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Jeddah - Yasmine El Tohamy - PARIS: Celebrating its reputation as a cradle of revolution, Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century on Friday with a rain-soaked, rule-breaking opening ceremony studded with stars and fantasy along the Seine River.
On-and-off showers — the first rain at a Summer Olympics’ opening ceremony in more than 70 years — did not seem to hamper the enthusiasm of the athletes. Some held umbrellas as they rode boats down the river in a showcase of the city’s resilience as authorities investigated suspected acts of sabotage targeting France’s high-speed rail network.
Athletes from Saudi Arabia will be competing across four sports at the Games — athletics, equestrian, swimming and taekwondo — and you can read a guide to everything about them, their preparation and their Olympics schedule here.
Likewise, there are dozens of Arab athletes taking part in this year’s Games, you can check out Arab News’ guide to the best male competitors and female athletes representing the Middle East and North Africa.
Widespread travel disruptions triggered by what French officials called coordinated arson attacks on high-speed rail lines as well as the weather had dampened the mood ahead of the ceremony.
Still, crowds crammed the Seine’s banks and bridges and watched from balconies, “oohing” and “aahing” as Olympic teams paraded in boats down the waterway that got increasingly choppy as the weather worsened.
Undeterred from the festivities, many of the hundreds of thousands of spectators huddled under umbrellas and jackets as the rain intensified, others danced and sang, and some dashed from their seats for shelter.
“I invite everybody: dream with us. Like the Olympic athletes, be inspired with the joy that only sport can give us. Let us celebrate this Olympic spirit of living in peace,” International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach said.
French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Olympic Games open as a jaw-dropping light show on the Eiffel Tower made up for the rain-soaked start.
French football legend Zinedine Zidane handed the torch to another legend, French Open tennis record-breaker Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard took a boat trip with Americans Serena Williams and Carl Lewis to start the torches final relay.
French sprinter Marie-Jose Perec and French judoka Teddy Riner got the honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron.
Throughout the Olympics, you can follow all the action from Paris at the designated Arab News Sport section here.
Read about the highlights below (all times BST):
22:30 - That wraps up our live coverage of the opening ceremony of what will no doubt be an exciting Olympic games in Paris.
Follow our coverage of all the action here for the next fortnight.
22:30 - A look at that magnificent Olympic cauldron. It uses light and water to mimic a fire and will remain in the Paris skyline for the next fifteen days.
22:28 - Canadian singer Celine Dion brings the show to a close as she sings on Eiffel Tower.
22:24 - France’s Marie-Jose Perec and Teddy Riner light the Olympic cauldron.
22:19 - Torch-bearers are getting the flame to the destination where it will be for the duration of the games.
22:05 - Paris lights up the Eiffel Tower to welcome the Olympics
21:55 - Zinedine Zidane passes on the Olympic torch to record French Open-champion Rafael Nadal, who has just passed it to fellow tennis royalty Serena Williams. We're not too far away from the all-important moment of its lighting...
20:00 - We've had more images of the Saudi delegation, it's looking very wet in Paris this evening. But spirits remain high!
Lebanon, Jordan and Kuwait have also sailed past in the athletes' parade.
19:15 - In case you missed it in all the drama, Lady Gaga performed a catchy little jazz ditty on the banks of the Seine...
18:45 - Our first glimpse of Arab delegations on the River Seine! The Saudi Arabia and Bahrain teams float past...
18:30 - We're underway!
18:15 - All smiles on the Saudi Arabia team as they prepare for their appearance at the opening ceremony!
18:00 - We're about 30 minutes from the start of the ceremony, and the crowds are beginning to build on the banks of the River Seine. Not long to go now.
17:30 - One of the highlights of the pre-Games events is the Olympic torch relay. It travels from Greece all around the world before ending its journey at the host city, in this case Paris. Watch a clip of its journey below:
17:15 - Despite the rocky start to Friday and the threat of a deluge on the French capital, the opening ceremony organizers are still in a positive mood. Which is probably just as well...
16:45 - Actress Michelle Yeoh has shared a heart-warming message about the Olympic Refugee Team, who will be representing more than 100 million displaced people worldwide.
16:35 - We're still being teased as to who will performing at the ceremony. Any predictions? Let us know at @ArabNewsSport...
16:30 - French President Emmanuel Macron has started welcoming several dozen of heads of state and government at the Elysee presidential palace. Macron’s office said the Elysee reception was “an opportunity for France to deliver a message of peace and tolerance as 10,500 athletes from around the world gather to take part in the world’s biggest event.”
About 100 world leaders, government officials and heads of international organizations are expected to attend the ceremony later on.
16:15 - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday that he absolutely condemned the saboteurs who struck France's TGV high-speed train network and hoped for the quick identification of the perpetrators. You can read about the arson attack here.
16:00 - The International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has taken part in the Olympic flame relay as the Opening Ceremony nears.
15:45 - French TV shows Pharrell Williams carrying the Olympic flame atop the cathedral of Saint-Denis, on the northern outskirts of Paris.
His appearance follows superstar rapper Snoop Dogg being given the honor of carrying the flame earlier on Friday, which you can read more about below. Hopefully, he didn't drop it like it's hot...
Camping out for the opening ceremony
People arrived hours before the start of the opening ceremony along the Seine River, seeking the best spot at the viewing areas. Some brought folding chairs, books, sandwiches and water.
Monica Merino, 57, came to Paris from Madrid for the Olympics and said it would be her first time watching the opening ceremony in person.
“We have visited Paris many times, and it is very different now because it is empty of people and full of military and police,” she said.
Giannis skirts train troubles
Greek basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo, selected as one of his country’s flagbearers, avoided Friday’s train issues altogether.
He left Lille on Thursday, traveling in a convoy of buses alongside players from a few other teams. A team spokesperson said multiple teams chose to travel at the same time for security purposes.
Germany’s men’s team boarded buses bound for the ceremony Friday morning, having never planned to travel by train. The plan was to then to immediately head back to Lille for Saturday’s game against Japan.
The Paris Olympics have sold a record 9.7 million tickets — but more are available
After getting off to a rocky start last year, Olympics 2024 organizers said the Paris Games have broken the record for the most number of tickets sold or allocated in the event’s history. And yet, tickets are still available.
Organizers say 9.7 million tickets were sold or allocated for this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, with 8.7 million sold for the former and 1 million for the latter.
For Paris, a total of 10 million tickets were put on sale for the Olympics — meaning that despite the historic popularity of the sporting events and unprecedented scale of this year’s competitions, there will still be many empty seats remaining.
The total ticketing figure will, however, likely rise because tickets are still on sale for some of the 45 sports.
Snoop Dogg keeps it lit
The rapper-turned-NBC Olympics correspondent was one of the final Olympic torch bearers before the opening ceremony. He carried the flame in Saint-Denis, just outside Paris.
In an interview before his leg of the relay, Snoop Dogg vowed to be on his “best behavior.”
“I’m going to be on my best athleticism. I’ll be able to breathe slow to walk fast and hold the torch with a smile on my face, because I realize how prestigious this event is,” he said.
Two trains carrying Olympic athletes stopped en route to Paris
Two trains carrying Olympic athletes to Paris on the western Atlantique line were stopped hours before the opening ceremony, rail company SNCF said.
One train was canceled, and authorities hope the other will become operational.
* With AP
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