'Je Suis Paris': Tennis stars salute the city

The beautiful city of Paris, France, remains on a high alert as terrorism goes, and that isn't likely to lift for two to three months, authorities say. In the meantime, an athlete-driven video has emerged among many heartfelt tributes that have poured online in the wake of those dreadful attacks.

The clip, titled "Je Suis Paris" ("I Am Paris"), is set to tranquil, spare music and shows black-and-white scenes of such notable locations as the Louvre, the Champs-Elysees, the Eiffel Tour, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Sacre Coeur) and the Notre Dame cathedral.

It features many sporting luminaries, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Carl Lewis, Allyson Felix, and Tony Parker. Also appearing are such tennis greats as Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova, Martina Navratilova, Pete Sampras and Grigor Dimitrov

A second clip has emerged as well. Though it does not include any professional tennis players, its impact is just as important.

The tennis stars shown harbor 14 major singles titles among them at Roland Garros, with Sampras reaching the semifinals and Dimitrov the third round. Their memories of the city and its remarkable sports heritage, and their own dreams realized, can never be taken away. And that number among them, 14, is quite likely to climb in coming years, as Nadal and Sharapova, decorated as they are already, show no signs of stopping.

The same can be said for Paris itself: It is a resilient and magnificent city where life carries on and the good people inhabiting it persevere. They will do so much more than survive. They will continue to thrive.

Shine on, City of Light.

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