The Paris Olympics opened with a grand ceremony along the Seine, marred by criminal sabotage and rain. Featuring 10,500 athletes, Lady Gaga, and heavy security, the event showcased a mix of performances and historical tributes. Costing €120mn, the ceremony culminated in a dazzling light show and Céline Dion's performance, declaring the games open.
#ParisOlympics #OpeningCeremony #SpectacularEvent #CulturalCelebration #AthleteHeroes
#ParisOlympics #OpeningCeremony #SpectacularEvent #CulturalCelebration #AthleteHeroes
Category
🥇
SportTranscription
00:00The Paris Olympics kicked off with an extravagant opening ceremony on Friday night when an armada
00:05of boats carried 10,500 athletes along the Seine, the first outdoor version of the spectacle
00:11that was expected to be watched by a billion people.
00:14Earlier, a shadow was cast over the event by an act of criminal sabotage that hit France's
00:19high-speed rail network in the early hours of the morning causing nationwide transport
00:23chaos.
00:25Heavy rain then began to fall about 30 minutes into the three-hour show, a nightmare scenario
00:29for the planners of the theatrical performance that featured a massive cast of dancers, two
00:33orchestras and a clutch of pop stars, including Lady Gaga doing a cabaret-tinged song.
00:39By mid-afternoon, long queues had formed as ticket holders tried to get into the highly
00:43secured perimeter along the Seine River where 320,000 spectators were expected along the
00:48medieval-era cobblestone quays.
00:51The format of the event required heavy security, 45,000 police were deployed on the ground
00:56and in the air, using helicopters, drones and snipers positioned on roofs.
01:01The weather also tested the dozens of experienced ship captains powering the parade, who navigated
01:06at precisely the right speed to keep the show online.
01:09Some spectators fled the quays for cover as rain poured down.
01:13President Emmanuel Macron hosted more than 100 heads of state at Trocadéro Plaza across
01:18the river from the Eiffel Tower where the athletes disembarked for a final parade and
01:22a performance by Francophone favorite sea lion, Diane.
01:26Jill Biden, wife of the U.S. President, and other leaders attended a reception at the
01:30Elysee Palace beforehand.
01:33The idea for such an ambitious opening was the brainchild of Thierry Reboul, an event
01:38specialist known for punchy marketing stunts, but pulling it off it needed more than 15,000
01:42performers, technicians and firework specialists.
01:46The performance featured ballet dancers on the roof of the Louvre, while hundreds of
01:50modern dancers and break dancers performed along the quays and on some of the boats.
01:56Performers were clad in handmade outfits stitched by French couturiers, and LVMH's Louis Vuitton
02:01trunk suitcases were prominently displayed in a lengthy segment.
02:06Organizers had to scale back some elements, such as BMX riders set to do tricks on a ramp
02:11because rain made it too slippery.
02:14When Reboul pitched the idea for the river ceremony to Tony Astangut, head of the Paris
02:18organizing committee, the two-time gold medal winner reacted with stupor that quickly became
02:23enthusiasm.
02:24''It will be ambitious, audacious and totally crazy,'' said Astangut, recalling the moment
02:29Reboul said the idea came to him on a walk along the Seine, the snaking river whose banks
02:34were chosen by a Gallic tribe called the Parisi to found a settlement about 2,000 years ago.
02:39He told himself, ''It should be here, of course it should be here, and nowhere else.''
02:44The organizers hired Thomas Jolly, a 42-year-old theatre director known for a musical called
02:49Starmania, who started imagining how to convey the spirit of France from literature and culture
02:53to history.
02:55Jolly hired a team he has long worked with a musical director, choreographer and a costume
03:00designer, all renowned in their fields and also included author Lila Slimani, scriptwriter
03:04Fanny Herrero, who created the show called My Agent.