PARIS: Celebrating its reputation as the cradle of revolution, Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century on Friday with a rain-soaked, rule-breaking, star-studded and fanciful opening ceremony along the Seine River.
The indoor showers – the first rain since the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in more than 70 years – did not seem to dampen the enthusiasm of the athletes. Some held umbrellas as they rode boats on the river in a showcase of the city's resilience as authorities investigated suspected acts of sabotage targeting France's high-speed rail network.
Saudi Arabia's athletes will compete in four sports at the Games — athletics, equestrian, swimming and taekwondo — and you can read a guide to all about them, their training and their Olympic program here.
There are also dozens of Arab athletes participating in this year's Games, you can check out Arab News' guide to the best male and female competitors representing the Middle East and North Africa.
Widespread travel disruptions triggered by what French officials called coordinated arson attacks on high-speed rail lines, as well as the weather, dampened the mood ahead of the ceremony.
Still, crowds flocked to the banks and bridges of the Seine and watched from balconies, “oohing” and “aahing” as the Olympic teams paraded in boats down the waterway that became increasingly choppy as the weather worsened.
Undaunted by the festivities, many of the hundreds of thousands of spectators huddled under umbrellas and jackets as the rain intensified, others danced and sang and some scrambled from their seats for cover.
“I invite everyone: dream with us. Like the Olympic athletes, be inspired by the joy that only sports can give us. Let's celebrate this Olympic spirit of living in peace,” said Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the Olympics opened as a stunning light show on the Eiffel Tower made up for the rainy start.
French football legend Zinedine Zidane has passed the torch to another legend, French Open tennis records Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard took a boat trip with Americans Serena Williams and Carl Lewis to start the final torch relay.
French sprinter Marie-Jose Perec and French judoka Teddy Riner were given the honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron.
Throughout the Olympics, you can follow all the action from Paris on the designated Arab News Sport section here.
Read the highlights below (all times BST):
10:30 p.m – That concludes our live coverage of the opening ceremony of what will undoubtedly be an exciting Olympic Games in Paris.
Follow our coverage of all the action here for the next two weeks.
10:30 p.m – A look at that magnificent Olympic cauldron. It uses light and water to simulate a fire and will remain on the Paris skyline for the next fifteen days.
22:28 – Canadian singer Celine Dion closes the show while performing on the Eiffel Tower.
22:24 – Frenchmen Marie-Jose Perec and Teddy Riner light the Olympic cauldron.
22:19 – Torchbearers carry the flame to its destination where it will be for the duration of the games.
22:05 – Paris lights up the Eiffel Tower to welcome the Olympics
21:55 – Zinedine Zidane passes the Olympic torch to record French Open champion Rafael Nadal, who has just passed it to fellow tennis royalty Serena Williams. We are not too far from the important moment of its ignition…
20:00 – I had more pictures of the Saudi delegation, it looks very wet in Paris tonight. But spirits remain high!
Lebanon, Jordan and Kuwait also passed in the parade of athletes.
19:15 – In case you missed it in all the drama, Lady Gaga performed a catchy little jazz song on the banks of the Seine…
18:45 – Our first look at Arab delegations on the Seine! Teams Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are hovering near…
18:30 – We are underway!
18:15 – All smiles from the Saudi Arabian team as they prepare for their appearance at the opening ceremony!
(Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee)
18:00 – We're about 30 minutes into the ceremony and the crowds are starting to form on the banks of the Seine. It's not much now.
(AP)
(AP/Reuters)
17:30 – One of the highlights of the pre-Games events is the Olympic torch relay. He travels from Greece around the world before ending his journey in the host city, in this case Paris. Watch a clip of his journey below:
17:15 – Despite the difficult start on Friday and the threat of a flood over the French capital, the organizers of the opening ceremony are still in a positive mood. Which is probably just as well…
16:45 – Actress Michelle Yeoh shared a heartwarming message about the Refugee Olympic Team, which will represent more than 100 million displaced people around the world.
16:35 – We're still being teased about who will be performing at the ceremony. Any predictions? Let us know at @ArabNewsSport…
16:30 – French President Emmanuel Macron began receiving several dozen heads of state and government at the Elysee presidential palace. Macron's office said the reception at the Elysee was “an opportunity for France to send a message of peace and tolerance as 10,500 athletes from around the world gather to take part in the world's biggest event.” .
About 100 world leaders, government officials and heads of international organizations are expected to attend the ceremony later.
(AFP)
16:15 – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday that he absolutely condemned the saboteurs who struck France's TGV high-speed train network and hoped for the swift identification of those responsible. You can read about the arson attack here.
16:00 – International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach took part in the Olympic flame relay as the opening ceremony approaches.
15:45 – French TV broadcasts show Pharrell Williams carrying the Olympic flame atop Saint-Denis cathedral on the northern outskirts of Paris.
His appearance follows superstar rapper Snoop Dogg being given the honor of carrying the flame earlier on Friday, which you can read more about below. Let's hope he didn't drop it like it was hot…
(X/@Paris2024)
Camping for the opening ceremony
People arrived hours before the start of the opening ceremony along the Seine river, looking for the best place in the viewing areas. Some brought folding chairs, books, sandwiches and water.
Monica Merino, 57, came to Paris from Madrid for the Olympics and said it would be her first time watching the opening ceremony in person.
“I've visited Paris many times and it's very different now because it's empty of people and full of military and police,” she said.
Giannis skirts train trouble
Greek basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo, chosen as one of his country's flag bearers, avoided Friday's train problems altogether.
He left Lille on Thursday, traveling in a convoy of buses with players from several other teams. A team spokesman said several teams chose to travel at the same time for security reasons.
Germany's men's team boarded buses to the ceremony on Friday morning, never planning to travel by train. The plan was to go straight back to Lille for Saturday's game against Japan.
The Paris Olympics sold a record 9.7 million tickets, but more are available
After a rocky start last year, organizers of the 2024 Olympics said the Paris Games had broken the record for the most tickets sold or allocated in the event's history. And yet, tickets are still available.
Organizers say 9.7 million tickets have been sold or allocated for this year's Olympic and Paralympic Games, 8.7 million sold for the former and 1 million for the latter.
For Paris, a total of 10 million tickets have gone on sale for the Olympics – meaning that despite the historic popularity of sporting events and the unprecedented scale of this year's competition, there will still be plenty of seats left.
The ticket total is likely to rise as tickets are still on sale for some of the 45 sports.
Snoop Dogg keeps it lit
The rapper turned NBC Olympics correspondent was one of the last Olympic torch bearers before the opening ceremony. He carried the flame to Saint-Denis, just outside Paris.
In an interview before the relay leg, Snoop Dogg promised to be on his “best behavior.”
“I will be at my athletic best. I will be able to breathe slowly and walk fast and hold the torch with a smile on my face because I realize how prestigious this event is,” he said.
Two trains carrying Olympic athletes stopped on their way to Paris
Two trains carrying Olympic athletes to Paris on the Atlantique West line were stopped hours before the opening ceremony, rail company SNCF said.
One train has been canceled and authorities hope the other will become operational.
* With AP
