Paris 2024 Olympic Games is open
2024.07.27
During the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Friday, 26th, legendary figures from the sport of athletics had a major role.
It was the first time in Olympic history that the opening ceremony was held somewhere other than the stadium. Rather, a procession of 85 boats escorted 6,800 athletes toward the gleaming Eiffel Tower along the Seine River.
Melina Robert-Michon, a discus thrower who will compete in her seventh Olympics, matching the record for the most appearances by a woman in track and field, carried the flag for the boat of the host country.
The six-kilometer trip of the flotilla towards the Trocadero was punctuated with cultural acts along the banks of the Seine, leading up to the parade of countries, which opened with a performance by Lady Gaga.
Numerous track and field athletes were selected to represent their nation as flag bearers, including Andre De Grasse of Canada, Steven Gardiner and Devynne Charlton of The Bahamas, Hugues Fabrice Zango of Burkina Faso, Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy, Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland, and Mutaz Barshim of Qatar.
A horsewoman in a silver outfit carried the flag of the International Olympic Committee as if it were floating along the Seine, while visuals on large screens displayed montages of memorable athletic incidents from the previous 100 years, when Paris last held the Games.
There was only one more important journey to be completed: the Olympic flame’s trek down the Seine after the athletes’ boats had floated down it and the IOC flag had arrived at the Trocadero.
The flame was ignited by football hero Zinedine Zidane and was thereafter carried by global icons from many sports. Renaud Lavillenie, the former world record holder in pole vault, and Carl Lewis, the nine-time Olympic gold medallist, were two of them.
The flame for the trek up to the cauldron—a hot air balloon with a ring of flame attached—was carried by French judoka Teddy Riner and Olympian Marie-Jose Perec, the 1996 French champion in the 200 and 400 meters.
Celine Dion sang Edith Piaf’s “L’hymne a l’amour” while the flame was ignited from the Eiffel Tower balcony.
Some may argue that those of us in the Olympic scene are idealists. However, we are not alone,” stated Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee. And tonight, our ideal is becoming a reality that everyone may witness. Olympians from all throughout the world, demonstrating to us the magnitude of human potential.
“So please, join us in dreaming. Be motivated by the happiness that comes from sports, much like the Olympian athletes. Let us honor the Olympic ideal of peaceful coexistence as the one and only human race, bound together in all of our variety.
@charith rajapaksha
