PARIS, France — 11Alive is in Paris! Anchors Faith Jessie and Cheryl Preheim are in all the action and excitement of the Olympic Games.
To share in the fun, our team is taking you along to experience the culture of Paris, the extravagant venues, and emotional stories all the way back home.
Watch the YouTube playlist below to view the latest videos from Faith and Cheryl on their journey.
The latest from our team in Paris
Aug. 6 | Word of the day: heureuse - Happy
Two words: Gabby Thomas.
A massive crowd tonight for the event of the evening. Our hearts were racing as Gabby sped past her competition in the 200m final. The crows went wild!! What an awesome race.
We also got the chance to speak to several of our Georgia athletes who are coming home with medals! 3x3 bronze medalists Dearica Hamby and Rhyne Howard came back from a 3-game losing streak and turned it around for the podium. Skeet shooter Vincent Hancock is bringing home two medals! Gold and Silver for both of his events.
Oh, what a night!
Good evening, bonne soirée
- Faith & Cheryl
Aug. 5 | Word of the day Coucou - Hey!
It’s a beautiful Monday in Paris, and we’re starting the week off early in the morning at Track and Field!
Stade De France is pretty much going to feel like home for the next week. We had a lot of fun on the morning show talking about all of our athletes who competed over the weekend and those we have our eyes on this week!
We also got to test out ice vests Team USA used to keep cool during the hot days. Since there is a heat warning out today, these were really needed. Another sport we’ve had our eyes on is beach volleyball.
While we don’t have any Georgian athletes playing, the venue is one of the most popular, as the “beach” is right under the Eiffel Tower! We had to go check it out, and let us tell you, it was a party!
À la prochaine - See you next time
-Faith & Cheryl
Aug. 3 -4 | The second weekend of the Summer Games. Word of the weekend: Bien sûr ! - Of course!
The second weekend of the Paris Olympics is here! It was a busy one, and we got to explore the city a little bit outside of the amazing sports venues. The 100m finals for both men and women kept us on the edge of our seats!
It was also a big day for Nik Fink, who got another silver medal, this time with Team USA in the 4x100 M Medley Relay. Our hearts were pumping for that one!
À plus - See you later
-Faith & Cheryl
Aug. 2 | Word of the day : S'il vous plaît - Please
Faith and Cheryl are taking a blog break. Check back after the weekend.
Aug. 1 | Word of the Day: Course à pied – Race walking
Day one of track and field, but the first athletes up aren’t running; they are race walking. Yes, this is an Olympic Sport that’s not as easy as it may sound.
Have you heard of 3x3 basketball ? In this game of basketball, athletes have the chance to go for Gold, using only half of a court ! Atlanta Dream’s Rhyne Howard and Marietta native Dearica Hamby, who plays for the LA Sparks, are teaming up to try to bring home some hardware.
Today, we also got our first look at Champions Park. It's a huge watch party right under the Eiffel Tower and an area where those who have medals come to show those medals off to the crowds. The coolest part about Champions Park is that it’s 100% free. In fact, there are several free activities around the city of Light, such as watching the Olympic games and meeting new people from around the world !
It ‘s common to walk down the streets and hear tons of cheering. No, that’s not at an Olympic venue; that is a free watch party !
See you soon, A bientôt !
- Faith and Cheryl
July 31 | Word of the day: équipe - team
Hello from Paris! We found what some call French “Target” and shopped till we dropped!
Who needs Chanel and Louis Vuitton when there’s 50% off skincare and berets! The place is called Monoprix, and Cheryl may or may not still be shopping! Marietta is on the Rugby 7s map! Life University’s Alex “Spiff” Sedrick helped the team pull off a win in the last few seconds of the game. They took home bronze for the first time in Rugby 7’s history. Women’s rugby was introduced to the Olympics in Rio in 2016. She even let Faith try on her medal! (Yes, it was very heavy) Congratulations to the team!
There is so much more in store for the games, and we’re really tempted to eat more croissants or even a “Crookie” that’s a cookie and a croissant baked together. Yes, we know… it sounds awesome! What adventures would you like to see while we’re in Paris? Let us know on social!!!
Have a good day! bonne journée
-Faith & Cheryl
Check out photos from Faith & Cheryl's adventures on Wednesday below:
July 30 | Word of the day: Bicycle - Le vélo
Another huge gold for Team USA today! The USA Women's Gymnastics team brings home gold for the 3rd time in four Olympic games. Women's Rugby is bringing home a medal for the first time since 1924; Life University's Alex "Spiff" Sedric was crowned the hero of the game, helping the team beat Australia in the last few seconds securing a bronze medal! Our hearts broke for Coco Gauff when she lost her singles match, but we are still rooting for her in her upcoming doubles matches. Before all of the sports action, we decided to take a bike ride around Paris. Biking here is not just for leisure, it's a main from of transportation for many people, getting to work, shopping, school or running errands. We rented bikes for 5 euros - which is just under $5.50 - for 24 hours! Not too bad! With plenty of bike lanes, sunshine and so much to see, our bike ride through Paris was a fun one!!!
Good Night bonne nuit!
-Faith & Cheryl
July 29 | Word of the day: Gymnastics - Gymnastique
Bronze for the US Men’s gymnastics team and Georgia native Broady Malone. It’s been 16 years since this team medaled, and we got a chance to witness it from the stands! Electric energy and calls of “Go Broady” and “U-S-A” filled the stands along with American flags. It was an incredible moment for this team. A big congratulations to them!! On another note, guess who we met up with today?! Olympian Nic Fink spoke 1-1 with Cheryl after getting a silver medal for the Men’s 100 breaststroke.
We also caught up with some law students from Georgia State University who are here in Paris for their classes! This is the same class that came on the morning show with us to celebrate 50 days out from the Olympics at Centennial Park. So much fun!!! By the way, the weather here this week is beautiful, but it’s getting a little hotter every day. Time to crank up the AC! Good luck finding it in Paris; many places were built without it! We’ll take two fans, please! See you tomorrow!
-Faith & Cheryl
July 27 - 28 | The First Weekend of the Games
Word of the weekend Gold: “Or”
Welcome to Days 1 and 2 of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. After an exciting and rainy Opening ceremony, our Georgia athletes got their start for two incredible days of competition. Saturday was a soggy one, but that didn’t stop us from heading to the Roland Garros tennis complex, where both Chris Eubanks and Coco Gauff played. We caught up with some A-T-L-iens in Paris and were excited to watch our athletes hit the clay. Eubanks did not advance after losing a match, but he is still rooting for his childhood friend Coco as she continues to dominate in her singles and doubles matches.
Swimmer Nic Fink, who has ties to both UGA and Georgia Tech, clinched a silver medal in a tie and stopped to speak with us after his race! He told us he’s hoping his wife (who is expecting) is resting… but knows her heart rate was probably pumping just as fast as his during the race. (Our hearts were beating fast, too!!) Oh, we also found the “Target” in France and did a little shopping.
That’s coming on the show later this week! Did we go over our budget? What do you think? The Target effect is real… even in France!
À demain. See you tomorrow!
-Faith & Cheryl
July 26 | Word of the Day: Ouvrir - open
We’ve finally made it to Friday! Happy opening ceremony day! While there’s been some competition already taking place this week (USA women’s soccer beat Zambia 3-0 on Thursday in group play!), the opening ceremony marks the official start of the Olympic games.
The ceremony will take place on the Seine. Nearly 7,000 Athletes will travel on 85 boats along a 3.7-mile stretch of the river. This “boat parade” will pass by Notre Dame, the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, and La Concorde. The finale will take place at the Trocadéro, where the Olympic flame will be lit. Tomorrow, the games officially begin!
Watch latest dispatch
(Full playlist at the bottom of this article)
July 25 | Word of the Day: Le centre-ville: the city center (downtown)
There are so many iconic and historic sites in Paris. Everywhere you turn, you can find centuries of history. Today, we went on a tour of Paris! Starting at the Arc de Triomphe, we traveled to the Louvre, la Concorde, The Seine and the Eiffel Tower! In two hours, we walked nearly four miles and navigated several checkpoints. Miles of gates and thousands of police are in Paris to make sure there are no threats to the safety of the athletes and those attending the games. The opening Ceremony is on Friday! Are you excited?!
Cheryl and Faith are taking in more sights of Paris. Check out Thursday's highlights in the videos below:
July 24 | Word of the Day: Concours - Competition
The competition is already hot in Paris, and we’re less than two days out from the Opening ceremony. Georgia Athletes are already busy. USA men’s soccer plays France today in Marseille. USA Rugby takes on both France and Fiji today. Big opening ceremony news in Paris today! Atlanta Native Coco Gauff will be the flag bearer alongside Lebron James for the Olympic opening ceremony for Team USA.
It's a major honor, and she’ll be the youngest to ever hold that position.
Paris Olympics VLOG JULY 24
Today, we started the day at the Arc De Triomphe, one of the most popular monuments in Paris. You’ll catch some of our footage on 11Alive morning news on a Thursday. We also caught up with Georgia Athlete Nic Fink, who joined superstar Katie Ledecky and other members from the USA swimming ahead of their conception this weekend. You can feel the excitement in Paris. We are so close to the official start of the games.
Also, here's a bonus of us trying McDonalds in Paris.
- Faith and Cheryl
July 23 | Word of the Day: Sortie - Exit
Today, we explored Paris via the Metro, one of the oldest transit systems in the world! While there are many who choose to drive or bike in Paris, the Metro is an affordable option and can be much faster than driving due to the heavy amount of traffic in Paris. While touring the city and our workspaces, we came across Hôtel de Ville, which is the city hall in Paris. It has completely transformed for the Olympic games to host a free celebration with several activations inside for those in the city.
Walk a little further (and through a couple of security checkpoints), and you’ll come across the Seine, the famous Parisian River that will host the opening Ceremony. Security is very tight, and checkpoints for both those working the games, those attending, visitors, and even residents must pass through the checkpoint. On peak days, up to 45,000 police will be active to make sure the games remain safe.
- Faith and Cheryl
July 22 | Word of the Day: Bonjour - Hello/ Good Morning/ Good Afternoon
Our first day in Paris started at the airport.
Since we are a part of the Olympic delegation, representatives met us at our gate and escorted us through customs. After our passports were checked, we had to have our press credentials and camera gear approved. Once we were good to go, we took a 45-minute shuttle from the airport to the hotel. We're staying in the city center, about a 10-minute walk from the Trocadero, one of the most iconic sites in Paris. After we checked in and unpacked, it was already time for dinner. Tonight, we'll rest because tomorrow it's time to get a feel of the city!
- Faith and Cheryl
July 21 | Word of the day: Bon Voyage - Good Journey
Come with us on our 8-hour journey from Atlanta to Paris (well, a little longer because of the delays at the airport!) Nearly every flight in Hartsfield Jackson was delayed or canceled due to the crowd strike software issue. Thousands of people were left stranded, desperate to get to their destinations.
We hoped for the best, checked our luggage and headed to the gate. After navigating the aftermath of the crowd strike meltdown and a 3-hour delay, we made it onto the plane! We flew Delta, and the plane was packed with very excited people heading to Paris. We even saw some of the crew of Team USA gymnastics on our flight. Crossing our fingers that our flight would take off, we finally had lift off and headed to the skies. After some dinner, we tried to get a few hours of sleep on our red-eye flight. We landed in Paris around 2:30 p.m. Paris time.
Previous dispatches playlist
Key Dates
The Olympics will kick off on Friday, July 26 and last until Sunday, Aug. 11. The Opening Ceremony will take place at sunset on Friday, July 26.
The 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony officially begins at 7:30 p.m. local time in Paris. That means it will start at 1:30 p.m. Eastern, 12:30 p.m. Central, 11:30 a.m. Mountain and 10:30 a.m. Pacific.
Georgia Athletes
There are at least 75 talented athletes with connections to Georgia who are set to make their debut on the world’s biggest stage in Paris.
Some were born here, others were educated here, and a few chose Peach State as a training ground. From basketball courts to swimming pools, these athletes are bringing Olympic pride to the state with their appearances in the Paris Games.