The parade of boats on the Seine, the Olympic flame under a balloon, Lady Gaga and Celine Dion – the 33rd Summer Games began with a spectacular celebration of superlatives.
206 nations in 85 ships, with about 6,800 athletes from the 206 countries participating in the Olympic committee, covered the six-kilometer route, passing by the iconic attractions of Paris such as the recently restored Notre-Dame cathedral, the Louvre or the Place de la Concorde in the direction of Eiffel tower.
Despite the continuous rain, around 320,000 spectators enthusiastically watched the colorful spectacle. The show with lights and music was accompanied by the performances of artists: dancers, singers, acrobats who presented the show conceived by the French theater director.
During the Olympic competitions, the organizers anticipate a number of over ten million visitors. A total of 35 different places have been determined for the development of the competitions, the competitions will mainly take place in Paris, but also some other disciplines in Lille, Marseille or Lyon.
The surfing competitions will take place in Tahiti, almost 10,000 miles from Paris. At the end of the summer Olympic competitions in Paris from August 28 to September 8, the Paralympics will take place. In 2028, the next summer Olympics will take place in While the 2030 Winter Olympic Games will take place in France./DW