PARIS: Paris, which celebrates its reputation as the cradle of revolution, kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century on Friday with a rain-soaked, star-studded opening ceremony along the banks of the Seine. .
The muted showers – the first rain at 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 on riverboats in a sign of the city's resilience as authorities investigated suspected acts of vandalism on 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 preparation and their Olympic schedule here.
As well as dozens of Arab athletes competing in this year's games, you can check out Arab News' guide to the best male and female athletes representing the Middle East and North Africa.
Widespread travel disruptions caused by what French officials called coordinated fires on high-speed rail lines, as well as weather, dampened the mood ahead of the ceremony.
Still, crowds packed the banks and bridges of the Seine and watched from balconies as the Olympic teams paraded in boats down a waterway that grew 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 fled their seats for cover.
I invite everyone: dream with us. Like Olympic athletes, be inspired by the joy that only sports can give us. Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, said: “Let us celebrate this Olympic spirit that lives in peace.”
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the Olympics as a stunning light show on the Eiffel Tower for a rain-soaked start.
Zinedine Zidane, the legend of French football passed the torch to another legend, Rafael Nadal, the French Open tennis record breaker. The Spaniard traveled by boat with American Serena Williams and Carl Lewis to start the final torch relay.
French runner Marie-Jose Perc and French judoka Teddy Rainer won the honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron.
During the Olympics, you can follow all the action in Paris in the sports section of Arab News here.
Read on for the highlights below (full time 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 for the next two weeks.
22:30 – A look at that magnificent Olympic cauldron. It uses light and water to mimic fire and will remain on the Paris skyline for the next fifteen days.
22:28 – Canadian singer Celine Dion ends the show singing at the Eiffel Tower.
22:24 – French Marie-Jose Perc and Teddy Reiner light the Olympic cauldron.
22:19 – Torchbearers are carrying the flame to its destination during the games.
22:05 – Paris lights up the Eiffel Tower to welcome the Olympics
21:55 – Zinedine Zidane is passing the Olympic torch to capture French Open champion Rafael Nadal, who has just handed it to fellow tennis player Serena Williams. We are not far from the very important moment of its illumination…
20:00 – We had more pictures from the Saudi delegation, it looks very wet in Paris this evening. But the spirit is still high!
Lebanon, Jordan and Kuwait have also crossed 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 in the Seine! The teams of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain from the side…
18:30 – We are in progress!
18:15 – All smiles on the Saudi Arabian team as they prepare for the opening ceremony!
(Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee)
18:00 – We are about 30 minutes away from the start of the ceremony and the crowd has started to build on the banks of the Seine. There is not much left.
(AP)
(AP/Reuters)
17:30 – One of the highlights of the pre-Games events is the Olympic torch relay. It travels around the world from Greece before ending its journey in the host city, in this case Paris. Watch a clip of its journey below:
17:15 – Despite Friday's difficult start and the threat of flooding in the French capital, organizers of the opening ceremony remain in positive spirits. Which is probably the case…
16:45 – Actress Michelle Yeoh has shared an encouraging message about the Olympic Refugee Team, which will represent more than 100 million displaced people worldwide.
16:35 – We are still being teased about who will be performing at the event. Any predictions? Let us know at @ArabNewsSport…
16:30 – French President Emmanuel Macron has started welcoming dozens of heads of state and government at the Elysee Presidential Palace. Macron's office said the Elysée welcome was “an opportunity for France to present a message of peace and tolerance as 10,500 athletes from around the world come together 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 Schulz said on Friday that he strongly condemns the vandals who attacked France's TGV high-speed train network and hopes that the perpetrators are quickly identified. You can read about the fire here.
16:00 – Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, took part in the Olympic flame relay as the opening ceremony approached.
15:45 – French television shows Pharrell Williams carrying the Olympic flame over the Saint-Denis Cathedral in the northern suburbs of Paris.
His appearance comes after rapper Snoop Dogg took the honor of carrying the flame earlier Friday, which you can read more about below. God willing, it's as if he didn't let go…
(X/@Paris2024)
Camping for the opening ceremony
People lined the Seine hours before the opening ceremony began, looking for the best spots 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 was her first time watching the opening ceremony in person.
“We've visited Paris many times and it's very different now because it's empty of people and full of the army and the police,” he said.
Giannis skirts train problems
Greek basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was chosen as one of his country's flag bearers, avoided the train issue altogether on Friday.
He left Lille on Thursday in a bus convoy with players from several other teams. A team spokesperson said several teams chose to travel at the same time for security purposes.
The German men's team boarded buses bound for the event on Friday morning, never intending to travel by train. The plan was to immediately return to Lille for Saturday's game against Japan.
The Paris Olympics have 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 highest number of 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 Olympics and Paralympics, with 8.7 million for the former and 1 million for the latter.
For Paris, a total of 10 million tickets were sold for the Olympics – meaning there will still be plenty of empty seats despite the historic popularity of sporting events and the unprecedented scale of this year's competition.
However, the total ticket sales figure is likely to increase as tickets are still being sold for some of the 45 sports.
Snoop Dogg keeps it on
The rapper-turned-NBC Olympics reporter was one of the last Olympic torch bearers before the opening ceremony. He carried the flame at Saint-Denis, just outside Paris.
In an interview before the race ended, Snoop Dogg promised to be on his “best behavior.”
“I will be at my best athletically. I can breathe slowly to walk fast and hold the torch with a smile on my face because I know how prestigious this event is.”
Two trains carrying Olympic athletes were stopped on the way to Paris
The SNCF railway company said two trains carrying Olympic athletes to Paris on the West Atlantic line stopped hours before the opening ceremony.
One of the trains was canceled and the authorities hope that the other train will be put into operation.
* With AP
