Paris 2024 Olympics Kick Off with Historic Opening Ceremony on River Seine.
Paris:
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games officially commenced on Friday with a groundbreaking opening ceremony held along the River Seine. This marks the first time in Olympic history that the opening ceremony has taken place outside a stadium.
The festivities began as 85 boats set sail from beneath the Austerlitz Bridge, each carrying athletes from 204 countries and the Refugee Olympic Team. Under the artistic direction of French director and actor Thomas Jolly, the boats embarked on a 4-mile (6-kilometer) parade along the Seine, showcasing Paris’s iconic landmarks, including Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris City Hall, the Louvre Museum, Tuileries Garden, Les Invalides Monument, and the Eiffel Tower. The parade concluded at the Pont d’Iéna, with around 300,000 spectators in attendance despite the rain.
Notable figures at the ceremony included UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, French President Emmanuel Macron, and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach. Turkish Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Askin Bak, Hasan Arat, executive board member of the European Olympic Committee (EOC), and President of Besiktas Football Club were also present.
The opening ceremony highlighted France’s rich historical and cultural heritage. Turkish athletes Mete Gazoz, who won Türkiye’s first-ever Olympic medal in archery at Tokyo 2020, and Busenaz Surmeneli, who secured Türkiye’s first Olympic medal in boxing, proudly carried the Turkish flag. Türkiye is represented by a total of 101 athletes, including 54 women and 47 men, at these Games, which will run until August 11.
