PARIS: Celebrating its reputation as a cradle of revolution, Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century on Friday with a rule-breaking opening ceremony studded with stars and fantasy, showcasing the city’s resilience as authorities dealt with suspected acts of sabotage that targeted France’s flagship high-speed rail network.
The ceremony began with the 'Parade of the Nations' here in which athletes from 205 countries sailed down the iconic Seine river on boats, marking a dreamy break from tradition despite rain threatening to play spoilsport.
French President Emmanuel Macron and International Olympic Committee head Thomas Bach were in attendance as French football legend Zinedine Zidane was shown sprinting down the streets of Paris with the Olympic flame in a pre-recorded video.
The six kilometer parade began from Austerlitz bridge and 85 boats carried more than 6800 athletes from 205 nations and one Refugee Olympic team, with a good number of them skipping the incredible show due to their competitions on Saturday.
The Indian contingent is being led by two flag-bearers -- two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and table tennis legend A Sharath Kamal.
The French organisers have promised an unforgettable spectacle, overcoming unprecedented logistical and security challenges to make an entire city the venue of the ceremony.
India is being represented by 117 athletes, including 47 women, in the sporting spectacle.
The organisers have claimed that the ceremony will be the biggest in Games history with more than 300,000 people watching on the banks of the Seine and billions tuned in on television.
This is the third time Paris is hosting the Olympics after 1900 and 1924.
Dozens of heads of state and government were in town and the world was watching as Paris turned itself into a giant open-air theater.
Rains that soaked spectators and athletes and travel chaos in Paris train stations highlighted the risks of Paris’ bold choices
The sprawling ceremony gave organizers bigger crowds to transport, organize and safeguard than would have been the case if they’d followed the example of previous Olympic host cities that opened with stadium shows.
Still, as the show got underway, optimism soared that Paris – true to its motto that speaks of being unsinkable – might just win its gambles.