A gold medal in the strange: From THAT opening ceremony and a ping pong bat crisis to a women's boxing gender row and even a paedophile competing in the volleyball - has Paris hosted the oddest Games yet?

One week into nan 2024 Olympic Games, location has already been a catalogue of precocious floor plan controversies successful Paris.

After an error-stricken opening ceremonial past week, Emmanuel Macron and nan International Olympic Committee (IOC) will person been hoping for a steadier commencement to nan existent competition.

However, concerns complete nan inclusion of a convicted kid rapist arsenic good arsenic women who had antecedently failed to meet gender eligibility criteria reared their heads erstwhile these athletes took to their respective arenas.

Though nan IOC has stood firmly down its determination to let each these competitors astatine nan Games, it has not helped create a affirmative momentum for an Olympics which thousands of fans were already threatening to boycott.

With complete a week still to come, Paris 2024 is successful threat of becoming nan astir weird and arguable Olympic Games ever. 

Child rapist selected for Netherlands volleyball team

A interest which was already being raised by galore critics earlier nan commencement of nan Games was nan inclusion of Steven Van de Velde connected nan Dutch formation volleyball team.

Van de Velde was sentenced to 4 years successful situation successful Britain successful 2016 aft admitting to nan rape of a 12-year-old girl 2 years earlier erstwhile he was 19.

He spent 13 months successful situation - 1 twelvemonth successful Britain and 1 period successful nan Netherlands - earlier being freed location aft what he did was re-classified nether Dutch rule arsenic a lesser offence of 'committing indecent acts' and his condemnation was reduced.

Since 2017 he has been playing volleyball again, starring up to his action for Paris 2024 aged 29.

But he was met pinch hostility connected his debut astatine nan Eiffel Tower Stadium connected Wednesday, being booed by nan crowd each clip he served in a 2-0 triumph complete Chile.

However, nan IOC had already made clear they had nary volition of disqualifying nan Dutchman, pinch spokesperson Mark Adams telling a property conference: 'We person made it clear we person been successful agelong conversations pinch nan Dutch National Olympic Committee. A crime occurred 10 years ago, a awesome woody of rehabilitation has taken spot and beardown safeguarding is successful place.'

Gender statement successful women's boxing 

More uproar came erstwhile Algerian boxer Imane Khelif stopped Italian force Angela Carini aft conscionable 46 seconds of their first information bout successful nan women's competition.

Khelif, who has lived since commencement arsenic a female, was thrown retired of past year's world championships successful New Delhi aft failing to meet gender eligibility criteria according to IBA president Umar Kremlev.

Carini, 25, was deed doubly successful nan fight, suffered a suspected surgery chemoreceptor and hardly threw a punch earlier telling her corner: 'It's not fair.' She past sank to her knees, hit nan canvas successful vexation and refused to shingle Khelif's hand.

After nan one-sided 66kg class bout ended Carini said she discontinue nan bout to 'save my life'.

Olympic bosses quickly defended Khelif, slamming nan 'aggression' and 'discrimination' from critics.

Khelif was 1 of 2 women disqualified by nan International Boxing Association (IBA), but nan specifications of this trial are unclear. The IBA president said immoderate method was utilized 'proved' nan brace had XY chromosomes.

However, it has been speculated that Khelif was calved with differences successful activity improvement (DSD), which would mean that though she is not male, she was calved pinch a operation of some female and antheral biologic traits.

According to nan United Nations, up to 1.7 per cent of group are calved pinch intersex traits.

The different female disqualified by nan IBA was Taiwan's Lin Yu-Ting, 28, who is apical seed successful Paris and will unfastened her run for golden today.

Khelif's ascendant display, only her 5th knockout triumph successful 46 fights, sparked outrage, pinch precocious floor plan figures including erstwhile GB medalists Nicola Adams and Sharron Davies calling for nan Algerian's removal from nan competition.

However, erstwhile world champion Amy Broadhurst who hit Khelif successful 2022 tweeted: 'Personally I don't deliberation she has done thing to "cheat". I thinks it's nan measurement she was calved and that's retired of her control.'

Opening ceremonial wardrobe malfunction and Christianity row

In an opening ceremonial which seemingly group nan reside for nan Games, viewers thought they had spotted 1 performer suffering an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction during a resistance performance.

Viewers connected X, formerly Twitter, claimed nan dancer's testicle was hanging retired of their underwear arsenic nan cameras panned crossed 1 of nan boats which made its measurement down nan Seine.

It looks arsenic though nan performer's shorts had managed to thrust up his limb and frankincense lead to nan embarrassing wardrobe malfunction.

However, it turned retired that this was an optical illusion caused by a spread successful nan dancer's tights. 

The segment, amid nan pouring rain, put thing of a dampener connected a ceremonial which was concluded by a spectacular ray show astatine nan Eiffel Tower and Celine Dion's first capacity since she was diagnosed pinch stiff personification syndrome in 2022.

The aforesaid capacity included a segment which bore resemblance to nan classical depiction of The Last Supper, astir notably painted by Leonardo Da Vinci.

Some belief groups condemned nan ceremony, including France's ain Catholic Church who said it included 'scenes of derision and insult of Christianity'. 

Paris 2024 organiser Anne Descamps felt compelled to apologise for immoderate offence caused successful nan pursuing days, saying the ceremonial intended to 'celebrate organization tolerance'.

'Clearly location was ne'er an volition to show disrespect to immoderate belief group,' she said. On nan contrary, I deliberation Thomas Jolly did effort to intend to observe organization tolerance. We judge this ambition was achieved, if group person taken immoderate offence, we of people are really sorry.'

Organisers besides refuted nan nexus to nan iconic segment truthful tied to Christianity.

'The thought was to do a large pagan statement linked to nan gods of Olympus,' Jolly told BFM TV.

'You'll ne'er find successful my activity immoderate desire to mock aliases denigrate anyone. I wanted a ceremonial that brings group together, that reconciles, but besides a ceremonial that affirms our Republican values of liberty, equality and fraternity.'

Turkish jock compared to hitman

In a little calamitous but arsenic viral moment, Turkey's shooting metallic medalist Yusuf Dikec took societal media by large wind for his nonchalant attack to his event.

In a section of competitors wearing master headgear and receptor protection, Dikec seemed to stroll up to nan people and moreover had a manus successful his pouch arsenic he lined up his shots.

The image group societal media alight pinch reaction, pinch X proprietor Elon Musk moreover wading into nan unthinkable moment.

And Dikec has revealed nan existent logic why he opts not to usage nan emblematic cogwheel aft making headlines each complete nan world successful his 5th Olympics appearance.

'I ne'er needed that equipment,' nan 51-year-old told Haber Turk.

'I americium a earthy shooter. That's why I don't usage galore accessories.'

Dikec and his partner Sevval Ilayda Tarhan claimed metallic successful nan 10-metre aerial pistol mixed squad arena successful Paris connected Wednesday.

Olympic emblem raised upside down

It was a consciousness of déjà vu for galore sports fans aft French officials were near red-faced erstwhile nan Olympic emblem was hoisted upside down astatine nan opening ceremony.

'Those who managed to enactment awake [during nan ceremony] were treated to nan Olympic emblem being flown upside down,' journalist Dan Wetzel tweeted connected X, nan societal media level formerly known arsenic Twitter.

'If you are having a bad time astatine work, it could beryllium worse. You could beryllium nan emblem squad that hoisted nan Olympic Flag upside down astatine nan Opening Ceremony,' posted different Games fan.

At nan 2000 Games, Aussie sporting fable Cathy Freeman - who later won golden connected nan way successful nan 400m - was fixed nan honour of lighting nan cauldron.

Rather spoiling nan picture, though, were nan inverted rings connected her bodysuit.

Squalid Seine causes triathlon chaos  

Like nan information of Van de Velde, nan cleanliness of Paris' stream was an rumor foreseen agelong earlier nan Olympics began.

As good arsenic nan opening ceremony, nan Seine was besides lined up to big some nan men's and women's triathlon events.

However, interest grew complete nan river's suitability for humans to aquatics successful arsenic nan Games approached and Paris' politician Anne Hidalgo moreover swam successful it herself to beryllium it was safe aft a £1.2billion cleanup operation.

Despite this, nan men's arena was pushed back  arsenic organisers deemed nan h2o value to not beryllium bully capable for nan competition.

It was not confirmed that nan races would beryllium capable to spell up nan adjacent time until nan early hours, pinch nan men shoehorned successful aft nan women's race.

That meant nan conclusion of nan men's title coincided pinch a emergence successful temperatures, adding to nan trouble for nan competitors.

The 1.5km swim, 40km motorcycle thrust and 10km tally proved excessively overmuch for immoderate of nan field, starring to a viral image astatine nan decorativeness statement aft Brit Alex Yee sprinted to a memorable victory.

One triathlete, Canada's Tyler Mislawchuk, moreover vomited while nan cameras were still rolling aft finishing nan title successful ninth.

He later revealed he had really vomited 10 times arsenic nan sadistic title took its toll. 'I didn’t travel present to travel apical 10 but I gave it everything I had,' he told Canadian media afterwards.

Mislawchuk was among a section of athletes who were colapsed conscionable aft nan finishing statement successful images which were compared to renaissance artwork.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT BELOW 

South Korean squad introduced arsenic North Korea

Olympic bosses besides had to apologise aft different opening ceremonial blunder saw nan South Korean squad introduced arsenic North Koreans as they sailed done nan French capital.

The announcer declared them nan 'Republique populaire democratique de Coree' successful French, past 'Democratic People's Republic of Korea' successful English.

North Korea was correctly introduced pinch nan country's charismatic name. 

A swift apology followed nan adjacent greeting connected societal media from nan IOC, and South Korea's National Olympic Committee made plans to meet pinch nan Paris Olympics Organising Committee and nan IOC to sound their protest, petition measures to forestall a recurrence, and nonstop an charismatic missive of protestation nether nan sanction of nan caput of its delegation, nan sports ministry said.

South Korea is technically still astatine warfare pinch its northerly neighbour, pinch relations betwixt nan 2 countries astatine 1 of their lowest points successful years, arsenic nan North bolster subject ties pinch Russia while sending thousands of trash-carrying balloons to nan South.

In response, Seoul's subject blasts K-pop and anti-regime messages from separator loudspeakers and precocious resumed live-fire drills connected separator islands and adjacent nan demilitarised area that divides nan Korean peninsula. 

Ping pong bat broken

China's world number 1 array tennis prima Wang Chuqin saw his golden badge celebrations ruined erstwhile an over-excited photographer accidentally destroyed his prized paddle.

The champion was connected nan backmost of a first ever Olympic triumph successful nan mixed doubles title alongside teammate Sun Yingsha and put down his bat arsenic he proudly held his nation's emblem aloft.

However, arsenic photographers rushed to seizure a changeable of nan Olympic winners, 1 clumsy snapper collapsed Wang's typical paddle, and Wang was incapable to power his frustration.

The 24-year-old burst into tears astatine nan realisation his fortunate paddle was broken, and to make matters worse, he mislaid unexpectedly successful nan singles tie to 26th-ranked Truls Moregard from Sweden utilizing an 11th hr backup nan adjacent day.