France dazzled the world with a colourful and vibrant opening ceremony for the thirty third Olympic Video games in Paris on Friday (26). The town was an enormous amphitheater, and the river Seine was used as a monitor for the athletes’ parade.
The ceremony started with the ‘Parade of Nations,’ the place athletes from 205 international locations and one refugee workforce sailed down the Seine on boats, regardless of heavy rain.
Hindi was among the many six languages utilized in infographics throughout a section known as ‘sisterhood,’ paying tribute to outstanding French ladies.
French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Video games open, marking the beginning of 16 days of competitors.
The spotlight of the ceremony was the athletes’ march on the Seine river. The present began with French President Emmanuel Macron and Worldwide Olympic Committee head Thomas Bach, after a pre-recorded video of soccer legend Zinedine Zidane operating with the Olympic flame.
The six-kilometer parade started from the Austerlitz bridge, with 85 boats carrying greater than 6800 athletes. Many athletes missed the ceremony as a consequence of competitions on Saturday (27).
The arrivals adopted the French alphabetical order. Greece, the religious house of the Video games, got here first, adopted by the Refugee workforce. France, because the host nation, got here final to loud cheers. The USA, the 2028 Olympics host, preceded France, and Australia, the 2032 host, got here simply earlier than the USA.
India’s contingent, led by flag-bearers PV Sindhu and A Sharath Kamal, was 84th. The ladies wore sarees, and the lads wore ‘kurta-pajama’ within the nationwide flag’s colours. A complete of 78 Indian athletes and officers participated.
The boats handed iconic landmarks just like the restored Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, and a few Video games venues. Notre Dame, which was gutted by fireplace 5 years in the past, featured prominently.
American Pop celebrity Woman Gaga was among the many first worldwide artists to carry out. Creative director Thomas Jolly helmed the ceremony.
A mysterious torch-bearer drew consideration as he moved across the metropolis with the flame. He crossed the Seine on a zip-wire after cabaret performers accomplished their act.
The ceremony included enjoyable parts just like the Minions and the lacking Mona Lisa, which was discovered floating on the Seine. Dance performances had been held on the bridges alongside the parade route, with greater than two lakh free tickets distributed and over one lakh bought.
A glimpse of the Monnaie de Paris workshops, the place the medals had been made, honored the town’s craftsmanship. A complete of 5,084 medals are being produced for the Video games, every containing a chunk of the Eiffel Tower.
A section titled ’emancipation’ paid tribute to the 18th century French Revolution. A figurine of Marie Antoinette’s decapitated torso was a part of the act. She is infamously quoted as saying, “Allow them to eat cake,” when informed concerning the monetary misery of the French commoners.
After the Parade of Nations, cultural occasions started. French singer Juliette Armanet carried out a track calling for world peace. A rider on a metallic horse galloped down the Seine with the Olympic flag.
The ceremony included photographs from previous Olympics displaying momentous performances. Organizers promised an unforgettable spectacle, overcoming logistical and safety challenges. Over 300,000 individuals watched from the banks of the Seine, with billions tuning in on tv.
That is the third time Paris is internet hosting the Olympics, after 1900 and 1924. India is represented by 117 athletes, together with 47 ladies.