THE PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES HAVE BEGUN

The USA today played France in soccer.  What hope do we have in upsetting the host nation, which is favored to win the gold in this event?  Low.  However...  Incidentally, Morocco already upset Argentina, #2 to get the Gold, 2-1.

And by the way, another team USA played two games today, in Men's Rugby 7's.  Huh?  Yes, you never heard of that, and America is sort of deficient.  However, first, they tied FRANCE. 12-12, which is the second favorite team to win the gold medal.  Alas, we got trounced by #4 Fiji, 33-5.  That's a country?  Sure, stopped by myself for a visit there last year.  Rugby is the national sport of this nation, which also today beat Uruguay 40-12.  Because of that tie, we do have hope to make the quarterfinals, and have a 21% chance of winning one of the three medals.  Argentina is favored to win the Gold.

According to this source, the USA will win the most gold medals.

• Bet type: Team to win the most gold medals at Paris 2024. Team: USA. American/moneyline odds: -700. Decimal odds: 1.14. Fractional odds: 1/7. Implied probability rate: 87.50%
• Bet type: Team to win the most gold medals at Paris 2024. Team: China. American/moneyline odds: +450. Decimal odds: 5.50. Fractional odds: 9/2. Implied probability rate: 18.20%
• Bet type: Team to win the most gold medals at Paris 2024. Team: France. American/moneyline odds: +3,300. Decimal odds: 34.00. Fractional odds: 33/1. Implied probability rate: 2.90%
• Bet type: Team to win the most gold medals at Paris 2024. Team: Great Britain. American/moneyline odds: +15,000. Decimal odds: 151.00. Fractional odds: 150/1. Implied probability rate: 0.70%

The Opening Ceremony, on the River Seine will be shown beginning at noon, Friday, July 26, on NBC and Peacock, which is 6AM Hawaii time.  Regular primetime coverage on NBC will be at 7:30PM EDT, and all of the events for the day will be long over by then, for it will be 2:30AM in Paris.  Flag bearers for Team USA will be Coco Gauff and LeBron James.  At 20, she will be the youngest to ever do so.  Simone Biles when she was 19 carried the U.S, flag at the 2016 closing ceremonies in Rio.

According to this source, stars of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics will be:

1. Name: Emile Cairess. Sport: Marathon/long-distance running. Team: Great Britain
2. Name: Orla Kharlan. Sport: Fencing. Team: Ukraine
3. Name: Simone Biles. Sport: Gymnastics. Team: USA
4. Name: Teddy Riner. Sport: Judo. Team: France
5. Name: Noah Lyles. Sport: Athletics. Team: USA

The name Noah Lyles does not roll off most tongues because track and field is not one of major sports in the U.S.  Time magazine had a feature on him:

• Born in Gainesville, Florida in 1997.  Parents competed in track and field while at Seton Hall University.
• In 2015 high jumped 6 ft 7.75 in while a junior in high school.
• Lyles became 27 years old last week.
• Suffered from asthma as a child, with ADD and dyslexia, making school difficut.  Has had mental and physical problems in the past.
• He competes in the 100 meters and 200 meters dashes.
• Won the bronze at the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics in the 200 meters race.
• Is a six-time World champion in various speed and team categories.
• Usain Bolt completed the treble (100m, 200m and 4x100m) in  the 2015 World Championships.  Lyles did this last year.
• His best is in the 200m, where his 19.31 seconds time is the third fastest in history.  Has broken 20 seconds in the 200m 37 times.  More than any athlete.
• Just last week, Lyles set a new 100m personal best time of 9.81 in London.  He is ready for the treble.  Quadruple??  Maybe too.  But the 4x400m relay might be stretching it.
• 
  Has a net worth of $7 million from endorsements and track victories.
• Future wife and current girlfriend Junelle Brofield will be there in Paris.  She's 26 and made the Jamaican Olympic team in the 400m.  She too won a bronze medal in Tokyo, and they're both looking to Gold this time.
• Is already looking forward to the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 4 years.

Finally, about these Paris Olympic games:

• Temperatures will reach 95F.  Watch the Weather Channel.
• Surfing will be held in Tahiti, 9800 miles away.  
• 48 Olympians are there.  Not a first, for in 1956 when Melbourne was host, the equestrian events were held in Stockholm, Sweden.
• Teahupo'o, a small village, has a beach with monstrous waves.
• July 26 to August 4.
• 
  Paris likes to say that it is the gastronomical capital of the world.  
• Will serve 13 million meals to visitors.
• A planning committee arranged for:
• Doubled the plant-based food portion, to reduce climate warming.
• 100% French sustainable meat, dairy and seafood products.
• Olympic Village will become the largest restaurant in the world.
• 15,000 athletes and staff from 208 territories.
• 
  Spectators will find food joy.
• Parc des Nations will host 15 festive national team clubhouses to enable the masses to mingle with athletes, a multicultural fan zone.   Located on 135 acres in a northeastern corner of Paris, this extravaganza has a new name, Parc de la Villette.
• Club France has a capacity for 25,000 on two huge fields, honoring medalists, with nightly music events.  Will cost 5 Euros ($5.20), but you can purchase food and drink packages up to $418 for an open bar and prime spot near the stage.
• The Brazil House will feature caipirinha (the national drink of Brazil), samba and Brazilian cheese bread.
• India House, CasaMexico, Team NL (Netherlands), Canada Team House, Casa Columbia, Czech House, Mongolia House, Serbian House, Slovak House, Chinese Taipei Pavilion, Ekhaya South Africa and Volia Space (Ukraine), are also there.

By the way here are Olympic ticket prices for the finals:

• Women's artistic gymnastics:  $135 to $746.
• Men's basketball:  $1059, women's final only $551.
• The Noah Lyle 100 meter final:  up to $1059.
• A family can easily spend many thousands just on tickets.

Great for so many to spend so much to participate in the festivities in Paris.  Me?  Rather watch TV.  Tough to get prime tickets, hotel costs are scammed out of my financial limits and I just don't like Paris anyway.  There are these gypsies, primarily with Romanian roots, bands who go about trying to rob you, plus local pickpockets.  If you're not from Paris, you are an obvious target.  Me?  Old and oriental.  Hopeless.  Sure, you need to be sensitive to the complexities of society and not unnecessarily perpetuate harmful stereotypes, but certain ethnic groups deserve all that deprecation, whether it is Paris or the USA.  

Of course I'm aware of Roma genocide, and how they have been treated through history, like Jews.  

• This portion of the French population was sent to concentration camps, and some murdered, by the French, during World War II.  
• Thus, the government is sensitive about this subject matter, although attempts are made now and then to do something.
• There was a crackdown 15 years ago to evict the Roma.  Ten percent of their camps were demolished and around 20,000 repatriated to Romania and Bulgaria.  The European Union called this a disgrace, so this effort stopped in 2011.
• Keep in mind that there are in France as many as 400,000 people in Roma groups.
• I've been all throughout France, and I saw this problem only in Paris.

Final notes:

• Sorry, but the USA soccer team ended up losing to France, 3-0.
• Paris expects 15 million visitors, but only 2 million tourists from abroad.

• 
  Watch out for COVID-15.
• Five female Australian water polo players just tested positive.
• Masks are not currently mandated.  There is no protocol.
• 45,000 police will be present just for the opening ceremony.
• Watch where you smoke or vape, for this is banned in most indoor public spaces, with a fine that can cost you $673.

Typhoon Gaemi made landfall over Taipei at 145 MPH, and has killed 14 people in Taiwan and the Philippines.  There was a period when the eye suddenly turned north, but the projection is a continued western movement for landfall over China tomorrow.

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