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PARIS — Sorry, Rose Bowl. We found a better sunset.
The best view of a stadium on Earth has been here for three months…and it’s going to disappear just as quickly. The Paris Olympics beach volleyball stadium is a vibrant arena, packed with energetic fans cheering on an intense, high-speed sport that’s already one of the coolest at the Games. As if that wasn’t enough, the advantage becomes completely unfair when you see the Eiffel Tower rising behind the stadium’s north wall.
Come on, look at this view:
Name a stadium, any stadium. This one is better. Ballparks like PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Busch Stadium in St. Louis and Dodger Stadium all overlook cities…but those cities aren’t messy. Paris.
Fans attending the first full day of beach volleyball competition were treated to an unprecedented treat: a magnificent sunset at the Eiffel Tower, an Olympic venue. As the rain gave way to a setting sun that cast ribbons of pink and cerulean blue across the sky, the Eiffel Tower rose in silhouette. Then its golden lights began to glow, and almost certainly every one of the thousands of people in the stands and wandering around the park raised their phones to snap photo after photo.
An enterprising artist set up an easel and canvas and painted the spectacular sunset as the U.S. women defeated Canada. His work was good, very good, but it couldn’t compete with the sky above them.
This was the view Paris should have had during the opening ceremony, a perfect picture for the world’s most famous structure. Rain prevented that from happening on Friday, but Mother Nature made up for it a little on Saturday night. Beach volleyball will be played until the last full day of the Olympics, allowing for every opportunity to admire this masterpiece of architecture and vision.
The reason this combination works so well is that it’s a meeting of geniuses. The 330-meter-high Eiffel Tower is a testament to humanity’s ability to dream big and transcend limitations. What better stage could there be for the world’s greatest athletes… or at least on the sand?
The beach volleyball stadium won’t last forever. When the Games fade away, so will it. But maybe that’s for the best. It’s like a perfect summer day turning into twilight, something you can never duplicate, but you’ll remember forever.
