Why Did the Paris Olympics’ Organizers Apologize? Explained

The riveting sporting angle of the 2024 Paris Olympics has seemingly taken a backseat to a controversy caused by interpretations of the Olympics’ opening ceremony. The situation has even led the Paris Olympics organizers to apologize to anyone who was offended by what was depicted. But what actually happened at the Olympics to cause the apology?

Here are all the available details regarding the ongoing situation with the Olympic controversy.

Paris Olympics 2024 apology explained

As per tradition, the 2024 Olympics commenced with a glamorous opening ceremony, putting athletes from all around the world in the limelight. During the ceremony, a tableau made up of several performers displayed in a feast-like scenario could be seen. This scene has since been interpreted by many commenters online as having been a reference to Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic religious painting The Last Supper.

The Paris Olympics organizers have since come forward to apologize following the controversy.

As reported by The Guardian, Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps issued a statement saying, “Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. [The opening ceremony] tried to celebrate community tolerance. We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offence we are really sorry.”

Thomas Jolly, the artistic director responsible for designing the opening ceremony, has since denied that the scene was inspired by The Last Supper and highlighted the real Greek inspiration behind the imagery depicted. As per Deadline, Jolly explained to BFMTV, “There’s Dionysus arriving on a table. Why is he there? First and foremost because he is the god of celebration in Greek mythology and the tableau is called ‘Festivity’.”

Despite Jolly’s statements, the Paris Olympics organizers have opted to apologize to avoid more backlash. The games at the tournament are well underway and will conclude on August 11.

Apoorv Rastogi

Apoorv is an SEO Contributing Writer for ComingSoon. A dedicated cinephile inside and out, Apoorv's passion for content creation motivated him to ditch the software sector in favour of pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. He is also an avid sports enthusiast, with football topping his favorites list.