"It's incredible to participate in this celebration of sport. I'm not a judo specialist but I'm here to support all the teams without exception. There's always something to see, to feel, and I know I'm lucky to be here when I feel the very warm atmosphere that reigns in all the stadia and particularly here at judo.
The competition venues are incredible. They are stunning and the sport fits in beautifully with prestigious settings that we usually visit as tourists. Sport brings beauty to all these cultural places.
I find that the athletes are imbued with a beautiful Olympic spirit. This morning when I arrived, I was able to witness Sarah-Léonie Cysique's victories. I find that she exudes the desire to go to the end of herself. All the competitors are in a kind of glass bubble that just wants to burst in broad daylight so that all sports fans can have happiness.
I'm not a judo specialist but I am extraordinarily impressed by the speed of this sport. Everything goes so fast and I love high-speed sport. Obviously, when I see the reactions of the public, I am not the only one who appreciates it. I visit three or four sites per day and each time it is an incredible experience.
During the opening ceremony I had this chance to be able to light the cauldron with Teddy. We only learned that we had been chosen at the very last moment. When we found out, we fell into each other's arms. We looked at each other and said, 'Can you believe it?'
We found ourselves in the Tuileries Gardens with so many great names in sport who have made history. We were sharing this private moment and yet the whole world was watching us. I had the feeling that everyone's story was mixed and intertwined. There was a lot of emotion and a great fusion of hearts. The organisers of the Games offered us something powerful that we will never forget.
When Teddy and I stepped forward to light the flame, we couldn't hold back our tears. We had to let out this overflow of joy and emotion. It was so powerful that we held hands, naturally, without it being planned. There was nothing written, just this feeling of sharing a moment of eternity.
I think that these Games give a very beautiful image of women and the values that we want to embody. When I see what is happening here in judo and elsewhere, I find that a lot of ground has already been covered for the emancipation of women through sport. There is obviously still a lot of work to do but, for example, the victory of the young Uzbek yesterday in judo is a strong signal sent to the whole world. The search for equality is moving forward. Images like that of Diyora Keldiyorova with her gold medal are inspiring. We can change things together."
With her legendary long stride, Marie-José Pérec left for other competition sites with beautiful images of judo and the electric atmosphere that reigns at the Arena Champ-de-Mars in her head. She is a legend and when legends are themselves inspired we can believe that society can be impacted.