Paris opened the first Summer Olympics event in a hundred years with rain, but that did not stop the celebration and procession along the Seine River.
The players were still very excited even though it was raining on and off. This was the first rain at the Summer Olympics opening ceremony.
rains, Seine River procession
Still, lots of people squished together on the banks and bridges of the Seine and watched from balconies, “oohing” and “aahing” as the Olympic teams paraded down the rough canal.
Hundreds of thousands who came to watch the festivities didn’t mind the rain; they huddled under umbrellas, plastic ponchos, or jackets as it worsened. Others danced and sang, and some ran from their places to get cover.
The 2024 Olympics in Paris
French President Emmanuel Macron officially opened the Games, meaning the 16-day events can begin.
performance
An American singer, Lady Gaga, sang a French cabaret song close to Notre Dame Cathedral. In the heavy rain, athletes were greeted with cheers along the Seine River, and on Friday, dancers took to the rooftops of Paris for the historic opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics.
historic Olympics
The opening ceremony did not occur in a stadium for the first time in the Olympics’ history. Instead, the Parade of Nations took place along the Seine, which runs through the middle of Paris, the historic city of France.
For the first time, a fleet of barges took over 1,000 participants on a six-kilometre stretch of the river. They passed some of the city’s most famous landmarks, such as Notre Dame, the Pont des Arts, the Pont Neuf, and more. The parade went on water from the Austerlitz bridge next to the Jardin des Plantes to the Trocadéro.
During the “sisterhood” section of the ceremony, infographics in six languages honoured the work of famous French women. This was a pleasant surprise for people who speak Hindi.
police, soldiers deployment
There are 45,000 police officers and thousands of soldiers in Paris for the event to keep things safe.
Police with guns walked along the river in inflatable boats while the fleet made its way along the Seine.
Snipers on rooftops watched over the event because many world leaders and other important people were there. Bombs have been found on the riverbed of the Seine, and the airspace over Paris is stopped.
MONA LISA
The torchbearer who would light the Olympic flame made several appearances during the show, but their name was kept a secret.
At first, they were seen jumping off of Parisian rooftops. Later, they were caught on camera going through the empty halls of the Louvre museum, where Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was said to have been hidden for the show.
La Marseillaise, France’s national song, played as the parade went by the Grand Palais. The show then honoured women who have made history in France, such as former minister Simone Veil.
At the start of the parade, everyone cheered for the Greek boat, which was the first group, as is customary. The next ship, which carried the refugees’ team, got even more cheers. As the boats passed, fountains in the middle of the Seine shot water in all directions.
At the show’s start, a made-up situation happened, and the arrival of the Olympic flame went wrong.
In a pre-recorded video that showed him taking it to the train, French soccer star Zinedine Zidane was seen running across Paris to bring the flame.
At the Games, Michael Phelps and Martin Fourcade, who won the most awards, showed off gold, silver, and bronze.
DELEGATION FOR ISRAEL
Since the last Olympics, the Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022, there have been wars in Ukraine and Gaza, making the world a dangerous place to be. France is very safe, but officials have often said that there is no particular threat to the opening ceremony or the Games.
Officials say that because of the war in Gaza, Israeli competitors are being walked to and from events by special tactical units and are being protected 24 hours a day during the Olympics.
The Israel group saw some boos and a lot of cheers as it went by the crowd. As the boat went by, people in the crowd chanted, “Palestine! Palestine! Palestine!”
16 days of games
The Olympics will have more than 10,500 players. It has been 100 years since the last Olympics were held in Paris. The games began on Wednesday, and the first 329 gold medals will be given out on Saturday. The event will end on August 11.
