HomeFinanceThe rule-breaking opening ceremony in pictures – Technologist
The rule-breaking opening ceremony in pictures – Technologist
July 27, 2024
Paris has kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century with a rain-soaked, rule-breaking opening ceremony. Widespread travel disruptions triggered by what French officials said were coordinated arson attacks on high-speed rail lines and rains in Paris had dampened the mood ahead of the ceremony’s start on Friday, July 26.
But as global audiences tuned in, the show’s spectacular launch immediately lifted spirits. Crowds crammed along the River Seine and watching from balconies “oohed” and “aahed” as Olympic teams began parading in boats along the waterway.
In a most grand finale, a hot-air balloon brought an Olympic ring of fire into a rainy sky and singer Céline Dion belted from the Eiffel Tower as Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century.
The cauldron rises in a balloon in Paris, France, during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, on July 26, 2024. It will stay lit until the end of the Games. JOHN LOCHER / APOne of the most-awaited moments of the ceremony: four years after her last live performance, Canadian Céline Dion is performing “L’Hymne à l’amour” on the Eiffel Tower. A documentary, “I am Céline Dion” was released in June, documenting her battle with a rare neurological condition, stiff person syndrom. – / AFPFrench Olympic champions former sprinter Marie-José Pérec and French judoka Teddy Riner were the kept-secret final torchbearers and had the honor to light the Olympic cauldron. MOHD RASFAN / AFPFrench former football player Zinédine Zidane (L) hands the Olympic flame to Spain’s tennis player Rafael Nadal (R) at the Trocadéro, in Paris on July 26, 2024. ODD ANDERSEN / AFPFrench singer and actor Philippe Katerine sings “Nu” (“Naked”), lounging on a rug, painted in powdery blue from head to toe and seemingly clad in just a smattering of leaves and flowers, channeling Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and festivity. LUDOVIC MARIN / AFPFrom Teahupo’o, Tahiti, in French Polynesia, John John Florence of the United States dances with local performers during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. ED SLOANE / VIA REUTERSKauli Vaast of Team France reacts as he walks with teammates during the opening ceremony, in Teahupo’o, where the surf competition will take place. ED SLOANE / AFPDespite forecasts showing days of hot sunny weather, the unexpected guest of the ceremony was heavy rain. Spectators wore ponchos to shelter throughout the opening ceremony. CAMERON SPENCER / AFPRenowned French classical pianist Alexandre Kantorow was drenched as he performed on a Paris bridge without any cover, while social media users expressed concern for his equally unprotected instrument. Ironically, the piece he played was “Jeux d’eau” (“Water Game”) by Maurice Ravel. SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFPThe delegation of the United States during the boat parade. The next summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles in 2028. ZHAO DINGZHE / VIA REUTERS571 French athletes are taking part in the opening ceremony. They are led by flag bearers Florent Manaudou (swimming) and Mélina Robert-Michon (athletics, discus). The home country has the second-highest number of athletes competing, behind the United States. They were welcomed by fireworks and the Phrygian mascot. KIM KYUNG-HOON / REUTERSFloriane Issert (center), a Gendarmerie non-commissioned officer of the National Gendarmerie, rides on a horse while leading volunteers carrying flags of Olympic teams on the Iena Bridge during the opening ceremony. The glittering metal horse with an armored horsewoman astride was meant to be “the representation of the Olympic spirit and of Sequana.” She and her trusty horse – which eventually turned into a real equine – passed under successive bridges as dove wings unfurled to symbolize a message of peace. LUDOVIC MARIN / AFPLady Gaga delivered a dazzling performance as the first musical act during the Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony – except it was all prerecorded. The performer kicked off her performance on steps along the Seine River, singing Zizi Jeanmaire’s “Mon Truc en Plumes.’ Gaga’s appearance was a surprise — she was not listed on a program provided to the media in advance. BERNADETT SZABO / REUTERS
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