The best moments of the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games

Spectacular opening gala for the 2024 Olympic Games this Friday in Paris. The French capital had been preparing every detail for months under absolute secrecy and has more than fulfilled its two objectives: to surprise and to move almost to tears. There were five hours of dancing, music, parade and perfectly synchronized tributes that culminated with a beautiful performance by Celine Dion. The artist had been retired from the stage for four years after being diagnosed with a degenerative disease that affects her vocal cords, but she has crowned herself as the diva that she is from the first floor of the Eiffel Tower. Dressed in white with a closed design and studded with rhinestones, the Canadian performed Edith Piaf’s ‘Hymn to Love’ with a voice that left the entire city speechless.

But for excitement, at least Spanish, the surprise appearance of Rafael Nadalwho has taken the Olympic flame from Zinedine Zidane. The king of Roland Garros, who is about to say goodbye to the courts at 38 years of age, is participating for the last time in the games as a partner of Carlos Alcaraz in doubles.

Dressed in the Spanish uniform, with beige trousers and a red jacket, the Mallorcan carried the flame to a boat where the tennis player was waiting for him. Serena Williamsthe Romanian Nadia Comaneci (one of the best athletes in history with nine Olympic medals, five of them gold) and the sprinter Carl LewisThree kilometres later (which also served to soak the protagonists of the moment), Nadal passed the baton to Amelie Mauresmoone of the best French tennis players.

The passage of the Spanish delegation through the Seine, headed by Marcus Cooper and Tamara Echegoyen as flag bearers. The 383 athletes who travelled to the Games, all dressed in red, occupied 90 percent of one of the boats in the general convoy, which they shared with the tiny Estonian representation, barely a dozen participants.

And those who have also enjoyed the passage of our people through the heart of Paris have been King Felipe and Queen Letizia. Seated in the box reserved for the authorities at Trocadero, the monarchs suffered the downpour like everyone else. Covered with some paltry raincoats that did not offer much protection, they forgot about the cold and the rain as the Spaniards passed by to stand up and applaud with passion and smiles. Letizia gave her all.

The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games began at 19:30 with a parade on the Seine in a unique monumental setting along the following axis: starting from Pont d’Austerlitz, passing the Île Saint Louis, Notre Dame, Pont Neuf, the Louvre Museum, the Tuileries Garden, Place de la Concorde, Pont des Invalides, Pont de l’Alma and ending at the Eiffel Tower and Place du Trocadero. It featured 3,000 artists including dancers and musicians, 10,500 athletes from 205 countries and 90 boats sailing on the Seine before an audience of more than 325,000 spectators, who thrilled to the ‘Moulin Rouge’ style performance of Lady GagaThe American artist, dressed in black and covered in feathers, performed ‘Mon truc en plumes’ by Zizi Jeanmaire.

Authorities have prepared police patrols on land, sea and air: in the streets, roadblocks, surveillance by helicopter and speedboats on the Seine River to deter and prevent any type of attack from July 26 to August 11.