Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together: Paris 2024
The biggest athletic event of the year has finally begun. All the greatest athletes and their fans have gathered in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics. If you skipped the opening ceremony, don’t worry. Here is a recap of everything that happened on the 26th of July.
The Boat Parade
The director of the show, Thomas Jolly, captured the essence of French history in the three-and-a-half-hour-long ceremony. It was unique. Unlike previous ceremonies, it didn’t take place in a stadium. Instead, the Seine, the river flowing through Paris, was the “stage.” But it wasn’t only the Seine. The whole city was a stage and in each chosen location, something about its history was portrayed. Each national team had their own boat and the 10,500 athletes participating in the Games crossed the river while visitors and Parisians welcomed them. Imagine how spectacular that scene was!
Photo credits: Live stream of Eurosport
Torch Bearers
Some 11,000 torchbearers participated in Paris 2024. During the opening ceremony, famous athletes, such as Zinedine Zidane, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams, carried the torch. However, the mystery torch bearer was the one who stole the show. A lot of people on social media discussed and expressed interest in revealing the torch bearer’s identity. Unfortunately, the identity will remain a mystery.
Photo credits: Live stream of Eurosport
Flying Cauldron
The Olympic Cauldron this year was designed as a hot balloon. Located in central Paris, more specifically in the Gardens of the Tuileries, was lit by Teddy Riner, a judoka and Marie-José Pérec, a sprinter. This cauldron is another reference to the French history. The French Montgolfier brothers were the inventors of the hot air balloon.
Photo credits: Live stream of Eurosport
The Olympic Flag
Another mysterious figure participating in the ceremony was the woman carrying the Olympic flag. Dressed in a metal costume and riding a real horse, the woman participated in one of the traditional parts of the ceremony. Luckily, this time, her identity was revealed: a Gendarmerie Floriane Issert. Despite the controversy of the flag being hung upside down, this was yet again a fascinating part of the show.
Photo credits: Live stream of Eurosport
The Artistic Performances
The opening ceremony wouldn’t be complete without any artistic performances. Lady Gaga performed the first with and gave a tribute to the Parisian cabaret culture. She performed “Mon truc en plumes” by Zizi Jeanmaire. Heavy metal band Gojira referenced the French Revolution with the metal version of “Ah! Ça Ira.” Then Aya Nakamura, who last month gave an outstanding performance during Vogue World, performed a mashup of “Pookie” and “Djadja.” The Algerian-French rapper Rim’K performed with “King.” After this, the opening notes of John Lennon’s “Imagine” were heard. This is a symbolic performance, considering how Lennon in the song asks us to imagine a world without wars and divisions, while the Olympics unites people from all over the world for peaceful competition. This beautiful message was brought by the performance of Sofiane Pamart and Julliette Armanet. Celine Dion closed the ceremony with “L’Hymne à l’amour.” This was a special performance as it was Dion’s first time performing after announcing her diagnosis with stiff-person syndrome back in 2022.
Photo credits: Live stream of Eurosport
Despite certain controversies before and during the show that got heavily criticized, we can’t deny the fact that the opening ceremony of Paris 2024 was one of a kind. It was amazing how the country took a nontraditional path of organizing the event and succeeded in it. Now that the Olympics have officially begun, let’s enjoy the performances of our favorite athletes, and guess what we’re going to get for the closing ceremony.
Article by Anahit Aharonyan, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Tearsheets by Georgia Wallace, Graphic Design Intern, PhotoBook Magazine
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