Paris Olympics 2024: Paris Olympics kick starts with Seine Flotilla, rain, and Celine Dion performance
Paris Olympics 2024: Friday saw the opening of the Olympic Games by French President Emmanuel Macron following a drenched ceremony in which dancers ascended to Paris' roofs, athletes were applauded by the Seine crowd, and Lady Gaga performed a French cabaret song.
Following the lighting of the Olympic cauldron, which was suspended above a hot-air balloon, the crowd erupted in applause when Canadian singer Celine Dion performed Edith Piaf's 'Hymn to Love' in front of an audience that had not seen her perform live in years.
The balloon, which was thirty meters (98 feet) high and had a fire ring with a diameter of seven meters, took off and was hovering hundreds of meters above the earth.
President of Paris 2024 organising committee Tony Estanguet told reporters, "We are so proud of this show, I'm so proud that sport and culture were celebrated in such a fantastic manner tonight, it was a first and the result was fantastic despite the rain."
Performers reproduced some of the sports that will be featured in the Games on floating platforms as a fleet of barges brought the participants over a 6-kilometer stretch of the river beside some of the most well-known sites in the French city.
This was the first time an opening ceremony was held outside of a stadium, which complicates an already extensive security operation. It happened just hours after a high-speed TGV rail network sabotage attack created travel chaos throughout France.
"I want everyone to join us in dreaming. Be motivated by the happiness that comes from sports, much like the Olympian athletes. As the event drew to a finish at the base of the Eiffel Tower, International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach declared, "Let us celebrate this Olympic spirit of living in peace."
In the 100 years after the last time the Olympics were held in Paris, around 10,500 athletes are expected to compete. The 329 gold medals were put into circulation on Wednesday, and the first one will be given out on Saturday.
Four hours earlier, the show opened with a massive French flag-like plume of blue, white, and red smoke shot high above a bridge over the Seine. The show featured many postcard-perfect images of France, including a massive cancan line executed by Moulin Rouge dancers on the banks.
The most popular French female vocalist in the world, Aya Nakamura, performed some of her greatest hits with the army choir of the French Republican Guard, presenting a more contemporary picture of the nation.
Some of the loudest applause during the ceremony came from Nakamura's performance. Her participation had ignited a dispute about French identity, with proponents arguing that she embodied the vitality of contemporary France and detractors claiming that her music was more influenced by foreign cultures than by French culture.
Many of the 300,000 people lining the river enthusiastically applauded the celebration of French culture, fashion, and history, but hundreds were observed leaving early as the rain started to fall.
Arriving from Ohio, Avid Pureval, 34, said, "Aside from the rain, it was good. It was nice, it was different, instead of being in a stadium, so that's always a good thing - interesting, unique."
It's okay after you're soaked, he said. Still, long before the ceremony completed, he was on his way back to his hotel after the French boat passed.
"It would have been better with sun," remarked Parisian Josephine, who paid 1,600 euros ($1,736) for her seat and was seated next to her daughter, age 9.
Snipers on rooftops guarded the ceremony, which was attended by numerous international leaders and VIPs. Paris's airspace was closed, and the riverbed of the Seine was searched for bombs.
For the occasion, a massive security operation involving thousands of military and about 45,000 police officers was put into place in Paris. As the armada moved down the Seine, armed police patrolled the river in inflatable boats.
Before the cauldron was lit, a group of French and foreign celebrities, including three paralympic athletes, 14-time French Open champion Rafa Nadal, 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, and soccer legend Zinedine Zidane, were among the last torchbearers.
Up until August 11's closing ceremony, it will burn brightly.
Applause broke out for the Greek boat at the beginning of the procession, which was, according to tradition, the first delegation. There were even louder cheers for the boat that carried the team of refugees. Cheers were also given to the representatives from France, the United States, and Ukraine.
The gold, silver, and bronze medals were unveiled by Michael Phelps and Martin Fourcade, the two most decorated athletes in the history of the Games.
There was formerly a live crossover to the dawn welcoming ritual at the surfing location, which was 16,000 kilometers distant on the island of Tahiti in the Pacific.
Despite repeated statements from officials that there was no particular threat to the Games or the opening ceremony, France remains at its maximum level of security.
However, conflicts have broken out in Gaza and Ukraine since the last Games, the Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022, creating a dangerous international atmosphere.
Because of the conflict in Gaza, officials claim that Israeli participants are receiving round-the-clock security throughout the Olympics and are being escorted to and from events by elite tactical troops.
As the Israeli group passed by onlookers, Reuters correspondents noticed both applause and jeers. As the boat passed, shouts of "Palestine! Palestine! Palestine!" came from the audience.
Macron had anticipated that the Olympics would solidify his legacy after winning a second mandate two years prior. However, his misplaced wager on an early parliamentary election has undermined him and clouded his reputation abroad.
- With inputs from agencies
