The Paris 2024 Olympics got off to a brilliant start with an opening ceremony that celebrated unity in diversity. The city of Paris was transformed into a colossal amphitheater, and the iconic River Seine served as the runway for the parade of athletes as France showcased its cultural diversity, spirit of revolution, impeccable craftsmanship and architectural heritage in a fascinating opening ceremony of the 33rd edition Olympic. Games on Friday. The spectacle began with a dreamy break from tradition, as the ‘Parade of Nations’ kicked off proceedings in which athletes from 205 countries and a team of refugees sailed down the Seine in boats, despite heavy rain, before and during the ceremony. , threatening to play spoiler.
The ceremony also paid a sweet tribute to ‘Hindi’ as it was among the six languages used in the infographics to honor the contribution of prominent French women during the segment titled ‘sisterhood’.
HINDI was one of the 6 languages presented during the Olympic opening ceremony. It certainly reflects our strong diplomatic ties with France and one of the future global leaders in geopolitics. pic.twitter.com/Guybg0mW18
– sugarcane (@vegetarianmee) July 26, 2024
Proud to be Indian written in Hindi
Watch the opening ceremony
Best wishes to everyone in @Olimpíadas #Paris2024 @Media_SAI @WeAreTeamIndia @IndiaSports @Olimpíadas @OlympicKhel #Cheer4Bharat #Olympics #Olympic Games pic.twitter.com/qhjO1rK8Od
-Dilbag Koundal (@dilbag_koundal) July 26, 2024
The show began with the camera trained on French President Emmanuel Macron and International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach after World Cup-winning football legend Zinedine Zidane was shown running through the streets of Paris with the Olympic flame in a pre-recorded video.
The six-kilometre parade began at the Austerlitz Bridge and 85 boats carried more than 6,800 athletes amid applause from the gathered crowd. A good number of athletes also missed the incredible show due to Saturday’s competitions.
The sequence of arrivals followed French alphabetical order. The first to arrive was the Greek contingent, as it is the spiritual home of the Games, followed by the Refugee team.
The Indian contingent was led by two flag bearers – two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and table tennis legend A Sharath Kamal and was ranked 84th in the call-up list. The women in the contingent wore saris, while the men wore the traditional ‘kurta-payjama’ in the colors of the national flag.
A total of 78 Indian athletes and officials participated in the ceremony.
The boats passed by the city’s iconic landmarks, such as the restored Notre Dame Cathedral, which was destroyed by fire five years ago, the iconic Louvre Museum and also some Games sites.
In April 2019, images of the Cathedral in flames and the fall of its spire shocked the world.
American pop superstar Lady Gaga was one of the first international artists to wow the assembled audience. The ceremony was led by artistic director Thomas Jolly.
Amid the colorful proceedings, a mysterious torchbearer also became the focus of attention as he toured the city and its most famous landmarks, holding the flame.
He also crossed the Seine from Ile Saint-Louis on a zipline after the cabaret performers finished their performance.
Adding an element of child-friendly fun to the ceremony were the world-famous Minions and the missing Mona Lisa, who was found floating in the Seine.
The bridges dotting the parade route featured dance performances for fans, who gathered at different locations after over two lakh free tickets were distributed in addition to the over a lakh that were sold.
A glimpse of the workshops of the Monnaie de Paris, where the Games’ medals were forged, was presented to pay homage to the city’s famous craftsmanship. 5,084 medals are being produced for the 2024 edition of the Games and all will feature a piece of the Eiffel Tower.
The ceremony also had a political theme in the segment entitled ’emancipation’, which was an ode to the ‘French Revolution’ of the 18th century, triggered by the debauchery of the then monarch King Louis XVI.
A figurine of the decapitated torso of his executed wife, Marie Antoinette, was part of the act.
Antoinette is infamously quoted as saying, “Let them eat cake,” when told about the financial difficulties of French commoners at that time.
With PTI inputs
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This story originally appeared on ndtv.com read the full story
