PARIS: Paris celebrated its reputation as the cradle of revolution and on Friday opened its first Summer Olympics in a century with a rain-soaked, rule-breaking opening ceremony filled with stars and fantasy along the River Seine.
On and off showers – the first rain at a Summer Olympics opening ceremony in more than 70 years – did not seem to dampen the athletes' enthusiasm. Some held umbrellas as they rode boats down the river in a showcase of the city's resilience as authorities investigated suspected acts of sabotage targeting France's high-speed rail network.
Athletes from Saudi Arabia will compete in four sports at the Games – athletics, equestrian, swimming and taekwondo – and you can read a guide to all about them, their preparations and their Olympic schedule here.
Likewise, there are dozens of Arab athletes taking part in this year's games, you can check out Arab News' guide to the top male competitors and female athletes representing the Middle East and North Africa.
Widespread travel disruptions triggered by what French officials called a coordinated arson attack on high-speed trains and the weather had dampened spirits ahead of the ceremony.
Still, crowds thronged the Seine's banks and bridges and watched from balconies, “hooting” and “aahing” as Olympic teams paraded in boats along the waterway, which grew increasingly choppy as the weather worsened.
Undaunted by the festivities, many of the hundreds of thousands of spectators huddled under umbrellas and jackets as the rain intensified, others danced and sang, and some rushed from their seats for cover.
“I invite everyone: dream with us. Let yourself, like the Olympic athletes, be inspired by the joy that only sport can give us. Let's celebrate this Olympic spirit of living in peace,” said International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.
French President Emmanuel Macron declared that the Olympic Games opened with a stunning light show on the Eiffel Tower that made up for the rain-soaked start.
French soccer legend Zinedine Zidane passed the torch to another legend, French Open tennis record breaker Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard took a boat ride with Americans Serena Williams and Carl Lewis to start the final relay of the torch.
French sprinter Marie-Jose Perec and French judoka Teddy Riner had the honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron.
Throughout the Olympics you can follow all the action from Paris on the designated Arab News Sport section here.
Recap the highlights below (all times BST):
10:30 p.m – That concludes our live coverage of the opening ceremony of what will undoubtedly be an exciting Olympics in Paris.
Follow our coverage of all the action here over the next two weeks.
10:30 p.m – A look at that magnificent Olympic cauldron. It uses light and water to mimic a fire and will remain in the Paris skyline for the next fifteen days.
22:28 – The Canadian singer Celine Dion closes the show when she sings on the Eiffel Tower.
22:24 – France's Marie-Jose Perec and Teddy Riner light the Olympic cauldron.
22:19 – Torchbearers get the flame to its destination where it will remain throughout the games.
22:05 – Paris lights up the Eiffel Tower to welcome the Olympics
21:55 – Zinedine Zidane is passing the Olympic torch to record French Open champion Rafael Nadal, who has just passed it to fellow tennis player Serena Williams. We are not too far away from the all-important moment of its illumination…
20:00 – We have received more photos of the Saudi delegation, it looks very wet in Paris tonight. But spirits are still high!
Lebanon, Jordan and Kuwait have also sailed past in the athletes' parade.
19:15 – In case you missed it in all the drama, Lady Gaga performed a catchy little jazz ditty on the banks of the Seine…
18:45 – Our first glimpse of Arab delegations on the River Seine! The teams of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain flow past…
18:30 – We're up and running!
18:15 – All smiles on the Saudi Arabia team as they prepare for their opening ceremony performance!
(Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee)
18:00 – We are about 30 minutes from the start of the ceremony, and the crowds are starting to build on the banks of the River Seine. Not far left now.
(AP)
(AP/Reuters)
17:30 – One of the highlights of the pre-Games is the Olympic torch relay. It travels from Greece all over the world before ending its journey in the host city, in this case Paris. Watch a clip from the trip below:
17:15 – Despite the rocky start on Friday and the threat of a deluge over the French capital, the organizers of the opening ceremony are still in a positive mood. Which is probably just as well…
16:45 – Actress Michelle Yeoh has shared a heartwarming message about the Olympic Refugee Team, which will represent more than 100 million displaced people worldwide.
16:35 – We are still being teased about who will perform at the ceremony. Any predictions? Notify us at @ArabNewsSport…
16:30 – French President Emmanuel Macron has begun welcoming several dozen heads of state and government at the Elysee presidential palace. 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 are expected to attend the ceremony later.
(AFP)
16:15 – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday that he absolutely condemned the saboteurs who struck France's TGV high-speed rail network and hoped for a quick identification of the perpetrators. You can read about the arson here.
16:00 – International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has attended the Olympic torch relay as the opening ceremony approaches.
15:45 – French TV shows Pharrell Williams carrying the Olympic flame atop Saint-Denis Cathedral, on the northern outskirts of Paris.
His appearance follows superstar rapper Snoop Dogg being given the honor of carrying the flame earlier on Friday, which you can read more about below. Hopefully he didn't drop it like it was hot…
(X/@Paris2024)
Camping out for the opening ceremony
People arrived hours before the start of the opening ceremony along the River Seine, looking for the best spot at the viewing areas. Some brought folding chairs, books, sandwiches and water.
Monica Merino, 57, came to Paris from Madrid for the Olympics and said it would be her first time watching the opening ceremony in person.
“We've visited Paris many times, and it's very different now because it's empty of people and full of military and police,” she said.
Gianni's skirts work out problems
Greek basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo, selected as one of his country's flag bearers, avoided Friday's train problems altogether.
He left Lille on Thursday, traveling in a convoy of buses along with players from some other teams. A team spokesperson said several teams chose to travel at the same time for safety reasons.
Germany's men's team boarded buses en route to the ceremony on Friday morning, having never planned to travel by train. The plan was to then immediately go back to Lille for Saturday's match against Japan.
The Paris Olympics have sold a record 9.7 million tickets – but more are available
After getting off to a rocky start last year, organizers of the 2024 Olympics said the Paris Games have broken the record for the most tickets sold or awarded in the event's history. And yet, tickets are still available.
Organizers say 9.7 million tickets were sold or allocated for this year's Olympic and Paralympic Games, with 8.7 million sold for the former and 1 million for the latter.
For Paris, a total of 10 million tickets were sold for the Olympics – meaning that despite the sporting event's historic popularity and the unprecedented scale of this year's competition, there will still be plenty of empty seats.
However, the total ticket figure is likely to rise as there are still tickets for sale for some of the 45 sports.
Snoop Dogg keeps it lit
The rapper turned NBC Olympics correspondent was one of the last Olympic torch bearers before the opening ceremony. He carried the flame in Saint-Denis, just outside Paris.
In an interview before his leg of the relay, Snoop Dogg promised to be on his “best behavior.”
“I will be at my best athletically. I will be able to breathe slowly to walk fast and hold the torch with a smile on my face, because I realize how prestigious this event is,” he said.
Two trains carrying Olympic athletes stopped on their way to Paris
Two trains carrying Olympic athletes to Paris on the Western Atlantique line were stopped hours before the opening ceremony, railway company SNCF said.
One train was canceled and authorities hope the other will be operational.
* With AP
