What’s that thumping sound in Paris? A dramatic new pre-game Olympics custom

AUGUST 4, 2024 6:00 AM ET
Emma Bowman



Dan O'Brien, a former American decathlete, bears the brigadier ahead of the High Jump portion of the Decathlon at Stade de France on Friday. He's about to command the attention of the stadium's raucous crowd as part of a new, very French Olympic custom.
Hannah Peters/Getty Images

PARIS — Minutes before tipoff at a men’s 3-on-3 basketball game, a curious act unfolded.

Two men walked onto the court, with them a tall, wooden staff. You could tell by their garb they were not Olympic athletes.

The pair passed the thick stick back and forth, taking it to pound the floor each time.

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It's called the “three ground strikes" — or, les trois coups, s'il vous plait. It’s a new, fittingly French, Olympics ritual that was introduced for the first time this year at the Paris Games.

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