Paris diary, day five: Victory balances on a knife’s edge

No-one knows that better than the Dutch quadruple sculls team.

For 1,999 metres they led Wednesday’s Olympic final. All except for the one which mattered, the last one, as they were pipped on the line by GB.

This opening week of the Games has hammered home how thin the line between success and failure can be.

The examples are countless, whether it be the two hundredths of a second which separated Adam Peaty from Olympic immortality, the inches which have somehow kept Andy Murray’s career alive, or the 0.234 marks GB’s women were short of a team gymnastics medal – relatively nothing in a 12 routine event.

Every athlete in Paris has put in thousands of hours of work to be here, to give themselves the best chance of realising their personal dreams, whatever they may be. But when it comes to the crunch, you still need the cards to fall your way.

The venue which is hosting the rowing and canoe events is situated around 15 miles from the centre of Paris in the pleasant town of Vaires-sur-Marne.

Through the bustling splendour of the Gare de l’Est, a 20-minute train ride takes you into the suburbs. From there there is the option of the bus, though the mile-long walk to the Nautical Stadium is more pleasant, the tree-lined streets offering welcome shade from the searing heat.

It would be wrong to say Paris has not embraced these Games but it is also true you can easily escape the fanfare should you wish. Such is the way in every global mega city.

In a small place like Vaires-sur-Marne it is different. Every cafe and bar on route to the venue has set up outside stalls and the air is alive with the smell of barbecued meat and beer.

For this place the Olympics are undoubtedly the biggest show in town.