The city of Paris turned into a colossal amphitheatre, and the iconic river Seine served as a track for the athletes’ parade as France showcased its cultural diversity, spirit of revolution, impeccable craftsmanship and architectural heritage in a riveting opening ceremony for the 33rd Olympic Games here on Friday.
The spectacle started with a dreamy break from tradition as ‘Parade of Nations’ kicked off the proceedings in which athletes from 205 countries and one refugee team sailed down the Seine on boats despite heavy rain, in the run-up to and during the ceremony, threatening to play spoilsport.
The ceremony also gave a sweet nod to ‘Hindi’ as it was among the six languages used in infographics to pay tribute to the contribution of prominent French women during the segment titled ‘sisterhood’.
French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Games open, marking the formal beginning of competitions for the next 16 days.
After keeping it a secret till the end of the ceremony that lasted four hours, French judo great Teddy Riner and sprint legend Marie-Jose Perec jointly lit the Olympic cauldron, symbolic of the most gender-neutral Games. The cauldron was attached to a giant hot-air balloon, which lifted off into the Paris night.