As in many of Europe’s old cities, the historic centre of Paris, with its tree-lined avenues and cycle lanes, is fringed by poverty, high-rise blocks and former industrial land.

“A friend we have here in Paris said it’s only tourists and athletes here,” says Anna Muller. From northern Germany, she arrived for the Games with her friend, Louisa Schmidt, on Friday.

Paris’s original Olympic bid vowed to build a 15,000-capacity stadium where swimming would take centre stage, writes Lawrence Ostlere. So why is it taking place in a concert hall?

Paris 2024 opening ceremony landmarks en route Austerlitz Bridge Jardin des Plantes (Botanical Gardens) Notre-Dame Cathedral Louvre Museum Eiffel Tower Léna Bridge Trocadéro Palace ...

The map of the weather pattern that formed over Paris during the Olympics Opening Ceremony. A zoomed-out weather map of Europe shows how the rain appeared to specifically target Paris on its big day.

This is the typical evening scene at La Baleine, a public pool and centre nautique in Saint-Denis, the main township of Seine-Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. Here, swimming novices from ...