The opening ceremony of the Olympics in Paris kicked off with frenzy and excitement amid heavy security on Friday, following threats of rain and potential sabotage attacks.
A fictional scenario in which the arrival of the Olympic flame goes awry is depicted ahead of an extravagant show on the river Seine that will kick off the summer Games.
French soccer superstar Zinedine Zidane was shown running across Paris to bring the flame, in a pre-recorded video that included him taking it onto the metro.
Moreover, just hours after a sabotage attack on the high-speed TGV rail network, a huge police force was on display in Paris. The attack caused travel chaos across France and put the spotlight on the security risks at a time when all eyes are on the country.
Team Canada aboard a boat in the floating parade on the river Seine during the opening ceremony. — Reuters
Team Canada aboard a boat in the floating parade on the river Seine during the opening ceremony. — Reuters
The ceremony features a fleet of barges taking nearly 7,000 athletes on the river, by some of Paris’ most famous landmarks.
A giant plume of blue, white and red smoke was sent high above a bridge over the river as the ceremony started.
“We are super excited, it happens once in a lifetime,” 17-year-old Elise Boukorrass said.
It had been raining on and off earlier in the evening in Paris and weather forecasters have predicted heavy showers, with one meteorologist even calling it a “disaster” for the open-air ceremony.
“The rain won’t stop me from cheering on the Olympics – sport is everything to me and I’d do whatever it takes to watch this,” said Flavia Merluzzi, 20, an architecture student.
Lady Gaga sang a French cabaret song near Notre-Dame cathedral and a winged man played accordion as the Olympics’ opening ceremony got under way in Paris on Friday.
Amid rumours that Canadian singer Celine Dion could also be part of the show, spectator Chantal Beauvais said it would be “magical” to watch her.
It will be the first time that an opening ceremony has taken place outside a stadium.
Security operation
Some 45,000 police and thousands of soldiers have been deployed in a huge security operation in Paris for the opening show. Armed police patrolled along the river in inflatable boats as the armada made its passage along the Seine.
Since the last Games, the Winter Olympics held in Beijing in 2022, wars have erupted in Ukraine and Gaza, providing a tense international backdrop. France is at its highest level of security, though officials have repeatedly said there is no specific threat to the opening ceremony or the Games.
Israeli competitors are being escorted by elite tactical units to and from events and given 24-hour protection throughout the Olympics due to the war in Gaza, officials say.
Spectators sat with umbrellas in front of the Eiffel Tower during the opening ceremony. — Reuters
Spectators sat with umbrellas in front of the Eiffel Tower during the opening ceremony. — Reuters
Scores of world leaders are in Paris for the opening ceremony, which will also be protected by snipers on rooftops. The Seine’s riverbed has been swept for bombs, and Paris’ airspace is closed.
For the Games more generally, radar-surveillance planes and Reaper drones will monitor sensitive sites from above, and Mirage 2000 fighter jets will be on standby to intercept aircraft straying into restricted airspace.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who won a second mandate two years ago, had hoped the Olympics would cement his legacy. But his failed bet on a snap legislative election has weakened him and cast a shadow over his moment on the international stage.
