After a century-long wait, Paris welcomed back the Summer Olympics with a rainy but historic Opening Ceremony on the River Seine.
French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Games open before a waterborne celebration reached its climax with athletes Teddy Riner and Marie-Jose Perec igniting the cauldron with the Olympic Flame.
Among the international dignitaries in attendance was Han Zheng, the Chinese Vice President and President Xi Jinping's Special Representative.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach expressed his gratitude to the organizers and the French people.
\"You are bringing our Olympic Agenda reforms to life by making these Games wide open. All of us will experience Olympic Games that are more inclusive, more urban, younger and more sustainable – the first Olympic Games with full gender parity on the field of play,\" said Bach.
For the first time in Olympic history, the Opening Ceremony took place outside the host city's main stadium. From the Austerlitz Bridge to the Trocadero, around 6,800 athletes assembled behind their flagbearers and cruised down a six-kilometer stretch of the River Seine on 85 boats.
Reference(s):
Historic ceremony on River Seine opens 2024 Paris Summer Olympics
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