Paris 2024 Olympics: like 45,000 other people, Montpellier resident Barthélémy Godin Lacaze is a volunteer at the Games

Barthélémy Godin Lacaze dans sa tenue de bénévole au Grand Palais. BGL

A member of the Castelnau-le-Lez fencing club, Barthélémy Godin Lacaze is assigned to fencing at the Grand Palais and has been enjoying the Olympic Games events since the beginning.

At 31, Barthélémy Godin Lacaze is living a waking dream. He is one of the 45,000 volunteers for the Olympic Games. And this amateur fencer has hit the jackpot by being assigned to the fencing events in the fabulous setting of the Grand Palais. “From last Saturday until next Sunday, I am on the Time and Scoring team,” he explains. We have two roles: being at the foot of the slopes to act as a relay between the referees' screen, the live internet and the TV relay or being behind the camera to film the matches as part of the video refereeing."

"The atmosphere is indescribable"

While he is focused on his tasks, the Montpellier player licensed to the Castelnau-le-Lez club does not forget to enjoy every moment. : "The atmosphere is indescribable. Usually, fencing competitions are confidential. Here, there are 8,000 people pushing and shouting at the top of their lungs in the Grand Palais. In addition, France has a good ratio with at least one medal per day at least. I hope it will continue like this.”

What we saw behind our screens, he experienced live: “My best memory”? The women's sabre day when Manon Apithy Brunet and Sarah Balzer qualified for the final or Maxime Pauty's match in the men's foil who eliminated the world number one in a crazy atmosphere.”

After his only day off, this Thursday, Barthélémy Godin Lacaze is back at the Grande Palais to experience the Paris Games in his own way. And promises to apply for the Los Angeles Games in 2028.