Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony Extravaganza

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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

Transcript

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.

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