PARIS: Paris celebrated its reputation as a hotbed of revolution, kicking off its first Summer Olympics in a century on Friday with a rain-soaked and rule-breaking opening ceremony drenched in stars and dreams along the River the Seine.
The torrential downpour — the first rain at an Olympic opening ceremony in more than 70 years — didn't seem to dampen the enthusiasm of the athletes. Some held umbrellas as they sailed down the river in a show of resilience as the city investigated suspected acts of sabotage targeting France's high-speed rail network.
Athletes from Saudi Arabia will compete in four sports at the Games – athletics, equestrian, swimming and taekwondo – and you can read our guide to all about them, their preparations and the schedule their time at the Olympics.
Likewise, with dozens of Arab athletes participating in this year's games, you can check out Arab News' guide to the best male competitors and female athletes representing the Middle East and North Africa.
Widespread travel disruption caused by what French officials called a coordinated arson attack on high-speed rail as well as weather dampened sentiment ahead of the ceremony.
Still, crowds lined the banks of the Seine and the bridges and watched from balconies, “whooping” and “aahing” as the Olympic team paraded down the waterway, which was increasingly crowded with water. weather deterioration.
Undeterred by the festivities, many of the hundreds of thousands of spectators huddled under umbrellas and coats as the rain intensified, others danced and sang, and some tumbled out of their seats to take cover.
“I invite everyone: dream with us. Like the Olympic athletes, it inspires the joy that only sports can give us. Let's celebrate this Olympic spirit of peaceful living,” said International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the opening of the Olympic Games as a dazzling light show on the Eiffel Tower for the start of the rain.
French footballer Zinedine Zidane has passed the torch to another legend, French Open tennis record breaker Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard sailed with Americans Serena Williams and Carl Lewis to start the final round.
French sprinter Marie-Jose Perec and French judoka Teddy Riner were honored for measuring the Olympic furnace.
During the Olympics, you can follow all the action from Paris in the Arab News Sport section here.
Read about the highlights below (all times BST):
22:30 – This 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 over the next two weeks.
22:30 – Look at that awesome Olympic bowl. It uses light and water to simulate fire and stays in the Paris atmosphere for the next fifteen days.
22:28 – Canadian singer Celine Dion ends the show as she sings at the Eiffel Tower.
22:24 – Marie-Jose Perec and Teddy Riner from France light the Olympic furnace.
22:19 – Torchbearers carry the flame to its destination for the duration of the game.
22:05 – Paris lights up the Eiffel tower to celebrate the Olympics
21:55 – Zinedine Zidane passed the Olympic torch to record French Open champion Rafael Nadal, who had just passed it to fellow tennis queen Serena Williams. It's not too far away from the crucial moment of his explanation…
20:00 – We got more pictures of the Saudi delegation, it's very wet in Paris this evening. But the spirit is still high!
Lebanon, Jordan and Kuwait also passed through the athletes' march.
19:15 – In case you missed it from all the history, Lady Gaga performed a catchy little jazz ditty on the banks of the Seine…
18:45 – The first sight of the Arab delegation on the Seine River! The teams of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain floated past…
18:30 – We're on our way!
18:15 – The Saudi Arabian team is all smiles as they prepare for their opening ceremony appearance!
(Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee)
18:00 – We're about 30 minutes into the party, and the crowd is starting to form on the banks of the Seine River. It won't be long now.
(AP)
(AP/Reuters)
17:30 – One of the highlights of the pre-game event was the Olympic torch relay. It travels from Greece around the world before ending its journey in the host city, in this case, Paris. Watch a clip of his journey below:
17:15 – Despite the Friday start and the risk of flooding in the French capital, the organizers of the opening ceremony are still in a positive mood. Maybe that's the same…
16:45 – Actress Michelle Yeoh has shared a heartwarming message about the Olympic Refugee Team, which will represent more than 100 million displaced people worldwide.
16:35 – Who will be performing at the ceremony is still being taken from us. Is there a prophecy? Let us know at @ArabNewsSport…
16:30 – French President Emmanuel Macron began greeting dozens of heads of state and government at the Elysee presidential palace. Macron's office said the Elysee reception 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 event.” largest in the world”.
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 strongly condemned the saboteurs who attacked France's TGV high-speed train network and hoped that the perpetrators would be quickly identified. You can read about the wildfire attack here.
16:00 – International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach took part in the Olympic flame relay as the opening ceremony drew to a close.
15:45 – French television showed Pharrell Williams carrying the Olympic flame atop the Saint-Denis cathedral, in northern Paris.
His appearance follows superstar rapper Snoop Dogg being given the honor of carrying the flame on Friday, which you can read more about below. I wish he hadn't poured it like it was hot…
(X/@Paris2024)
Camp for the opening ceremony
People arrived hours before the opening ceremony began on the banks of the Seine River, looking for the best vantage point. Some brought folding chairs, books, sandwiches and water.
Monica Merino, 57, arrived in Paris from Madrid for the Olympics and said it was her first time watching the opening ceremony live.
“We've visited Paris many times, and it's very different now because it's empty and full of soldiers and police,” he said.
Giannis skirt training problem
Greek basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo, chosen as one of his country's flag bearers, completely avoided the issue of the train on Friday.
He left Lille on Thursday, traveling by bus with players from a few other teams. A team spokesman said several teams chose to travel at the same time for safety reasons.
Germany's men's team boarded a bus for the ceremony on Friday morning, never thinking of taking the train. The plan is to get straight back to Lille for Saturday's game against Japan.
The Paris Olympics sold 9.7 million tickets — but there are more
After a huge start last year, organizers of the 2024 Olympics said the Paris Games broke the record for the most tickets sold or booked in the event's history. However, tickets are still available.
Organizers have announced that 9.7 million tickets have been sold or reserved for this year's Olympic and Paralympic Games, with 8.7 million for the former and 1 million for the latter.
For Paris, 10 million tickets were sold for the Olympics — meaning that despite the popularity of the sporting event and the unprecedented level of competition this year, there will be empty seats left.
The total ticket price, however, may increase as tickets for some of the 45 sports are still on sale.
Snoop Dogg keeps it light
The rapper, turned NBC Olympics reporter, was one of the last Olympic torch bearers before the opening ceremony. He brought the flame to Saint-Denis, outside Paris.
In an interview with Snoop Dogg, he vowed to be on his “best behavior.”
“I'm going for my best athleticism. I can live slowly if I walk fast and hold the torch with a smile on my face, because I feel that this movement is very worthy”, he said.
Two trains carrying Olympic athletes stopped on their way to Paris
Two trains carrying Olympic athletes to Paris on the Western Atlantique line stopped hours before the opening ceremony, the SNCF company said.
One train has been canceled, and officials hope the other will operate.
* With AP
