Sport in the City of Love

The entire world is talking about the start of the XXXIII Summer Olympic Games in Paris, which will run in the French capital until August 11. The city’s most iconic symbol, the Eiffel Tower, is adorned with the Olympic Games’ emblem – the five rings, while the Arc de Triomphe is decorated with the Paralympic Games’ emblem – three crescent shapes. The official fashion sponsor of the Olympics is the LVMH conglomerate.

photo: Stephane Kempinaire / KMSP / DPPI

Historical background

For the French, this marks the third Olympic Games in the country’s history. The first for Paris and the second globally were the Summer Games in 1900, and France hosted the VII Olympic Games in 1924. Notably, Paris was the first city to allow women to participate in the competitions in 1900. In 1924, exactly 100 years ago, Paris welcomed over 3,000 athletes, more than 100 of whom were women.

Grand scale

This year, 10,500 athletes from 205 delegations will participate in the Summer Olympic Games. The competitions are being held in 32 sports, with new additions this year including climbing, skateboarding, breakdancing, and surfing. Over 329 events will take place over 19 days, with 329 sets of medals awaiting their winners.

photo: Paris2024PRESS

Eco-friendly

For the first time, the opening ceremony was held outside a stadium. The entire route of the festivities spanned 6 kilometers along the Seine. Over a billion euros were spent on the river’s water purification to make it suitable for swimming. After the Games, more than 8,000 trees will be planted in the Olympic and Paralympic villages. All Olympic and Paralympic venues are powered by 100% renewable energy.

Program

The national teams paraded 6 kilometers on barges, greeting and saluting 300,000 spectators who gathered on both sides of the Seine. The ceremony was directed by Thomas Jolly, artistic director of the theater group La Piccola Familia. The preparation for the event took more than 18 months. Jolly collaborated with choreographer Alexander Ekman to create the spectacle. All 205 delegations turned the parade into a true “fashion show,” showcasing their countries’ ceremonial outfits.

photo: Paris2024PRESS

The show began with world champion and one of the most outstanding footballers, Zinedine Zidane, carrying the Olympic flame through the metro and then passing it to children who sailed to Trocadéro Square. The parade of teams was punctuated by the appearance of a masked torchbearer moving across rooftops toward the Eiffel Tower. Throughout the parade, there were performances by stars: Lady Gaga sang “Mon Truc En Plume,” followed by the French metal band Gojira with a shocking performance about the execution of Marie Antoinette. French singer Juliette Armanet performed John Lennon’s iconic song “Imagine” against the backdrop of a burning piano.

photo: Luca Bruno

photo: Abbie Parr

The flame was then lifted into the sky by a massive hot air balloon, which would hover until the end of the Summer Games.

photo: Dolores Ochoa

The entire ceremony concluded with the triumphant return of Céline Dion, who performed Edith Piaf’s “Hymne à l’amour” from the balcony of the Eiffel Tower.