The horsewoman (C) arrives with the Olympic flag at the Trocadero during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on July 26, 2024. (Photo by Stephanie Lecocq / POOL / AFP) |
France faced criticism for the ambitious concept and security risks of holding the Olympic opening ceremony on the River Seine instead of a traditional stadium.
Despite the challenges, the ceremony for the 2024 Paris
Games was successfully executed after years of preparation. President Emmanuel
Macron's theatrical gesture was evident, but it also brought substantial risks.
The day was marred by news of attacks on signal
infrastructure on the French railway network, disrupting travel and raising
concerns of a coordinated attempt to disrupt the Games by unknown individuals.
In the midst of the event, unfavorable weather conditions
posed significant challenges for both organizers and attendees. An unexpected
downpour drenched the performers, athletes, and spectators, leaving them with
only plastic ponchos for protection.
Performers dance along the banks of the Seine River during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on July 26, 2024. (Photo by Petros Giannakouris / POOL / AFP) |
Lights illuminate the Eiffel Tower during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on July 26, 2024. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / POOL / AFP) |
Nevertheless, the event proceeded as planned.
The marathon event lasted for four hours, culminating in a
spectacular climax as the Olympic flame soared into the sky aboard a cauldron
tethered to a balloon, and Celine Dion serenaded Paris with an Edith Piaf song
from the Eiffel Tower. The show, directed by Thomas Jolly, was described as
"surreal" and a "damp squib" by the Times of London, but
its originality and daring were undeniable. Most importantly, the mass event
concluded safely without incident.
Parisians and visitors can now enjoy most of the city
without needing QR codes to pass through police barriers that were put up for
the event, which had placed much of the riverside embankment under security
lockdown in the preceding days.
"With sabotage of railway installations in the morning and pouring rain in the evening, the opening day of the Olympics was chaotic but ended with a grandiose ceremony which broke all the rules," wrote daily Liberation on the front page of its Saturday edition.
Former French football player Zinedine Zidane holds the Olympic torch during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on July 26, 2024. (Photo by Xu Chang / POOL / AFP) |
‘An Exceptional creativity and intellectual prowess’
The deployment of police snipers on rooftops served as a
sobering reminder of the ongoing security challenges faced by France, which has
experienced a series of attacks perpetrated by Islamist extremists since 2015.
Furthermore, the ceremony provided a much-needed boost for
President Macron following two tumultuous months marked by snap parliamentary
elections that briefly raised the possibility of a far-right victory and the
formation of a new government.
While this scenario did not materialize, the country remains
in a state of political gridlock post-elections, with the president’s authority
perceived as diminished during the remaining three years of his term.
“Thanks to Thomas Jolly and his creative genius for this
grandiose ceremony. Thank you to the artists for this unique and magical
moment. Thank you to the police and emergency services, agents and volunteers,”
Macron wrote in an unusually triumphant post on X.
“Thank you to everyone who believed in it. We’ll still be
talking about in 100 years! We did it!”
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin added: “We did it! After
four years of intense work to prepare for the world’s biggest sport event, we
have never been prouder of our security forces.”
Extreme-right MEP Marion Marechal harrumphed on X that she
was left to “desperately seek to celebrate the values of sport and the beauty
of France in the midst of such crude woke propaganda.”
‘It is imperative to avoid making mistakes.’
Certain spectators expressed dissatisfaction due to the rain
and crowds obstructing their view. However, Jolly’s concept primarily focused
on the millions of viewers watching worldwide on television.
Furthermore, it skillfully incorporated themes of French
culture and history, presenting them with a contemporary perspective and an
abundance of subtle references for those interested in discovering them. Jolly
also celebrated the diversity of modern France by highlighting artists of
immigrant backgrounds.
“The opening ceremony is really the moment when you can’t
mess up. It’s a successful gamble,” communications specialist Philippe Moreau
Chevrolet told AFP.
“He (Macron) has very successfully carried out his
communications operation for the country and for himself: it’s a moment of
coming together for the nation… and he hasn’t had many in seven years in
power.”
Smoke in the colours of French national flag billows in back ground during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on July 26, 2024. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / POOL / AFP) |
A general view of the Eiffel Tower and lasers lighting up the sky, during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26, 2024. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP) |