The opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics is currently in progress, despite some challenges that occurred before the event. Prior to the ceremony, there were incidents of suspected sabotage targeting France’s high-speed rail network and rainy weather over the Seine river, where athletes are set to participate in a parade.
Jill Biden attends opening ceremony, snaps her own photos
U.S. First Lady Jill Biden was seen taking photos from a viewpoint as the opening ceremony commenced. Earlier in the day, she met with French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, at the Elysee palace. Biden also visited with some U.S. athletes after arriving in Paris on Thursday.
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A moment for South Africa
Caitlin Rooskrantz is the first gymnast to be a flag bearer for South Africa, an honor that comes three years after she became one of the first two women of color to represent her country in that sport.
She said the nomination is “really, really massive” for her, for South African gymnastics and her country.
“It is such a statement about where gymnastics in South Africa is, the big strides we’ve made over the last couple of years and that this is only the beginning,” Rooskrantz said.
Greece’s boat is the first to emerge from beneath the Austerlitz Bridge
As a giant plume of blue, white, and red smoke in the colors of the French flag rose over the top of Austerlitz Bridge, it drew a huge roar from the crowd gathered along the riverbanks. Giant jets of water spurted up from the river as the Greek delegation — as always — was the first boat under the bridge and along the 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) route.
Among the 101 Greek athletes: basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo, holding the country’s flag.
Helicopters hovering over opening ceremony route
At least three helicopters were flying near the route of the opening ceremony along the Seine River, going back and forth minutes before the parade was to begin. Some of the stands got filled just moments before the event got underway.
The ceremony starts with a hush — and Zidane
Everything has gone silent over the bridge near Notre Dame.
Only the blades of a helicopter can be heard in the distance.
All eyes are riveted on the giant screens set up along the Seine. A bell rings, soccer legend Zinedine Zidane appears on the screen to a round of applause. We’re off!
The Paris Olympics opening ceremony has begun!
Spectators wave French national flags while waiting at the Seine riverfront in Paris, France, for the start of the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
One of the most-watched television events in the world, with an estimated 1.5 billion people set to tune in from all corners of the globe, has started in Paris.
Organizers say the show will last for about three hours, although if history is any guide, that estimate is on the low side.
Opening ceremony, by the numbers
Some of the numbers for the opening ceremony, as released by Olympic organizers:
1. 1.5 billion people expected to watch worldwide, or roughly 1 in every 5 people on the planet.
2. 326,000 tickets were made available, 222,000 of them for free
3. 80 giant screens are being set up around Paris as remote viewing locations.
4. 3,000 artists are expected to take part in the show, with at least 400 dancers.
Serena Williams is ‘a little jealous’ of Paris Olympians
Retired tennis great Serena Williams expressed a feeling of jealousy towards the tennis players at the Paris Olympics.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion and four-time Olympic gold medalist mentioned that she enjoyed playing at Wimbledon’s All England Club in the 2012 London Games and would have liked to be part of this year’s event at Roland Garros, which hosts the French Open.
Williams walked the red carpet in a red dress and heels ahead of the opening ceremony with her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, and their 6-year-old daughter, Olympia. When Olympia was asked what she is most looking forward to at the Paris Games, Williams’ oldest daughter said, “All of the things.”
Judo to be well-represented among flag-bearers
Most flag bearers for Friday’s opening ceremony come from track and field (about 25% of the names released ahead of time by the International Olympic Committee) and swimming (roughly 18%).
Surprisingly, there are 37 judo athletes selected as flag bearers for their various national teams, the third-most of any discipline. In terms of total athletes, judo is the sixth-biggest sport at the Paris Games with 378 qualifiers, behind track and field (2,122), swimming (696), soccer (515), rowing (492) and field hockey (384).
IMG Academy has 14 Olympians from 11 countries and territories
At IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, some 4,600 miles from Paris, they’ll be watching the Olympics with tons of interest. And for a good reason.
The school has 14 alums in the Paris Games, representing 11 countries and territories.
5. Australia’s Josh Green (basketball)
6. Canada’s Dwight Powell (basketball)
7. Puerto Rico’s Aleem Ford and Arella Guirantes (basketball)
8. South Korea’s Byeong Hun An (golf)
9. Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo (golf)
10. Taiwan’s C.T. Pan (golf)
11. Colombia’s Nicolas Echavarria (golf)
12. Japan’s Kei Nishikori (tennis)
13. Cayman Islands’ Davonte Howell (track and field)
14. British Virgin Islands’ Rikkoi Brathwaite (track and field)
15. Americans Nelly Korda (golf), Danielle Collins (tennis), and Malcolm Clemons (track and field).
Making it to Paris, IMG athletic director Brian Nash said, “is an incredible testament to everything these individuals have worked their entire lives for. We are looking forward to watching them compete on the world’s largest stage and are so proud of our coaches, trainers, and support staff who have helped get them there.”
IMG will be hosting watch parties and streaming of the games on campus throughout the Olympics.
A look at the Seine River route
The parade starts at the Austerlitz Bridge beside the Jardin des Plantes and follows the course of the Seine from east to west. It makes its way around two islands in the center of the city before passing under several bridges and gateways.
Athletes aboard the boats will get glimpses of several Olympic venues including La Concorde Urban Park (3X3 basketball, breaking, BMX freestyle cycling, skateboarding), Invalides (archery, athletics, marathon finish, road cycling) and the Grand Palais (fencing, taekwondo).
The parade ends at the Iena Bridge, which links the Eiffel Tower on the left bank of the Seine to the Trocadéro district on the right bank. The ceremony’s finale is at the Trocadéro. There, among other ceremonial procedures, French President Emmanuel Macron will deliver opening remarks.
▶ Read more about the Olympics opening ceremony
Lady Gaga rehearses near Austerlitz Bridge shortly before opening ceremony
Lady Gaga rehearsed for about an hour near the Austerlitz Bridge, a sign that the American pop star will perform at Friday’s opening ceremony.
She finished up around 5:40 p.m., two hours before the ceremony was set to begin, and waved to fans as she walked off with her band members.
The area near the start of the Olympic parade route where she was singing features a makeshift yellow staircase in the traditional style of the old French subways, with an improvised subway sign simply but appropriately called PARIS.
Her representatives would not confirm to the Associated Press that she was performing.
Fans line Seine River with flags
Fans are draping flags over the sides of viewing areas along the Seine River and from nearby apartment windows and balconies.
The French tricolor flag is prominent, but there are also flags from Mexico, South Korea, Austria, Denmark, Germany, the United States, and Greece.
Frustrated spectators ‘pushed through a cattle pen’ at opening ceremony venue
Spectators are rushing into the venue near Invalides after waiting for hours, initially told scanners at their entrance were broken.
It left a number of older spectators like 66-year-old Erica Chammas flustered and frustrated as many visitors pushed into her and a number of young children in line.
“They were pushed through a cattle pen all through one door,” the 66-year-old English-French woman said. “They way we were let in was shocking. The little girl next to me was nearly trampled.”
Plantains, with a side of flag-bearing
Fried plantains are a staple, a beloved side dish in the Caribbean and some other parts of the world.
And a recent serving for Jamaican triple jumper Shanieka Ricketts probably tasted better than any she could remember.
She was frying up a batch recently when her agent called with news: Jamaican teammates chose her as a flag bearer for Friday night’s opening ceremony at the Paris Games.
The rain is starting. And it’s going to get worse.
A drizzle has started at the Trocadero, the finish of the opening ceremony. And it’s time for a new Olympic sport — the covering up of everything.
Journalists at outdoor workspaces have pulled tarps over their laptops to protect them from the rain. VIPs in attendance have pulled on their ponchos, and there are tons of umbrellas now deployed — many with the Olympic rings, of course.
Forecasters say it’s only going to get worse.
Macron welcomes world leaders, delivers message of peace
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed several dozen heads of state and government at the Elysee presidential palace Friday afternoon.
Macron’s office said the Elysee reception was “an opportunity for France to deliver a message of peace and tolerance as 10,500 athletes from around the world gather to take part in the world’s biggest event.”
About 100 world leaders, government officials, and heads of international organizations were expected to attend the ceremony.
Fans are making their way to the banks of the Seine River
At Pont au Change, an iconic bridge close to the Châtelet theatre and Notre Dame cathedral, dozens of spectators are slowly making their way to the shores of the Seine River ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.
The atmosphere is subdued for now, with just a few police sirens wailing in the distance as spectators go through police screenings without complaining.
How will Olympic athletes board their opening ceremony boats?
Organizers have devoted a vast area along the banks of the Seine River where athletes will board their boats for the opening ceremony. The space in the east of Paris has room for several of the 90 boats carrying around 6,800 athletes to dock at the same time. The parade officially begins at the Austerlitz Bridge.
Celeb alert!!! Pharrell Williams carrying Olympic torch
French TV is showing Pharrell Williams carrying the Olympic flame atop