Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony: Olympic Flame Soars Over Paris as Celine Dion Wows Crowd

He lives75 updates

• Friday, July 26, 2024 at 10:26 PM GMT+1

  Celine Dion makes a triumphant return to Paris

  Atop the Eiffel Tower (where else?), Celine Dion returns to singing after years of suffering from stiff person syndrome. And she looks as gorgeous as ever.

• Friday, July 26, 2024 at 10:26 PM GMT+1

  The Olympic cauldron is lit and flies, attached to a hot air balloon.

  After several more handovers between French Olympic legends, the flame is now flying high over Paris in spectacular style. Marie-José Perec and Teddy Riner have had the honour of carrying the torch.

  Yahoo Sports’ Henry Bushnell was in attendance at the opening ceremony, and he provided this detailed report of the amazing flying cauldron:

  “The cauldron was a tribute to the first flight in a hydrogen-filled gas balloon,” Olympic organizers said in media releases, which took place in Paris in 1783. In December of that year, the hot air balloon became the first aircraft to carry humans when two of its French inventors, physicist Jacques Charles and engineer Nicolas Louis Robert, flew it from the Tuileries Gardens.”

• Friday, July 26, 2024 at 10:21 PM GMT+1

  Parker, Mauresmo join three French Paralympic legends

  The torchbearers will walk through the streets of Paris, led by three-time Olympic medalist handball player Michael Guigou. The torch is usually handed over, but the entire group continues to carry it as it makes its way through the City of Lights.

• Friday, July 26, 2024 at 10:17 PM GMT+1

  Olympic flame returns to Earth

  After Nadal and his companions took the torch on a boat ride, French connections resumed with tennis great Amelie Mauresmo taking the torch through the Louvre and handing it over to American basketball legend Tony Parker.

• Friday, July 26, 2024 at 10:08 PM GMT+1
• Friday, July 26, 2024 at 10:06 PM GMT+1

  Where is the Olympic torch going?

  Nadal left the Eiffel Tower carrying the torch and boarded a boat, where he met Serena Williams, Carl Lewis and Nadia Comaneci, after making the reverse trip from the previous parade.

• Friday, July 26, 2024 at 9:58 PM GMT+1

  It’s been a long time since we’ve seen Zidane (about three and a half hours), but he’s back with the torch, and handing it over to… Rafael Nadal?!

• Friday, July 26, 2024 at 9:55 PM GMT+1

  After one of the most exciting openings I have ever seen, the opening ceremony was abruptly cut short. It would have been a really bold idea to cancel these self-serving, momentum-killing speeches, but that’s not going to happen.

  — Jay Busbee (@jaybusbee) July 26, 2024

• Friday, July 26, 2024 at 9:54 PM GMT+1

  As always, the Olympic opening ceremony goes on longer than it should.

  This is the extent of the athletes’ attendance at the final stage. It is certain that most of the thousands returned home after the boat parade. pic.twitter.com/MXRIKWD7gu

  — Henry Bushnell (@HenryBushnell) July 26, 2024

• Friday, July 26, 2024 at 9:31 PM GMT+1

  Did you get any work done today?

• Friday, July 26, 2024 at 9:30 PM GMT+1
• Friday, July 26, 2024 at 9:28 PM GMT+1

  Olympic flag makes its way to the Eiffel Tower

  

• Friday, July 26, 2024 at 9:18 PM GMT+1

  Another uniform that was not shown on the televised broadcast was the Guatemalan uniform. This uniform has many national details, with athletes wearing blue shirts and blue shorts or a green dress with a small blue jacket. The hats are also blue with a Guatemalan inscription on the underside of the brim. This is a step up from the safari-style uniform, which is always a common theme among Olympic uniforms from many countries.

  🤩 We present the guidelines that carry our sport at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games #Paris2024 🇫🇷, a design that represents the strength, resilience and beauty of our country.

  ¡Con orgullo, con valentía, con Guatemala en el alma! 💙🤍 pic.twitter.com/N86pwMCAZL

  — COG (@COGuatemalteco) July 5, 2024

• Friday, July 26, 2024 at 9:07 PM GMT+1
• Friday, July 26, 2024 at 9:04 PM GMT+1

  With the Parade of Nations over, here are some of the eye-catching uniforms that didn’t get their chance to shine during the NBC broadcast.

  The Czech Republic national team uniform is one of the most impressive. It features bold colors and patterns, breathable fabrics and designs, and a jacket that goes with almost anything. Its players also wear stylish and comfortable clothing.

• Friday, July 26, 2024 at 8:57 PM GMT+1

  France and its 571 players wore a uniform that included sleeveless jackets for women. France is known for its fashion, but those long sleeveless jackets might not be popular in the United States.

• 

  Friday, July 26, 2024 at 8:56 PM GMT+1

  The final three nations in the bidding are Australia, Team USA and France, in that order. France is the last host nation; with Los Angeles hosting the 2028 Olympics and Brisbane, Australia hosting the 2032 Olympics, those two nations will be honored as future hosts.

• Friday, July 26, 2024 at 8:54 PM GMT+1

  The USA Team uniforms are designed by Ralph Lauren once again, and these three soccer stars show exactly how they should be worn.

• Friday, July 26, 2024 at 8:53 PM GMT+1

  France enters as the last delegation in the parade.

• 

  Friday, July 26, 2024 at 8:51 PM GMT+1

  Team USA has arrived!

  I hope no one on Team USA is claustrophobic… this boat is packed with American athletes!