PARIS: Paris, celebrating its reputation as the cradle of revolution, kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century on Friday with rain and a rule-breaking, star-studded and fanciful opening ceremony along the Seine River.
The showers – the first rain at the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in more than 70 years – did not seem to dampen the enthusiasm of the athletes. Some held umbrellas as they rode boats down the river to show the city's resilience as authorities investigated suspected acts of sabotage targeting France's high-speed rail network.
Athletes from Saudi Arabia will be competing in four sports at the Games – athletics, equestrian, swimming and taekwondo – and you can read a guide to all about them, their preparation and the Olympics schedule here.
Likewise, dozens of Arab athletes are participating in this year's games, you can check out the Arab News guide to the best male and female athletes representing the Middle East and North Africa.
Widespread travel disruption caused by what French officials called coordinated arson attacks on high-speed rail lines, as well as weather, dampened the mood ahead of the ceremony.
Still, crowds packed the banks and bridges of the Seine and oohed and aahed from balconies as the Olympic teams paraded in boats down the waterway, which grew increasingly turbulent as the weather worsened.
Many of the hundreds of thousands of spectators were undeterred in their celebrations as the rain intensified, huddling under umbrellas and jackets, others dancing and singing and some hurling themselves from their seats for cover.
“I invite everyone: dream with us. Be inspired like the Olympic athletes 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 the Olympics open as a breathtaking light show on the Eiffel Tower made up for a rain-soaked start.
French football legend Zinedine Zidane passed the torch to another legend, French Open tennis record holder Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard embarked on a boat trip with Americans Serena Williams and Carl Lewis to start the final torch relay.
French sprinter Marie-Jose Perec and French judoka Teddy Riner were given the honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron.
Throughout the Olympics, you can follow all the action from Paris in the designated section of Arab News Sport here.
Read about the highlights below (all times BST):
10:30 p.m – That concludes our live coverage of the opening ceremony of what is sure to be an exciting Paris Olympics.
For the next fortnight, follow our coverage of all the action here.
10:30 p.m – A view of that magnificent Olympic cauldron. It uses light and water to mimic fire and will remain on the Paris skyline for the next fifteen days.
22:28 – Canadian singer Celine Dion closes the show by singing on top of the Eiffel Tower.
10:24 p.m – France's Marie-Jose Perec and Teddy Riner light the Olympic cauldron.
10:19 p.m – Torchbearers get the flame to its destination where it will be for the duration of the Games.
22:05 – Paris lights up the Eiffel Tower to welcome the Olympics
21:55 – Zinedine Zidane passes 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 from the all-important moment of its lighting…
20:00 – We have more pictures of the Saudi delegation, it looks very wet in Paris tonight. But spirits remain high!
Lebanon, Jordan and Kuwait also sailed in the parade of athletes.
19:15 – In case you missed it in all the drama, Lady Gaga performed a catchy jazz nugget on the banks of the Seine…
18:45 – Our first look at Arab delegations on the River Seine! Saudi Arabia and Bahrain teams sail past…
18:30 – We are in full swing!
18:15 – All smiles for Team Saudi Arabia as they prepare to perform at the opening ceremony!
(Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee)
18:00 – We're about 30 minutes into the ceremony and crowds are starting to gather on the banks of the Seine. It won't be long now.
(AP)
(AP/Reuters)
5:30 p.m. – One of the highlights of the pre-match events is the Olympic torch relay. It travels from Greece around the world before ending its journey in the host city, in this case Paris. Watch a clip of his journey below:
17:15 – Despite the rocky start on Friday and the threat of flooding in the French capital, the organizers of the opening ceremony are still in a positive mood. Which is probably just as well…
4:45 p.m. – Actress Michelle Yeoh has shared a heartwarming message about the Olympic Refugee Team, which will represent more than 100 million displaced people around the world.
4:35 p.m. – We are still being teased about who will perform at the ceremony. Any predictions? Let us know at @ArabNewsSport…
4:30 p.m. – French President Emmanuel Macron began 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 convey 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)
4:15 p.m. – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday that he totally condemned the saboteurs who hit France's TGV high-speed train network and hoped that the perpetrators would be quickly identified. You can read about the arson attack here.
4:00 p.m. – International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has attended the Olympic flame relay as the opening ceremony approaches.
15:45 – French television 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 hot…
(X/@Paris2024)
Camping for the opening ceremony
People arrived hours before the opening ceremony began along the Seine river, looking for the best vantage point. 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 and full of the army and the police,” she said.
Giannis has train trouble
Greek basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo, chosen as one of his country's flag bearers, avoided train trouble altogether on Friday.
He left Lille on Thursday, traveling in a convoy of buses alongside players from several other teams. A team spokesman said several teams chose to travel at the same time for safety reasons.
The German men's team boarded buses bound for the ceremony on Friday morning, never planning to travel by train. The plan was to return to Lille immediately for Saturday's game against Japan.
A record 9.7 million tickets have been sold for the Paris Olympics – but more are available
After a difficult start last year, organizers of the 2024 Olympics said the Paris Games had broken the record for the most tickets sold or allocated in the event's history. And yet, tickets are still available.
Organizers say 9.7 million tickets have been sold or allocated for this year's Olympic and Paralympic Games, with 8.7 million for the former and 1 million for the latter.
A total of 10 million tickets have been sold for the Paris Olympics – meaning that despite the historic popularity of sporting events and the unprecedented scale of this year's competition, there will still be plenty of seats available.
However, ticket totals are likely to increase as tickets are still on sale for some of the 45 sports.
Snoop Dogg lights it up
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 vowed to be on his “best behavior.”
“I'm going to be at my best athletically.” I will be able to breathe slowly so that I can walk fast and hold the torch with a smile on my face because I realize how prestigious this event is,” he said.
Two trains with Olympic athletes stopped on their way to Paris
Two trains carrying Olympic athletes to Paris on the Western Atlantic line were stopped hours before the opening ceremony, rail company SNCF said.
One train has been canceled and authorities hope the other will be put into service.
* With AP
