Spectators braved the rain for the spectacle. It comes after the country’s high-speed rail network was plunged into chaos due to arson attacks. The Olympic cauldron has been lit – The incredible journey of the Olympic torch is complete. In about three months, the torch has lit up over 450 towns and cities across 65 regions, covering an impressive 17,000 km (1,056 miles). Today, it made its final journey from Saint-Denis to Paris, moving down the River Seine.  French sporting icons carried it towards the extraordinary cauldron, attached to a huge hot air balloon.  The flames are seven metres wide and spectacularly take flight into the air. (Photo: Eifel Tower).

Celine Dion performs from Eiffel Tower – Canadian singer Celine Dion is now performing on the Eiffel Tower. She sings in French underneath the famous Olympic rings. Wearing a white gown covered in pearls and beads, Dion made her comeback, performing for the first time since she announced she’s living with stiff person syndrome. Dion is performing Hymne à l’amour, a popular French song from 1950 originally sung by Edith Piaf. Piaf released the song for her partner, Marcel Cerdan, after he was killed in a plane crash the year before.

French sporting icons carry flame – Some icons of French sport are now carrying the torch to its final destination. Amelie Mauresmo, a former world number one tennis player, and Tony Parker, the first Frenchman to be inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame, are among them. Alexis Hanquinquant, a triathlon gold medallist at the 2020 Paralympics, is also part of the group. Eiffel Tower looks spectacular – The Eiffel Tower has looked sublime tonight, lighting up the Parisian sky with lights and strobes.

The famous Olympic rings shine through it all. Serena Williams and Carl Lewis carry Olympic flame – Quelle surprise! Serena Williams now has the flame, taking it from Rafael Nadal on a boat travelling down the River Seine. Carl Lewis and Nadia Comăneci are also onboard and both have a go at holding the torch. Zidane and Nadal carry Olympic flame – Zidane is back! The French footballing icon takes the Olympic torch from our favourite masked torchbearer before passing the flame to tennis legend Rafael Nadal.

I know what you’re thinking. Nadal? Isn’t he Spanish? Well, the honorary Parisian has won the French Open a record 14 times, so there you go. He’s also a two-time Olympic gold medal winner – one from the men’s singles in Beijing 2008 and another from the men’s doubles in Rio 2016. ‘An event that united the world’ – More from ICC president Thomas Bach, who says the Olympics are an event that unites the world. He says: “In our Olympic world, there is no “global south” or “global north”.

“We all respect the same rules and each other. In our Olympic world, we all belong.” He says the Olympic “solidarity” is made possible through generous support for its partners around the world. “In a world torn apart by wars and conflicts, it is thanks to this solidarity that we can all come together tonight.” He continues by saying that Olympians show “what greatness we humans are capable of”. ‘What better place than Paris, to share this magic,’ says Olympic chief – Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, is now speaking. He thanks the host nation and says the ICC are “deeply grateful” to its French friends for putting on a brilliant opening ceremony.

“My heartfelt thanks go to our gracious French hosts,” he says. “Thank you for welcoming us in such a spectacular way. The Olympic flame will make Paris and all of France shine even brighter. “What better place than Paris, to share this magic of the Olympic Games with the whole world.” ‘Humanity is beautiful when it comes together,’ says Paris 2024 chief – Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet has taken to the stage to give a speech. The three-time Olympic gold medallist says that even though the games cannot solve every problem, “tonight you have reminded us how beautiful humanity is when we come together”.

Addressing the athletes, he says: “For the next 16 days, you will be the best version of humanity.  “You’ll remind us that the emotions of sport form a universal language that we all share. Until 11 August, we’ll be by your side. “Your defeats will be our defeats. Your victories will be our victories. Your emotions will be our emotions.” UN official receives Olympic laurel United Nations high commissioner for refugees Filippo Grandi has just been a given the Olympic laurel.

The laurel is awarded by the International Olympic Committee to honour those who have made “significant achievements in education, culture, development, and peace through sport”. Olympic flag raised at Trocadero – Our animatronic horse is alive! The white horse is being ridden towards the central stage at Trocadero, with flags of every nation following behind. The rider dismounts, accepts a folded Olympic flag, and carries it down a catwalk flanked by athletes. It’s then unfurled as the Olympic anthem is played, and it is raised up a towering flagpole in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.

Metal horse riding down the Seine – As if this opening ceremony couldn’t get stranger, we now have an incredible metal horse being ridden down the Seine by a silhouetted figure at some serious speed. Atelier Blam was in charge of creating this piece, representing France’s design and manufacture of sophisticated artistic devices. The horse, draped in the Olympic flag,  takes us past the Place du Troacdero and the Iena Bridge, which links Trocadero to the Eiffel Tower. The wings of a dove are unveiled on a bridge – a symbol of peace used in every Olympic opening ceremony.

Courtesy: Sky News