Beijing 2022 becomes Paris 2024/Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony

The traditional blog transition takes place for a sixth time. The blog began back in July 2012 for the London games so this latest change sees the 12th anniversary of my Olympic/Paralympic blogging.

A fourth Summer Games on this blog and second European based which will be perfect for the timings of the days of action beginning and ending. There is a minor delay to this transition with being a few days into the games but offline life meant an early catch but off we go for Paris 2024.

Opening Ceremony

Paris created history with the first ever Opening Ceremony to take place outside of a stadium setting with a journey along the River Seine. GB's flagbearers for Paris are Tom Daley (Diving) and Helen Glover (Rowing) both having had huge medal success at previous games. A comedic start with the torch entering an empty Stade de France before French legend Zinedine Zidane took over the torch's journey across city before handing off to a trio of children who guided it to the River Seine itself. 

The ceremony began with IOC president Thomas Bach and French President Emmanuel Macron being presented to the crowd before the torch carrying trio were greeted onto the river by a tricolour smoke display on the Pont d'Austerlitz. The parade of athletes along the river began with the traditional starters in Greece and having seen only stadium based parades, the procession in floats along the river was a nice change to enjoy with many nations sharing boats.

Early on in the flotilla , camera panned to a pink pom reveal of the stunning Lady Gaga who performed in French on a golden staircase and then the return of the child torch bearers with their masked guide through the enchanted neighbourhood and the masked guide went solo with some parkour across the Paris rooftops. The entertainment on the riverside moved to a very colourful can-can style dance performance and the masked touch bearer zip-lining across the river. 

The focus moved to a performance to Synchronicity which included features of the Notre Dame Cathedral renovation and the smelting process of the medals, each of which will contain a piece of the Eiffel Tower itself. Focus turned to the theme of love and amour in an operatic riverside performance of culture and colour as the rain began in the city, The masked touch bearer lit up a golden firework display that led to a performance from Aya Nakamura and a lead into the Louvre with a showcasing of many artworks. 

Next up was a rap performance by Rim'K and a fashion show in the rain shower with a very colourful effect and the masked torch bearer soon joined the soaked catwalk. The parade of athletes ended with the traditional closers being the host nation, this year of course in France. The entertainment moved to a celebration of France and the European Union while the catwalk action intensified. A wonderful rendition of 'Imagine' on the River Seine by Julia Armin Veh. 

The Olympic flag was transported along the river on mechanical horseback and focus turned to the temporary stadium of the Trocadero in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower with a procession of the flag and each of the 205 nations competing as the rain ceased. The Olympic flag was raised to a fanfare and the speeches from Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024 and IOC President Thomas Bach. 

Zinedine Zidane returned to the action taking the Olympic Torch from the masked torch bearer and passed on to Rafael Nadal while the Eiffel Tower light show began. The torch saw a second Tennis representation in Serena Williams before Carl Lewis (Athletics) took over and the Tennis theme extended to Amelie Mauresmo took the flame from the river to land. 

She handed over to Tony Parker (Basketball) and the torch runners grew to a group with the final transition leading to the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron in a hot-air balloon which rose into the sky. The ceremony closed with a simply wonderful performance by Celine Dion on the Eiffel Tower.