Olympics representatives praised for having umbrellas when Rishi Sunak didn't

Unfortunately for Rishi Sunak, the moment he decided to announce this year’s general election in the pouring rain still remains in the collective memory of the British public, as Olympics representatives speaking at the opening ceremony in Paris on Friday did the one thing the former Conservative Party leader and prime minister could not: have an umbrella to hand.

Both Tony Estanguet (the president of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee) and Thomas Bach (the president of the International Olympic Committee) were pictured delivering speeches at the event with another individual next to them holding an umbrella – a pretty stark contrast to that of Sunak who ended up getting absolutely soaked outside No 10 on 22 May.

Indeed, when Sunak announced his resignation on 5 July, his wife Akshata Murty was spotted standing behind him with an umbrella, in case he needed it.

And so, as Paris 2024 viewers watched the ceremony, scouring the event for meme potential, people soon cracked jokes at Sunak’s expense, with one writing: “Someone in Sunak’s team is absolutely kicking themselves right now.”

One even called for the woman holding the umbrella for Estanguet to be given “a gold medal for umbrella holding”.

And the inclement weather didn’t go unacknowledged by the French canoeist, who told attendees: “When you love the Games, first of all you don’t let a few drops of rain bother you.”

Elsewhere, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer got the meme treatment after he was pictured watching the event in a blue Team GB coat, while everyone else around him sported ponchos.

The Labour Party responded to the gags on Saturday by tweeting: “Preparation is the key to success.”

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