Close Menu
    Subscribe
    sport

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

    Delilah MonroeBy No Comments6 Mins Read
    Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony: Olympic Flame Soars Over Paris as Celine Dion Wows Crowd

    The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics officially opened, and the Opening Ceremony was a spectacular showcase for athletes from the 206 Olympic delegations and the city of Paris. Lady Gaga and Celine Dion headlined the musical performances, while French sporting icons such as Zinedine Zidane, Amélie Mauresmo and Tony Parker and international Olympic legends including Serena Williams, Carl Lewis, Nadia Comaneci and Rafael Nadal were part of the final stages of the Olympic Torch Relay, which ended with the lighting of a flying cauldron that soared over the City of Lights.

    And while the Games have officially opened, you can relive all the best moments — or see them for the first time — right here with Yahoo Sports, as NBC Sports delivers the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony in full in prime time.

    He lives75 updates

    • 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.

    • 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.”

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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?!

    • Did you get any work done today?

    • Olympic flag makes its way to the Eiffel Tower

      Flags of participating nations are carried on the Iena Bridge during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on July 26, 2024. (Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP) (Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images)Flags of participating nations are carried on the Iena Bridge during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on July 26, 2024. (Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP) (Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images)

      Flags of participating nations are carried on the Iena Bridge during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on July 26, 2024. (Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP) (Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images)

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

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

    • France enters as the last delegation in the parade.

    • Team USA has arrived!

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

    Share.

    Related Posts

    Add A Comment
    Leave A Reply