2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES
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The cauldron has been lit at the 2024 Paris Olympics. After its long parade, French track and field star Marie-Jo Pérec and French judoka star Teddy Riner lit the cauldron that was inside at the bottom of a hot air balloon.
In a pre-recorded clip, the French football icon Zinedine Zidane carried the Olympic torch on the final leg of its journey, which began April 16, 2024. The Olympic flame was lit in Olympia, Greece, and traveled to Athens before it sailed across the Mediterranean sea to Marseille, where it began its trek across France.
In the recorded clip, Zidane, who won the 1988 Ballon D’Or and led France to the 1988 World Cup, handed the torch off to a child, who got in a boat with a mysterious figure. The identity of the Olympic cauldron lighter had been one of the most closely held secrets of the Paris opening ceremony.
The mysterious figure can be seen carrying the torch throughout the ceremony, carrying it on top of buildings, through buildings, up and down stairs, through the Lourve, and many more. At the end of the athlete parade, the figure can be seen bringing the torch down the Seine while it rides a stationary silver horse and wears the Olympic flag on its back.
The figure appears on a horse once again, this time on land and on a moving horse, still wearing the Olympic flag. The figure then carries the Olympic flag onto the stage inside the stadium that is now home to all of the athletes.
Zinedine Zidane makes another appearance, carrying the torch again. He hands it off to Rafael Nadal who hails from Spain. Typically, the torch is passed off to people from the host country at the end of the journey.
Nadal then takes the torch onto the Seine River on a boat. The boat also features Serena Williams, Carl Lewis, and Nadia Comăneci. All three athletes hold the torch at some point in the journey with Williams first receiving the torch, Comaneci second, and Lewis third. At the end of the boat ride, French tennis player Amélie Mauresmo takes the torch and parades through the streets passing the crowd before going past the Lourve and hands it off to Tony Parker.
The torch is passed to numerous athletes as it makes its way to the cauldron.
The athlete torch relay continued with these athletes, Nantenin Keita, Alexis Hanquinquant, Marie-Amelie Le Fur, Allison Pineau, Jean-Francois Lamour, Felicia Bellanger, Michel Rousseau, Emilie Le Pennec, David Douillet, Clarisse Agbegnenou, Alain Bernard, Laure Manaudou, Renaud Lavillenie, Laura Flessel-Colovic, and Charles Coste.
Marie-Jo Pérec and Teddy Riner take the torch at the end of the parade, take the stage to light the cauldron. The cauldron is on a hot air balloon that then raises into the air. The location of the hot air balloon was also at the site of the first hydrogen flight which took place back in 1783.
Right after the balloon is in the air, Celine Dion of Canada sings a song from French singer Edith Piaffe “The Little Sparrow”
Who all carried the torch today during the opening ceremony? See the list below.
Full Athlete Torch Relay During The 2024 Opening Ceremony:
- Zinedine Zidane
- Mysterious Figure
- Rafael Nadal
- Serena Williams
- Carl Lewis
- Nadia Comaneci
- Amelia Mauresmo
- Tony Parker
- Nantenin Keita
- Alexis Hanquinquant
- Marie-Amelie Le Fur
- Allison Pineau
- Jean-Francois Lamour
- Felicia Bellanger
- Michel Rousseau
- Emilie Le Pennec
- David Douillet
- Clarisse Agbegnenou
- Alain Bernard
- Laure Manaudou
- Renaud Lavillenie
- Laura Flessel-Colovic
- Charles Coste
- Marie-Jo Pérec
- Teddy Riner
With the rain and slow pace, the ceremonies had the excitement of an early morning round of golf at the British Open, and not the palpable energy of other recent opening ceremonies. Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t they usually have the parade of athletes after the majority shows/ performances are complete? I wasn’t a fan of mixing it all together.
I think Sydney and London were awesome. Oh and Beijing. This one was better than the last two. Tokyo had extenuating circumstances though.
See, that’s how perceptions can differ. I agree on Sydney, but London was a convoluted mess, as far as I remember.
To be fair, as soon as it got dark and the whole light stuff happened, the rain made it even better.
I liked it. The start was slow but itnpicked up momentum and it really built to a spectacular climax with the cauldron lighting.
Zidane won 1988 World Cup? Was it 1998?
And didn’t Marie-Jo leave the Sydney Olympics under a cloud of suspicion in 2000? Before she could race Cathy Freeman?
Yes, 1998. France also hosted that WC and beat Brazil in the final.
For the French, Zizou probably won ALL the World Cups 😀
What a player!
I was a bit skeptical about the opening ceremonies but Paris knocked it out of the park. The Seine boats were a great touch. The Marie Antoinette/revolution with confetti blood and a heavy metal band bit was nuts/fantastic and the dancing/crazy odd French stuff (overt sexuality and the blue guy under the serving lid) was perfect for the Paris vibe. I love balloon cauldron but the 10 minute boat ride got tiring here in France as it was nearly 11:30 local time. The rain made the light show even more spectacular. The worst part were the long speeches by the organizers. I get it but it killed the mood for a bit. Well done Paris!
Teddy IS pretty much a French judoka.