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(AP) — The Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony got underway after a rough start to the Summer Games on Friday, with rainy skies over the Seine and suspected acts of sabotage targeting France’s flagship high-speed rail network.
ZIZOU’S FLAME
French soccer legend Zinedine Zidane kicked off the opening ceremony with the Olympic flame in his hands. In a prerecorded video, he’s seen running and weaving through a Parisian traffic jam before he delivers the flame to a group of children on the metro who then make their way through the Catacombs and to a boat, at which point the broadcast switched to a real-time view of the Seine River.
LADY GAGA DAZZLES
Lady Gaga delivered a dazzling performance as the first musical act during the Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony — except it was all prerecorded. The Grammy- and Oscar-winning performer started 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 — but was heavily rumored after the singer and actor was spotted in Paris.
WHO’S THE HOODED CHARACTER?
Is it from the “Phantom of the Opera” or “Assassin’s Creed”? It’s actually both and more. The mysterious torchbearer who appeared in a hooded, masked costume was inspired by several characters from French culture: Belphégor, the Iron Mask, the titular character from “Phantom of the Opera,” Fantomas, Ezio from “Assassin’s Creed” and Arsène Lupin. The torchbearer ran atop the Musee d’Orsay, dashed past Pont Neuf, rode a boat with a kid holding the flame, and later cartwheeled down a red runway.
“We were impressed by the opening ceremony and very proud to see that Assassin’s Creed was one of the inspirations for the show’s talented creators. It is a true testament to video games’ influence on popular culture,” said a spokesperson for Ubisoft, creator of “Assassin’s Creed.”
WHAT ABOUT THE SEMI-NAKED BLUE MAN? THE HORSEWOMAN?
The former would be the French singer and actor Philippe Katerine, singing “Nu” (“Naked”). Katerine, 55, became popular in France in the 2000s with his dance beat “Louxor, j’adore.” Katerine appeared lounging on a rug, painted in powdery blue from head to toe and seemingly clad in just a smattering of leaves and flowers. He was channeling Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and festivity, the media guide said, with a song about “the absurdity of violence between human beings.”
His character is fitting if you consider artistic director Thomas Jolly’s notes. “Sequana, the daughter of Bacchus, god of wine (and celebration and excess!), was pursued by Neptune, who coveted her for her beauty. The nymph managed to escape him by transforming herself into a river: The Seine,” he wrote. (Bacchus is Dionysus’ Roman equivalent.)
Sometime after Katerine’s performance, a glittering metal horse galloped across the water with an armored horsewoman astride. The horsewoman, Gendarmerie noncommissioned officer Floriane Issert, 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.
MAIN CHARACTER: THE WEATHER
Despite the rain, joy and happiness still filled the gloomy skies of Paris. Musical performances, colorful smoke plumes in the air, and a thrilled audience cheered as each boat floated by the Pont d’Arcole. From every window along the river, groups of people waved with enthusiasm to the athletes, who danced and celebrated to the lively music. While each team was kitted out in distinct uniforms, the clear poncho united athletes across nationalities.
FRENCH MUSICIANS TAKE GLOBAL STAGE
France’s top artists from different musical genres showed off on the global stage. Opera singer Marina Viotti meshed her skills with the death metal style of Gojira. Singer Aya Nakamura strutted down a golden carpet on the Pont des Arts. In a gold feathery outfit, the French Malian performer sang her hit songs “Pookie” and “Djadja” alongside the choristers from the French Army and French Republican Guard orchestra members. Parisian rapper Rim’K also made an appearance, while mezzo-soprano Axelle Saint-Cirel delivered an emotional interpretation of the French national anthem “La Marseillaise.”
OLYMPIC LEGENDS UNITE FOR FINAL TORCH RELAY
Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, Carl Lewis, and Nadia Comaneci rode down the Seine wearing life jackets. Charles Coste, the oldest French Olympic champion at 100, took the Olympic flame from his wheelchair, then passed it on to French judo great Teddy Riner and sprinter Marie-José Pérec. From a boat filled with Olympic legends to an air balloon floating into the Paris skies, the final torch relay delivered several memorable moments. Other notable Olympians who played an influential role included Tony Parker, Zidane, and Amelie Mauresmo.
CELINE DION IS BACK!
Underneath the Eiffel Tower’s Olympic rings, Celine Dion showed she’s back to singing form after a career-threatening diagnosis as her vocals soared on Edith Piaf’s “Hymn to Love.” As a pianist played alongside her, Dion reached out to the assembled crowd, who applauded her stellar performance before the monument began to sparkle. It was an impressive showing for Dion, who canceled her world tour after revealing her stiff person syndrome diagnosis. It’s a rare neurological condition that causes rigid muscles and painful muscle spasms. She returned to the Olympic forefront nearly three decades after she performed ”The Power of the Dream” during the opening ceremony at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
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 evening.
But as global audiences tuned in, the show’s spectacular launch immediately lifted spirits. Crowds crammed along the River Seine and watched from balconies “oohed” and “aahed” as Olympic teams began parading in boats along the waterway.
In a grand finale, a hot-air balloon brought an Olympic ring of fire into a rainy sky and singer Celine Dion belted from the Eiffel Tower as Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century.
The cauldron rises by the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in Paris, France, during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
A hot-air balloon brought an Olympic ring of fire into a rainy sky and singer Celine Dion belted from the Eiffel Tower as Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century Friday, with a four-hour-long, rule-breaking opening ceremony that unfurled along the Seine River.
On-and-off showers did not seem to hamper the enthusiasm of the athletes. 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.
With the ambitious ceremony, the stakes for France were immense. Dozens of heads of state and government were in town, and the world was watching as Paris turned itself into a giant open-air theater. Along the Seine, iconic monuments became stages for dancers, singers and other artists.
That included the Louvre Museum, near where French judo champ Teddy Riner and three-time Olympic champion runner Marie-Jose Perec lit the Olympic cauldron, which was attached to a giant balloon that floated into the night — an homage to early French pioneers of manned flight.
“We survived the rain, but it didn’t spoil any of our fun,” USA beach volleyball player Kelly Cheng said. “This was one of the most magical nights of our lives.”
Despite the weather, crowds crammed the Seine’s banks and bridges and watched from balconies, “oohing” and “aahing” as Olympic teams paraded in boats down the waterway that got increasingly choppy.
Many of the hundreds of thousands of spectators huddled under umbrellas, plastic ponchos or jackets as the rains intensified, others danced and sang, and some dashed from their seats for shelter.
“The rain can’t stop us,” said U.S. basketball star LeBron James, sporting a plastic poncho along with the other American flag bearer, tennis player Coco Gauff.
The weather made for some bizarre scenes at the show combining prerecorded and live performances: a stiff upper-lipped pianist played on even as small puddles formed on his grand piano. A breakdancer flipped her moves on the sheen of a rain-drenched platform. Some athletes in Bermuda-style colorful shirts looked dressed for the beach, not a deluge.
Organizers said the weather forced them to scrap some elements of the show considered too dangerous in the slippery conditions.
Still, as global audiences tuned in, Paris put its best foot forward — quite literally, with a spectacular Olympic launch that lifted spirits and joyous French cancan dancers early on. A humorous short film featured soccer icon Zinedine Zidane. Plumes of French blue, white, and red smoke followed.
Lady Gaga sang in French in a prerecorded bit, with dancers shaking pink plumed pompoms, injecting a cabaret feel. On the Eiffel Tower, Dion closed the show with her first live performance since the French-Canadian singer was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder, at the end of 2022.
More than three hours into the show, French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Games open. In a gaffe before that, the five-ring Olympic flag was raised upside down at the Trocadero across from the Eiffel Tower.
In some memorable moments, French-Malian pop star Aya Nakamura, the most listened-to French-speaking artist in the world, emerged from a pyrotechnic display in an all-gold out to sing her hit “Djadja” accompanied by a Republican guard band of the French army.
The ceremony celebrated women, including 10 golden statues of female pioneers that rose from giant pedestals along the river. Among them was Olympe de Gouges, who drafted the Declaration of the Rights of Women and the Female Citizen in 1791 during the French Revolution. She campaigned for the abolition of slavery and was guillotined in 1793.
The Paris Games aim to be the first with equal numbers of men and women competing.
The sprawling event gave organizers bigger crowds to transport, organize and safeguard than previous Olympic ceremonies in stadiums.
Thousands of athletes on 85 boats started the 6-kilometer (nearly 4-mile) parade on the Seine by breaking through curtains of water cascading down from Austerlitz Bridge. The jetting waters were a wink at the fountains of Versailles Palace, the venue for Olympic equestrian competitions.
Per Olympic protocol, the first boat carried athletes from Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games. It was followed by the Olympic team of refugee athletes and then, the other nations in French alphabetical order.
Some spectators who followed organizers’ advice to arrive well ahead of time along the ceremony route fumed over long waits to get to their seats.
“Paris has been great, anything to do with the Olympics and dissemination of information has been horrible,” said Tony Gawne, a 54-year-old Texan who turned up six hours in advance with his wife.
“When you spend $6,000 on two tickets, well, that’s a little frustrating,” he said.
But Paris had plenty of aces up its sleeve. The Eiffel Tower, its head visible below the clouds, Notre Dame Cathedral — restored from the ashes of its 2019 fire — the Louvre Museum and other iconic monuments starred in the ceremony. Award-winning theater director Thomas Jolly, the show’s creative mind, used the signature Paris cityscape of zinc-gray rooftops as the playground for his imagination.
His task: Tell the story of France, its people, its history, and its essence in a way that leaves an indelible imprint on Olympic audiences. Refresh the image and self-confidence of the French capital that was repeatedly struck by deadly extremist attacks in 2015. Capture how Paris is also aiming to reboot the Olympics, with the Summer Games it has worked to make more appealing and sustainable.
It was a big ask. So Paris went big, very big. That goes for the security, too. Large fenced-off stretches of central Paris were locked down to those without passes and the skies during the ceremony were a no-fly zone for 150 kilometers (93 miles) around.
During the athletes’ waterborne adventure, they passed historic landmarks temporarily transformed into arenas for Olympic sports.
Concorde Plaza, where French revolutionaries guillotined King Louis XVI and other royals, now hosting skateboarding and other sports. The golden-domed resting place of Napoléon Bonaparte, the backdrop for Olympic archery, and the Eiffel Tower, which donated chunks of iron that have been inlaid in the gold, silver, and bronze Olympic medals. They’ll be won in the 32 sports’ 329 medal events.
As chief Paris Games organizer Tony Estanguet said, Paris' aim was “to show to the whole world and to all of the French that in this country, we’re capable of exceptional things.”
The Paris 2024 Olympic cauldron is lit! 🤩🔥#Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/wu8RyyaYkY
— Eurosport (@eurosport) July 26, 2024
Lots of buckets between these three 🏀
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 26, 2024
Team USA Basketball's Sabrina Ionescu, Stephen Curry and Breanna Stewart pose ahead of the #OlympicGames
📸@breannastewart x @usabasketball pic.twitter.com/d6kzj7t3Pd