Surprising things can happen in the Olympic Village — like meeting tennis stars Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.
“We just sat beside them in the dining hall,” Sabrina Fang ’27 told PAW. “I was like, ‘What is actually going on?’” Fang, who is an alternate for Canada in women’s foil, made sure to grab a picture with the Spanish doubles team.
As the 2024 Paris Olympics kicked off Friday with a parade of athletes down the Seine River, 25 Princeton alumni and students representing 9 countries were getting ready to compete. By Monday, they were emanating the Games’ excitement.
At the opening ceremony on Friday, swimmer Adell Sabovic ’24 got to be one of the flag-bearers for Kosovo, the tiny Balkan country he’s representing.
Mohamed Hamza ’23, a fencer for Egypt, told PAW via email that the opening ceremonies were a special experience.
“Apart from the rain that drenched us in our uniforms, I actually really enjoyed the boat concept. And the ending was a real joy to watch with the show and views at and around the Eiffel Tower!” he wrote.
Maia Weintraub ’25, a fencer representing the United States, wrote in a text to PAW that once people accepted the fact that the rain wasn’t going to stop, the ceremonies became much more fun.
“I think people just let loose and accepted the fact that we were cold, wet, and drenched, but that we were at the Olympics on a boat filled with some of the best athletes in the world and it was a magical and amazing evening for everyone!” Weintraub said.
Fang, who is an alternate for Canada in fencing, said that watching singer Céline Dion perform during the opening ceremony was particularly impressive.
“Yeah, probably that was a peak,” Fang said.
She noted that the village felt “like orientation,” as she and her teammates introduced themselves to other athletes from around the world — some of whom are quite famous.
“The crazy part is, like, they just drop it on you,” said Fang. “They’re like, ‘Oh yeah, like, I just medaled two days ago, by the way.’ And you search them up, and they’re a world record holder.”
Obiageri Amaechi ’21, a discus thrower representing Nigeria, gave a similar description of life in the Olympic Village: “Athletes are open to meeting new people and trading team pins,” she wrote in a message to PAW. “I met [tennis star] Serena Williams and her husband yesterday, which was an amazing experience!”
Fang won’t compete until Aug. 1. In the meantime, she’s been training with her team and participating in activities around the athletes’ village. Since she’s an alternate, she might not get to compete — but she’s been enjoying the experience so far.
Hamza competed in the men’s individual foil on Monday, but he fell short of a medal in the quarterfinals of the competition. He’ll compete in the team foil event Aug. 4.
“I feel they really went all out in Paris to make it feel extra special,” Hamza said.
Keep watching paw.princeton.edu for updates on Princetonians in the Olympics. PAW managing editor Brett Tomlinson contributed to this story.