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Moments from the Olympics opening ceremony: Lady Gaga, Zinedine Zidane and a mysterious torchbearer

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PARIS– O Paris Olympics’ The opening ceremony began after a difficult start to the Summer Olympics on Friday, with rainy sky over the Seine and suspected acts of sabotage aimed at France’s main high-speed rail network.

French football legend Zinedine Zidane began the opening ceremony with the Olympic flame in his hands. In a pre-recorded video, he is seen running and weaving through a Parisian traffic jam before handing the flame to a group of children on the metro, who then make their way through the Catacombs and onto a boat, at which point the broadcast switches to a real . panoramic view of the River Seine.

Lady Gaga delivered a stunning performance as the first musical act during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games – except it was all pre-recorded. The Grammy and Oscar-winning artist began her performance on the steps along the River Seine, singing “Mon Truc en Plumes” by Zizi Jeanmaire. Gaga’s appearance was a surprise — she wasn’t listed in a program provided to the media in advance — but there were plenty of rumors after the singer and actor was spotted in Paris.

Is it from “Phantom of the Opera” or “Assassin’s Creed”? In fact, it is both and much more. The mysterious torchbearer who appeared in a masked and hooded costume was inspired by several characters from French culture: Belphégor, the Iron Mask, titular character from “Phantom of the Opera”, Fantomas, Ezio from “Assassin’s Creed” and Arsène Lupine. The torchbearer ran to the top of the Musée d’Orsay, ran across the Pont Neuf, rode in a boat with a child holding the flame, and then somersaulted across a red track.

Despite the rain, joy and happiness still filled the gloomy skies of Paris. Musical performances, colorful plumes of smoke in the air and an emotional audience applauded as each boat floated across the Pont d’Arcole. From every window along the river, groups of people waved enthusiastically to the athletes, who danced and celebrated to the sound of lively music.

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For more Paris Olympics coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games.



This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story

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