Parisians once scoffed at hosting the Olympics. Now, here come the conga lines

PARIS (AP) — Like most self-respecting Parisians, Mathilde Joannard and Franck Tallieu had been training for the Olympic sport of Olympics-bashing.

Of course the Olympics were going to be a mess, the couple had reasoned when they learned the Games were coming to town. Like so many Parisians, the human resources executives assumed it would be crowded, or beastly hot, or chaotic, or a pain in the derrière to navigate. Or all the above.

So how did they end up dressed in rented “Three Musketeers” costumes with painted-on goatees, waving the tricolor flag gleefully for the cameras at the fencing competition?

They’re not really sure.