NewsGate Press Network

It seems that rain gods were kind enough to shower their approval of one the best ever Opening Ceremony organised of the Olympic Games.

The Games are visiting Paris after a gap of 100 years. And the kick-off was in style. Not held in the usual main stadium but opening of the largest ever games were spread-out along the Seine riverfront.

Athletes carrying their national flags were ‘marched-in’ in style in boats.

French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Paris Olympic Games open.

Han Zheng, Chinese vice president and President Xi Jinping’s Special Representative, was among a host of international dignitaries in attendance at the opening ceremony along with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach who expressed his gratitude towards the French for hosting.

In his brief speech Thomas Bach said “You are bringing our Olympic Agenda reforms to life by making these Games wide open. All of us will experience Olympic Games that are more inclusive, more urban, younger and more sustainable – the first Olympic Games with full gender parity on the field of play.”

From the Austerlitz Bridge to the Trocadero, around 6,800 athletes, assembled behind their flagbearers, cruised down a 6km stretch of the Seine on 85 boats.

For most part of the ceremony it rained. The parade took the athletes to bask in the beauty of Paris’ most famed monuments, including the Louvre, Place de la Concorde, the Grand Palais and the Eiffel Tower, with some playing host to the opening ceremony’s musical performances.

The 2024 Olympics marks the third time that Paris has hosted the Summer Games. The first was in 1900, and the last was a century ago in 1924.

The news agency UNI reported the hours before the opening ceremony, arson attacks on French railways caused widespread delays and cancellations to rail services across Europe, casting a shadow over the sporting extravaganza.

The attacks, however, did not dampen the mood surrounding the ceremony, as crowds crammed the Seine’s banks and bridges to watch.

China has dispatched a delegation of 405 athletes, including 42 Olympic champions, who will compete in 236 events across 30 sports at the Games.