'Hindi' was one of the six languages used in infographics honoring the contributions of notable French women during the'sisterhood' part of the celebration, which paid a nice reference to the language.
The Olympic torch is transported by boat during the opening celebration of the 2024 Summer Olympics on Friday, July 26, 2024, in Paris, France, as ceremonial smoke in the colors of the French flag appears over the Seine River. (AP Image)
In a captivating opening ceremony for the 33rd Olympic Games held here on Friday, France displayed its cultural diversity, spirit of revolution, impeccable craftsmanship, or architectural heritage. Paris transformed into a massive amphitheatre, and the famous Seine served as a track for the athletes' parade.
A dreamlike departure from convention marked the beginning of the extravaganza as the 'Parade of Nations' threatened to be a spoilsport when athletes from 205 nations and one refugee team cruised down the Seine on boats in the lead-up to and during the event.
The event also provided a heartfelt mention to "Hindi," as it was one of the six languages used in infographics honoring the contributions of well-known French women in the "sisterhood" part.
With his proclamation, French President Emmanuel Macron officially opened the Games and started the 16-day tournament.
Olympic cauldron, emblematic of the most gender-neutral Games, was ignited by sprint legend Marie-Jose Perec and French judo great Teddy Riner together, after they kept it a secret until the conclusion of the four-hour ceremony. A massive hot-air balloon carrying the cauldron took off into the Paris night.
Prior to that, legendary French football player Zinedine Zidane passed the baton to Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal, who, together with Serena Williams and former track great Carl Lewis, floated down the Seine.
Before wheelchair-bound Charles Coste, the oldest French Olympic winner at 100, accepted the torch to be passed to Riner and Perec, more than a dozen past greats of French sport exchanged places.
The athletes' march across the Seine was unquestionably the high point of the bold and unorthodox opening ceremony.
After a pre-recorded film featuring World Cup-winning football icon Zinedine Zidane racing through the streets of Paris with the Olympic torch, the program began with a camera pan to French President Emmanuel Macron and chairman of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach.
Over 6800 athletes were carried in the six-kilometer procession by 85 boats, starting at the Austerlitz bridge, to thunderous applause from the assembled spectators. Many athletes also missed the amazing display since they had events on Saturday.
The arrivals were arranged in French alphabetical order. As the Games' spiritual home, the Greek contingent arrived first, followed by the Refugee team. As the host nation, France finished last amid raucous applause from the supporters. USA was chosen ahead of France to host the 2028 Olympics. Australia, the 2032 Games host nation, arrived barely ahead of the United States. The two Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and the legendary A Sharath Kamal headed the Indian contingent, which ranked 84th on the call sheet. Within the contingent, the males wore traditional 'kurta-payjama' in the colors of the national flag, while the ladies wore sarees.
78 Indian athletes and officials took part in the event in all.
The boats traveled by the city's most famous sights, including the rebuilt Notre Dame Cathedral, which was completely destroyed in a fire five years ago, the famous Louvre Museum, and a few Olympic sites.
The world was stunned to see pictures of the Cathedral in flames and with its spire falling in April 2019.
Lady Gaga, the pop sensation from America, was one of the first foreign performers to captivate the gathering audience. Thomas Jolly, the creative director, presided over the event.
Amidst the vibrant events, there was also a mystery torch bearer who attracted attention by darting across the city and its most well-known monuments while carrying the flame.
After the cabaret artists finished their performance, he too used a zip-wire to span the Seine from the Ile Saint-Louis.
Famous Minions and the lost Mona Lisa—which was eventually discovered floating on the Seine—brought a whimsical flavor to the event.
In addition to the over one lakh tickets that were sold, over two lakh free tickets were given out, and spectators who had congregated at various locations along the parade route were treated to dance performances on the bridges that lined the route.
To honor the city's renowned craftsmanship, a peek into the Monnaie de Paris workshops—where the medals for the Games are forged—was displayed. The 2024 Olympic Games will include 5,084 medals in total, each featuring a portion of the Eiffel Tower.
The event also had a political aspect in the "emancipation" part, which paid tribute to the French Revolution of the 18th century, which was brought on by the extravagant spending of the reigning king, King Louis XVI.
Part of the play included a figure depicting the beheaded body of his murdered wife, Marie Antoinette.
When Antoinette was informed of the financial hardships facing the ordinary people in France at the time, she is popularly attributed as saying, "Let them eat cake".
The organizers overcame extraordinary security and logistical obstacles to transform a whole city into the ceremony's location, promising an amazing show.
With over 300,000 spectators expected on the banks of the Seine and billions watching on television, the organizers have said that this will be the largest opening ceremony in the history of the Games.
After 1900 and 1924, Paris is hosting the Olympics for the third time.
In the athletic event, 117 competitors from India will compete, including 47 women.
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