Paris: Dominated by the French obsessions of music, dance, colour, fashion, and literature and tempered by water, from the sky in the form of rain, and the City’s lifeline, the Seine River, the XXXIII Olympic Games kicked off on Friday evening with a trailblazing Opening ceremony showcasing all the peasantry associated with a spectacular occasion.
Finding their place in the mixture of arts, culture, literature, fashion and cinema, were elements from the scientific achievements of the country in the Opening Ceremony divided into eight segments depicting the pillars of France’s motto — equality, Synchronicity, liberty, nationalism, sisterhood, solidarity, fraternity etc.
The event started with representatives from Greece leading the athletes from nearly 200 countries in the Parade of the Nations on boats on the river.
For all those who were watching the event from the make-shift stands or on television screens at home, the magical moment was when the Indian Contingent went past the heart of Paris floating on a boat with veteran paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal and two-time Olympic medallist P.V Sindhu as the flag-bearers.
As the boat glided past the main stands and monuments on the riverbank, the members of the Indian contingent enthusiastically waved at the spectators and got loud cheers in response.
It was the American singer and songwriter Lady Gaga who set the pulses racing with a mesmerizing show, setting up the stage for more scintillating performances to come in what is expected to be a nearly three-hour ceremony showcasing the French culture, literature, and heritage. The global superstar sang the French classic ‘Mon truce en plume’ by Zizi Jeanmaire and received thunderous cheers from the fans who had lined up the riverbank since the afternoon.
As the boats continued to float on the Seine, around 80 artists from the Moulin Rouge performed a famous French cabaret dance, the ‘can-can’.
Though heavy rains lashed Paris as the ceremony started, spectators were forced to take shelter, but no one was ready to leave the venue and miss the once-in-a-lifelong ceremony.
For the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, the opening ceremony is taking place outside the main stadium and along a river. This has taken away the restrictions of limited seating and some 300,000 people were watching in person from specially built stands on the riverbank, and another 200,000 from overlooking balconies and apartments.
Led by the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and the President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, both of whom were introduced at the Trocadero, over 100 international dignitaries, including heads of state and government and their representatives, were in attendance to witness the ceremony.
Also present among the spectators were international stars like tennis legend Rafael Nadal while swimming legend Michel Phelps led one of the sections of the Olympic Ceremony.
As the athletes sailed past the Pont Royal bridge, famous French artworks from the Louvre, painstakingly recreated, lined the sides of the Seine to watch over them. There were five artworks — Portrait of Madeleine, painted by Marie-Guillemine Benoist in 1803; Gabrielle d’Estrees and One of Her Sisters, originally produced around 1594; Relief of Seti I and Hathor; Portrait of Shah Abbas I and His Page; and Georges de la Tour’s The Card Sharp with the Ace of Diamonds.
The Parade of the Nations ended with Australia, hosts of the 2032 edition of the Games at Brisbane, and the United States of America, host of the next edition of the Summer Olympics in 1928 in Los Angeles bringing the rear along with hosts France.
Meanwhile, the spectators were shown the visuals of the Olympic torch making its way to the Opening Ceremony with celebrities, artisans, athletes and a Parkour artist taking it over the rooftops and another torchbearer taking it over the river in a balloon.
