The old adage ‘history repeats itself’ certainly rings true when it comes to this year’s Olympics.
How? Well, the Paris 2024 Olympics are taking place exactly 100 years after the Paris 1924 Olympics.
But to find out if history truly is repeating itself, The Weekly spoke to Naama Lanski, Researcher at MyHeritage.
Naama and the team at MyHeritage – a family history company – recently completed a deep dive into a collection of historical newspapers on OldNews.com to learn how Paris prepared for the Olympics a century ago so it could be compared to today.
Here are the most interesting findings from the research:
Accommodation
In 1924, there was a significant accommodation crisis.
“Months before the Games, it was reported that Paris was short by 40,000 rooms. The situation was dire enough for newspapers like The Omaha Morning Bee to warn visitors to secure reservations at least six months in advance,” Naama told us.
“Accommodation costs in Paris soared dramatically due to the high demand. This financial burden on tourists was exacerbated by a municipal council decision to tax visitors staying over two nights, further increasing their expenses,” she continued.
“By May 1924, a month before the Games began, all major hotels in Paris announced that they were fully booked for the duration of the event. This left many visitors scrambling for alternatives. One of the solutions proposed by the municipal council of Paris was to construct wooden barracks to house the overflow of visitors.”
By comparison, there isn’t an accommodation crisis in 2024 as hotels are no longer the only places to stay. Paris is full of Airbnbs, bed & breakfasts, and youth hostels as well as hotels.
In fact, according to CBS News, tens of thousands of rental apartments and hotel rooms are completely empty and will remain empty for the duration of the Games as the market was flooded with offers.
Economics
“Regarding the economic perspective, newspapers found on OldNews.com, like The Boston Transcript, used vivid language – but no numerical data – to describe the financial strain on tourists, suggesting that they would be left with nothing after paying exorbitant hotel fees,” Naama revealed.
“The decision by the Paris municipal council to tax tourists staying over two nights added to the economic strain. This move was likely intended to capitalise on the influx of visitors but also increased the financial burden on those attending the Games.”
This sounds very familiar to today; we are currently in the thick of a cost of living crisis and yet, tourists currently in Paris are expected to pay higher-than-usual prices for various things.
For example, according to CBS News, prices to ride the Paris Metro system have doubled in the lead up to this year’s Games.
Furthermore, Fox Sports have reported that menu prices both inside and just outside the various Olympic stadiums in Paris have soared; a 500ml alcohol-free beer will set you back AU$13 and a cheeseburger will cost AU$18.10.
Weather
“During the 1924 Paris Olympics, extreme weather posed significant challenges. Sweltering heat, reaching 32 degrees in the shade, severely affected athletes, with the 10,000 metre cross-country race dubbed “la course à la mort” (the death race) due to its danger,” Naama shared with us.
“The marathon was postponed amid fears of heat-related tragedies. Criticism arose over poor organisation, such as the lack of sun hats and first aid,” she continued before adding:
“The heat wave eventually broke, only to be replaced by serious gales causing widespread damage and flooding. The Seine River overflowed, flooding some of Paris streets and suburbs, creating additional hardships for residents and visitors.”
Again, this sounds quite similar to today but in reverse. The 2024 Opening Ceremony was marred by heavy rain which ultimately led to the cancellation of swim training for Olympic triathletes – the rain caused water pollution in The Seine River.
And now, Météo France has predicted that a heat wave will hit Paris from Monday July 29 and will last until Wednesday July 31, with temperatures of almost 35 degrees expected.
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