The Olympic Games Paris 2024 began with a breathtaking Opening Ceremony along the River Seine as it celebrated its return to Europe for the first time in 12 years.

European athletes were among the thousands from around the world paraded for 6km in boats along the French capital’s river, in the first-ever Olympic Games Opening Ceremony held outside a stadium, before former French Olympic stars Marie-José Pérec and Teddy Riner lit the Olympic Cauldron in the middle of Paris ahead of a stunning Celine Dion performance from the Eiffel Tower.

The parade route featured some of the French capital’s most iconic landmarks, including the Notre Dame, Louvre, and the Grand Palais, while Lady Gaga and Aya Nakamura, who performed alongside the Republican Guard, produced memorable moments for those watching.

 A powerful rendition of the French national anthem performed by the opera singer Axelle Saint-Cirel from the roof of the Grand Palais was another highlight before the athletes gathered at Trocadéro for the final elements of the Opening Ceremony.

 This included the raising of the Olympic flag, the athletes’, judges’, and coaches’ oaths, and a performance of the Olympic Anthem.

 After speeches by Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet and IOC President Thomas Bach, French President Emmanuel Macron officially declared the Olympic Games open, before Dion’s version of L’Hymne à L’Amour capped off a truly historical evening.

During his address, President Bach said: “Finally, the moment has arrived: welcome to the Olympic Games Paris 2024. My heartfelt thanks go to our gracious French hosts. Thank you for welcoming us in such a spectacular way. The Olympic flame will make Paris and all of France shine even brighter.

 “We are deeply grateful to all our French friends. First and foremost to the President of the French Republic. All our gratitude also goes to the public authorities at all levels as well as the Paris 2024 Organising Committee, under the excellent leadership of my fellow Olympian, Tony Estanguet.

 “You are bringing our Olympic Agenda reforms to life by making these Games wide open. All of us will experience Olympic Games that are more inclusive, more urban, younger, and more sustainable – the first Olympic Games with full gender parity on the field of play.

 “A special thanks goes to the thousands of volunteers. Thank you for your commitment. Your smiles make us fall in love even more with Paris and France. Our thanks also go to the whole team of the Organising Committee, of the public services, and to everyone who is contributing to making these Olympic Games an unforgettable experience. What better place than Paris, to share this magic of the Olympic Games with the whole world.’’

 This is the first Olympic Games being held in Europe for more than a decade, and ahead of the ceremony, European Olympic Committees President Spyros Capralos urged Europe’s athletes to seize the moment of the Olympic Games.

 “Enjoy the moments. They are unique moments in our lives,” he said.

 “Try to do your best. You have to remember that you tried very hard to reach this point, and now that you are here, do your best, get the medals and then make us all proud of your achievements.”

 The Olympic Games in Paris run until August 11 and mark the beginning of a pipeline of major sports events being held in Europe.

 The Winter European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) will be held in Bakuriani, Georgia, and the Summer EYOF in Skopje, North Macedonia, in 2025, followed by the next Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina in 2026 and the 4th European Games in Istanbul in 2027.

                                Xinhua