Paris Olympics open with rainy spectacle, Celine Dion amid tight security

PARIS:

French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Olympics open on Friday after a ceremony in which athletes were cheered by crowds along the Seine, dancers took to the rooftops of Paris and Lady Gaga sang a French cabaret song.

France’s three-time gold medalists Marie-Jose Perec and Teddy Riner then lit the Olympic cauldron, suspended in a hot air balloon, before Canada’s Celine Dion sang Edith Piaf’s “Hymn to Love” in her first public performance in years. drawing huge cheers from the crowd.

The 30-meter (98-foot) high balloon carrying a 7-meter-diameter ring of fire went airborne and hovered dozens of meters above the ground.

It will be on the air from sunset to 2 a.m. local time each day, organizers said.

“We are so proud of this show, I am so proud that sport and culture were celebrated in such a fantastic way tonight, it was a first and the result was fantastic despite the rain,” Paris 2024 chairman Tony told reporters. Estange.

A fleet of barges took competitors along a 6km stretch of the river past some of the French capital’s most famous landmarks as artists recreated some of the sports to be featured at the Games on floating platforms.

It was the first time an opening ceremony had taken place outside a stadium, heightening headaches for a massive security operation just hours after a sabotage attack on the TGV high-speed rail network caused travel chaos across France.

“I invite everyone: dream with us. Like Olympic athletes, be inspired by the joy that only sport can give us. Let’s celebrate this Olympic spirit of peace,” International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said as the ceremony arrived . an end at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.

More than 10,500 athletes will compete in the Olympics, 100 years since Paris last hosted the Games. The competition started on Wednesday and the first of 329 gold medals will be awarded on Saturday.

As the show began four hours earlier, a giant plume of blue, white and red smoke, resembling the French flag, was sent high over a bridge over the Seine as part of a performance that included many postcard-like depictions of France. including huge array of cancans performed by Moulin Rouge dancers on the banks.

A more modern image of the country emerged when Franco-Malian pop star Aya Nakamura, the most listened-to French singer in the world, sang some of her biggest hits, accompanied by the military choir of the French Republic of the Guard.

Nakamura’s performance drew some of the biggest cheers of the ceremony. Rumors of her inclusion had sparked controversy over French identity, with supporters saying she represented the vibrancy of modern France, while critics said her music owed more to foreign influences than Frenchness.

Rain

While the celebration of French culture, fashion and history was warmly cheered by many of the 300,000 spectators lining the river, hundreds were seen leaving early as the rain fell.

“It was good except for the rain, it was nice, it was different, instead of being in a stage on the river, so that’s always good – interesting, unique,” said Avid Pureval, 34, who came to the Games from Ohio.

“As long as you’re wet, it’s fine,” he said. However, he was returning to his hotel after the French boat had passed, well before the ceremony was over.

“It would be better in the sun,” said Josephine, from Paris, sitting next to her 9-year-old daughter, who paid 1,600 euros ($1,736) for her seat.

With many world leaders and VIPs in attendance, the ceremony was protected by snipers on the rooftops. The bed of the Seine was swept away by bombs and the airspace of Paris was closed.

Some 45,000 police and thousands of soldiers were deployed in a massive security operation in Paris for the ceremony. Armed police patrolled along the river in inflatable boats as the armada made its way along the Seine.

Welcome to Tahiti

A mix of French and international stars including soccer great Zinedine Zidane, 14-time French Open champion Rafa Nadal, 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams and three Paralympians were among the final torchbearers before the cauldron was lit.

It will burn until the closing ceremony on August 11.

At the start of the parade, applause broke out for the Greek boat – traditionally the first mission – and even bigger cheers for the boat that followed, carrying the group of refugees. The French, American and Ukrainian delegations also received loud cheers.

The two most decorated athletes in the history of the Games, Michael Phelps and Martin Fourcade, unveiled the gold, silver and bronze medals.

At one point, there was a live crossover at the early morning welcome ceremony at the surf spot, 10,000 miles away on the Pacific island of Tahiti.

delegation of Israel

France is on the highest level of security, although officials have repeatedly said there is no specific threat to the opening ceremony or the Games.

But since the last Games – the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing – wars have broken out in Ukraine and Gaza, providing a tense international backdrop.

Israeli competitors are escorted to and from the events by elite tactical units and are given 24-hour protection throughout the Olympics because of the war in Gaza, officials say.

Israel’s delegation received some boos, but also plenty of cheers, as it sailed away from the spectators, Reuters reporters saw. Chants of “Palestine! Palestine! Palestine!” rose from the crowd as the boat passed.

Macron, who won a second term two years ago, hoped the Olympics would cement his legacy. But his failed bid for early parliamentary elections has weakened him and overshadowed his moment on the international stage.