The Olympic Games have been officially opened after a day of travel chaos in Paris that saw thousands of visitors delayed.
The country’s rail operator said that arson attacks on key rail lines into the French capital had “sabotaged” the network, leading to disruption across the country.
Jean-Pierre Farandou, chief executive of SNCF, said the plans of thousands who had hoped to go to Paris had been ruined.
The “coordinated” disruption is likely to cause delays over the weekend for 800,000 passengers, with up to 250,000 affected as the Games officially starts.
It has not dampened sprits in the city, though, with a new-look opening ceremony set to be held along the River Seine. Organisers have abandoned the traditional stadium format to instead showcase the sights and sounds of the city, with athletes set to be paraded along the waterway in an impressive display.
Heavy rain earlier forced officials to issue a flood warning, with a number of special musical guests performing on the banks even with the precipitation coming down.
Crowds have gathered on the banks alongside thousands of security personnel to ensure a safe and spectacular opening to the Olympics.
Follow the live blog below for the latest updates and news ahead of Paris 2024
Paris Olympics opening ceremony
The Netherlands are out of place in the Ps, Pays-Bas in French leaving them parting Paraguay and Peru. King Willem-Alexander has a little jig up in the posh seats to the delight of his compatriots on the boat below.
Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Meanwhile, in Tahiti… the Olympics opening ceremony is underway in rather different weather!
We all want to be in Tahiti don’t we. You can find out why part of the Olympics is taking place 10,000 miles from the host city, here.
Lady Gaga: Performance at Olympics opening ceremony was ‘supreme honour’
American singer Lady Gaga has said it was her “supreme honour” to perform at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.
The 38-year-old surprised viewers by singing in French during her performance on Friday evening, which saw her deliver a burlesque take on the French classic Mon Truc En Plume.
On X, formerly Twitter, she said: “I feel so completely grateful to have been asked to open the Paris @Olympics 2024 this year.
“I am also humbled to be asked by the Olympics organising committee to sing such a special French song—a song to honour the French people and their tremendous history of art, music, and theatre.
Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Nigeria, New Zealand and Norway complete the N nations. Speaking of Norway, have you listened to the Ingebrigtsen brothers’ pre-Olympics hype song? The first family of Norwegian athletics have talent away from the track, too…
Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Mongolia’s representatives are clad in traditional dress – 20 hours it took to embroider their frocks. An impressive effort for what ultimately amounts to about ten seconds of screen time.
Mozambique also have fresh threads, jackets forged from the colours of their flags.
Paris Olympics opening ceremony – What is happening?
Sisterhood
“This sequence features the flag and National Anthem of France. Original staging gives this ceremonial moment added drama. Performed by Axelle Saint-Cirel, the Choeur and the Maîtrise de Radio France The Marseillaise is re-orchestrated for the occasion by Victor le Masne, composer and Music Director of the Ceremonies.
“It resounds with power and emotion in the skies over Paris. ‘The French National Anthem becomes a symbol of unification and a call to pay tribute to the women of France’s history, represented by 10 golden statues emerging from the Seine’ says Thomas Jolly.”
Sportsmanship
“The journey through France’s history continues in this next sequence, showcasing its relationship with modern sports. The delegations pass between floating platforms resembling French formal gardens, where a live show celebrates urban sports, some of which are a special feature of the programme of the Paris 2024 Games.
“Thomas Jolly offers us an experience designed to enrich our imaginations and help us reappropriate immutable figures of France through disciplines that are rooted in their times. In his desire to share the splendour of Versailles with everyone and to combine historical classicism with urban modernity, Thomas Jolly decided to invite Jakub Józef Orliński, who is both a breaker and an opera singer.”
Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Malawi and the Maldives have eight athletes between them, but get a plum place behind the Malaysian contingent on one of the mid-sized watercrafts.
Who is the masked torchbearer causing chaos at the Olympics opening ceremony?
A masked torchbearer repeatedly popped up during the Olympics opening ceremony, running across rooftops in Paris as heavy rain fell on the boat parade on the River Seine.
The mysterious figure, wearing a black cloak, white hood, and with their face covered by a dark fencing mask, was heavily featured in the three-hour ceremony produced by director Thomas Jolly, and which included appearances from Lady Gaga, Zinedine Zidane and, for some reason, The Minions.
The spectacle saw 85 boats carry almost 7,000 athletes from 205 countries down the River Seine, which came just hours after a sabotage attack on the high-speed rail networks caused travel chaos across France.
Paris Olympics opening ceremony
We are properly rattling through now: Laos, Lesotho, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya. Liechtenstein’s Romano Puentener waves the flag enthusiastically – he’ll go in the men’s mountain bike cross country against Tom Pidcock and co. next week.
Paris Olympics opening ceremony
There is unsurprisingly an athlete carrying Kenya’s flag, though Ferdinand Omanyala excels over 100 metres rather than the longer distances in which the east African nation normally dominates. Volleyball player Trizah Atuka is his company grasping the flagpole.
Source: independent.co.uk