What a difference a week makes. This was last week:

SINGAPORE July 5, 2005 (AFP) - The Paris delegation reacted [to criticisms of the Paris Stade de France by the London Olympic delegation] with some barbs of its own, with Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoë quick to take the moral high ground.

"I think that to deserve victory you have to respect the Olympic spirit and demonstrate fair play," Delanoë said when asked about the remarks.

Alas, M. Delanoë's olympian remove appears to have failed him with Paris's failed bid. Here is M. Delanoë today:

PARIS MAYOR ACCUSES BLAIR AND COE OF FOUL PLAY

PARIS July 11, 2005 (AFP) - Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe, still to come to terms with last week's stunning defeat to London for the right to stage the 2012 Olympics, has accused British Premier Tony Blair and London bid leader Sebastian Coe of breaking the rules.

"I don't say they flirted (with the yellow line), they crossed right over," he told his first Paris council meeting on Monday since the Singapore International Olympic Committee (IOC) session gave the Games to London.

"Victory was decided on something other than Olympism. We had a choice to make, especially as concerns corruption. I accept responsibility for the choice. We didn't lose on our bid, our respect for the Olympic rules or ethics."

However, city hall opposition leader Claude Goasguen branded him a bad loser.

"When you accuse somebody you have to prove it. Either London cheated, and you have to come up with a case to remove any doubts. Or London did not cheat and you have to accept defeat. ... I expected the mayor to be able to avoid this type of malicious accusation directed at a city hit by war and which has proved to the world it has lost none of its courage."

[All emphases added.]

One imagines M. Delanoë venting his same sorry opinion about French losses in the games themselves.

PFFT: Phony high-road perch 5 | Crybabyism 5 | Rayonnement français 0

Olympism?