Destruction, downpours and deification on the Seine as Paris restores Olympic legend

After a century of waiting, Paris officially hosts the Olympic Games for the third time in history since 10:54 pm on Friday.

The story of this historic and important day begins “Crime-breaking” railway network and held an incredible opening ceremony on the Seine in the rain.

. Wake up “Very early” Estanguet

Tony Estanguet is awakened “Very early”The day for the Paris 2024 president started with bad news: it was raining in Paris and the weather forecast cast a shadow over the opening ceremony, which for the first time in history will be held outside a stadium.

“I looked out the window and saw that things weren’t crazy.”he admitted to the French Inter Milan.

“The ceremony is designed to be able to take place in the rain (…) We will adapt”three-time Olympic canoeing champion guaranteed.

Yet the evolution of the Parisian skies, and even the cleverly maintained veil of mystery surrounding the 2024 Paris Olympics, and the identity of the final torchbearer who will ignite the Olympic mud, will soon be thrown into the background.

. “Massive attack paralyzes the network”

At 8:15 a.m., the French National Railway Company (SNCF) announced that it had encountered “A massive attack could paralyze” The network also warned that TGV circulation on the Atlantic, North and East axes would be affected. ‘Very disturbing’affecting 800,000 passengers.

She later noted that three acts of sabotage affected switch stations: the TGV north axis near Arras, the Moselle east axis and the Eure-et-Loire Atlantic axis.

The perpetrators cut and set fire to cables and fiber-optic bundles used to transmit safety information to drivers, control switches and even red lights.

. this “Athlete Competition” Destroyed

At around 10:00 a.m., Amélie Oudéa-Castera expressed her concerns on the serial news channel BFMTV about those who want “destroy” this “Athlete Competition”.

“It’s really frustrating because playing against the Olympics is playing against France””, announced the Minister of Sports and Olympics.

We are therefore particularly concerned whether these athletes, including American basketball superstars LeBron James and Stephen Curry, who are based near Lille, will be denied the opportunity to attend the opening ceremony or, worse still, be stuck on a train in the countryside.

SNCF will specify later that four trains are running, but no mention of NBA big-name players “There are athletes on board”. “The first two have arrived, the third is in circulation, and the final contingent will be relocated on another train”she elaborated.

“Our intelligence and law enforcement communities have been mobilized to find and punish the perpetrators of these crimes.””, assured the resigning Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.

. Rainfall forecast

Shortly before 4:00 p.m., Emmanuel Macron welcomed some 85 foreign heads of state and government to a reception at the Elysee Palace ahead of the opening ceremony, while the first spectators were allowed access to the quays of the Seine.

Nearly 400,000 people will watch the athletes parade by boat starting at 7:30 p.m.

They must equip themselves with patience and… waterproof clothing.

After a grey, rainless afternoon, the weather news wasn’t good: “This time, there really is no longer any doubt,” warned Jerome Lecoux, a forecaster for the French meteorological service. The rain should fall around 8:00 p.m..

Perec and Riner set the Paris sky ablaze

At 7:30 pm, the opening ceremony began with a curtain of water and blue, white and red fireworks on the Austerlitz Bridge, followed by the appearance of the first ship carrying the delegation – the Greek ship.

If Olympic tradition is respected in this regard, the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony breaks many of the rules, as announced by its artistic director Thomas Jolly, featuring the Seine River and iconic Parisian buildings.

Colorful, unique, even crazy, she paints a musical picture of a France proud of its diversity and rich history, with guest stars Lady Gaga and Aya Nakamura making Republican Guards and sports superstars dance like French flag bearer LeBron James. USA.

At 10:54 p.m., Emmanuel Macron declared the 2024 Olympics open, before Zinedine Zidane passed the flame to Rafael Nadal, who was joined by Serena Williams, Carl Lewis and Nadia Comaneci on the Seine.

Finally, two legends of the French sport, Marie-José Perec and Teddy Riner, lit the torch in the shape of an airship and flew it into the sky over Paris, while Celine Dion sang Hymn of Love Created by Edith Piaf on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower.

Zinedine Zidane carries the Olympic flame during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris on July 26, 2024. POOL/AFP Stephanie Lecocq