Four hours of spectacle
The opening ceremony of the Olympics will be so spectacular
It was a tribute to everything French. The extraordinary opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris on Friday lasted just under four hours. The athletes, who were brought to the Eiffel Tower in a boat parade on the Seine, and the 320,000 onlookers were battered by pouring rain. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke the formula at 10.53 p.m. to officially open the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad.
Macron had watched the six-kilometre parade to mark the entry of the nations alongside IOC President Thomas Bach at their destination on the Trocadero opposite the Eiffel Tower. Only the upper part of the grandstand was covered. Many prominent guests got wet and umbrellas were used during the speeches. "There can be no better place than Paris to experience the magic of the Olympic Games," said Bach, referring to the birthplace of Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Games.
Here are the best pictures of the evening:
Almost four hours of mega show
The colorful show on the Seine began impressively with water games and projections on various bridges. It was a journey through French history that sought to showcase the country's cultural diversity. The central theme of the ceremony was a mysterious torchbearer, who could be seen again and again in film interludes. At the end, he handed the torch to soccer legend Zinedine Zidane, who passed it on to Rafael Nadal. Meanwhile, the Eiffel Tower was lit up in a spectacular laser show.
Nadal carried the flame onto a boat, which he shared with tennis colleague Serena Williams, athletics legend Carl Lewis and gymnastics icon Nadia Comaneci. Former tennis player Amelie Mauresmo was allowed to walk along the Seine once again and passed the torch to former basketball star Tony Parker. Together with other French sports stars and para-athletes, they carried it through the park near the Louvre. There, former athlete Marie-Jose Perec and judo great Teddy Riner lit the Olympic flame, which rose into the night sky with a stylized hot air balloon.
World stars were also on hand artistically. Lady Gaga was the first to perform on the banks of the Seine - however, according to media reports, her homage to the Parisian revue theaters did not take place live. Mezzo-soprano Axelle Saint-Cirel performed the French national anthem from the roof of the Grand Palais. Emotional highlight: Candian pop great Celine Dion, who suffers from a serious nervous disorder, sang Edith Piaf's "Hymne a l'amour" (Hymn to Love) on the balcony of the Eiffel Tower at the end of the celebrations.
206 nations on 85 boats
The 206 participating nations had been allocated to 85 boats hours earlier. In accordance with the French alphabet, Austria was in the first block - on the upper deck of a vehicle together with the athletes from Azerbaijan and the Bahamas. The delegation comprised 30 athletes and 36 coaches. At their head were judoka Michaela Polleres and canoeist Felix Oschmautz as flag bearers. Due to the bad weather forecast, fewer ÖOC athletes took part than planned. "I don't want to get sick," explained badminton player Collins Filimon.
Others did not miss out on the spectacle, including swimming hopefuls Simon Bucher and Martin Espernberger, beach volleyball players Julian Hörl and Alexander Horst, tennis player Sebastian Ofner and archer Elisabeth Straka, who had already made her first Olympic appearance the day before and had put herself in a good starting position in tenth place in the placement round. Taekwondo fighter Marlene Jahl, European table tennis champion Sofia Polcanova, gymnast Charlize Mörz and kitesurfer Valentin Bontus were also represented.
"The coolest opening ceremony ever"
As the evening wore on, the rain ponchos predominated. The precipitation caused a large screen on the Trocadero to fail and the electricity to fail in some places. This did not dampen the euphoria of the participants. "I had goosebumps almost all the time," revealed Bontus. "It was unbelievably cool. I would say it was the coolest opening ceremony ever," added sailor Lara Vadlau. The French audience cheered on the athletes despite the constant rain. "It was breathtaking. I still can't put it into words, it was incredible."
The first Olympic opening ceremony that was not held in a stadium took place under high security precautions. Around 45,000 security personnel and 15,000 soldiers were deployed. During the day, there were various targeted arson attacks on French railroad lines. Austrian athletes were not affected by the disruptions on their journey.
"We have missed you"
Paris is hosting the Olympics for the third time after 1900 and 1924. "We have missed you," said head of organization Tony Estanguet to the guests. The first 14 of a total of 329 medal decisions will take place on Saturday. Austria's greatest hope at the start is European swimming champion Felix Auböck in the 400 m medley. The objects of desire were presented by one of the greatest of his profession: record-breaking Olympic champion Michael Phelps from the USA stood on the banks of the Seine with French biathlon legend Martin Fourcade and the medal sets, into which 18 g pieces of the Eiffel Tower are incorporated per badge.
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