we as two nations different in our nationalism ? I remember when there was a British athlete just about to take part in a semi final race,  which we were getting quite excited about . All of a sudden the coverage switched to a horse dressage competition. We hurled abuse (mildly) at the TV until we realised that a French competitor was about to win a medal in the dressage. I am sure we would have switched from dressage to athletics if the reverse was to happen!

If a French serious medal hope is a day away from a final the whole news media goes into a frenzy. I remember the fuss around Marie-Jose Peric, a fine French athlete, who won gold medals at the Barcelona and Atlanta games at 400 meters. The pitch of the comentators was rising by the minute as her event approached. The race before her event was just about to take place when the coverage suddenly switched to the warm up track where we saw Marie-Jose gently jogging around the track doing her warm up.

We are all to some extent nationalistic but to be fair to the French if the event does not contain one of their countrymen or women they are very supportive of British athletes, Linford Christie for instance was well thought of, and they absolutely loved Paula Ratcliffe as she spoke French to them when interviewed. I suppose better a european than an american.

Our greatest enjoyment as a family watching the games came from watching the French interviewer who took his place in the line of international journalists who spoke to the athletes just after they had completed their event. His name is Nelson (Montfort) who is fluent not only in French, but also in English, Spanish,  Italian and possibly others. The sure look of bewilderment on the face say of  an athlete from the USA  who answers in English for about 10 seconds a simple question from Nelson , then hears Nelson expounds his excited translation lasting at least 30 seconds. Then there is the bemused look on the face of a Russian male high-jumper when asked what he thinks of the chances of Marie-Jose in the ladies 400 meters in two days time.

Nelson's most surreal moment when he interviewed an Ethiopian athlete after his 10K race. The athlete spoke only his native tongue so he had his coach with him to transate. The interview went thus: Nelson asks the question first in French, then in Italian for the Coach. Coach then asks the question in the athletes native tongue, athlete answers , coach translates the few words into Italian before Nelson expounds for 30 seconds in French. Priceless.

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