PARIS — Celebrating its first Summer Olympic Games in 100 years, Paris hosted a unique opening ceremony on the Seine River Friday, marking a historical departure from traditional stadium settings. This innovative event, themed "Games Wide Open," featured 6,800 athletes from 205 delegations, including a Refugee Olympic team, participating in a floating parade that highlighted France’s rich cultural diversity.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the ceremony, viewed by 320,000 spectators along the Seine, showcased a parade of athletes on boats passing iconic landmarks like Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower. Despite earlier disruptions from arson attacks on Paris's rail network and persistent rainfall, the festive atmosphere remained undampened, with the city’s monuments serving as backdrops for various performances. The parade was enhanced with 71 giant screens and 1,000 loudspeakers to engage spectators along the lengthy route.
The ceremony was not without its issues; a significant gaffe occurred when the South Korean team was mistakenly introduced as North Korea, an error corrected only in the subtitle feed which correctly identified them as "Republic of Korea." Noteworthy performances included French football legend Zinedine Zidane, American singer Lady Gaga, and French-Malian pop star Aya Nakamura, ensuring a memorable spectacle. The event concluded with an impressive display as the Olympic torch, passed along by sports legends like Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams, lit a specially designed cauldron, signifying the official start of the games.