Gabby Logan says the Paris Olympics are an opportunity to celebrate England and bring the nation together

Gabby Logan said the Paris Olympics would provide a moment to celebrate modern Britain and bring the nation together.

Speaking ahead of the start of the 33rd Summer Olympics in Paris on Friday, the presenter said it might be time to appreciate the “more stable” nature of British politics, not having to face the far right as France did, with the election held just weeks before the Olympics.

“The election shows us, and I think all of us, that we are not going in the same direction as many countries in Europe at the moment [in the UK, it’s] It was a moment when we thought, ‘Okay, maybe we’re taking this a little more seriously than some countries.’

Logan, who will lead the BBC’s presentation team in Paris with Clare Paulding and Mark Chapman, added: “When the GB team walks into the stadium it will reflect modern Britain and look like our towns and cities and I think that’s really important … our team, we’re bringing our country together. We see, so I hope that France will also take advantage of this moment of unity.

Asked if the Olympics would mark a period of more creative discourse, Logan said: “I feel like we’re reaching calmer waters and people can put aside their big differences and work together.

Logan said he was looking forward to going to Paris, which will host the event for the first time since 1924, adding that the setting for the events would be “one of the stars”. He praised organizers for trying to create the “greenest Games ever” with half the carbon footprint of London 2012, comparing Qatar’s decision to build seven new stadiums for the 2022 World Cup to host most events at existing venues.

“The worst example [building for the sake of it] It’s the World Cup in Qatar, and you look at all those stadiums and think, ‘What are you going to do with those stadiums?’ I felt so bad the whole time I was thinking that.

The Guardian revealed that more than 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since it won the right to host the World Cup in 2011. There is also a scene. But I think we have to think about sustainability from an environmental point of view, and I think Paris makes wonderful use of its old buildings.

With the Games taking place in the same time zone as the UK for the first time since London 2012 and 500,000 tickets sold in the UK – the second highest after France – Logan said the Olympics would “bring the summer” to people at home. and in the host country.

“It’s uplifting. It makes us laugh, it makes us cry,” she said. “It makes us laugh with confidence and it inspires us, so yeah, let’s go.”