The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics received a set of mixed reactions from the fans and the attendees as the mega event kicked off in spectacular fashion. The ceremony, which saw a boat parade of all the contingents participating in the Games, was not deterred by rain. From an epic comeback from Celine Dion to malfunctioning screens at the venue, let’s take a look at some of the biggest moments from the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.
Top moments from Paris Olympics opening ceremony:
1. Celine Dion’s sizzling comeback
Singer Celine Dion, who had stayed away from the industry after she was diagnosed with a neurological disorder made a sensational comeback in the opening ceremony of the Games. She enthralled the audience with her rendition of Edith Piaf’s “Hymne a L’amour” in French.
2. Rain-hit boat parade
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics went on despite rain lashing parts of Paris. The parade, which saw the teams traveling on a boat in the Seine river, carried on without any interruption. The event also saw the athletes and other attendees resort to covering their heads with a poncho to prevent themselves from getting drenched.
3. An Eiffel spectacle
Paris got to witness a mind-boggling light show that saw the world famous Eiffel Tower being illuminated. A special light show had been planned for the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics and it surely exceeded the expectations.
4. Malfunctioning screens
The opening ceremony was affected briefly due to faulty screens at the venue. Reports soon emerged of one of the four giant screens at the stadium not functioning while the ceremony was underway.
5. A Korean mix-up
The opening ceremony saw an embarrassing gaffe when the South Korean delegation was wrongly addressed as the North Korean contingent. The incident occurred during the boat parade on the Seine river when a presenter mistakenly called the South Korean delegation as the North. South Korea later issued a statement reacting to the incident, stating that they regretted it.
6. Algeria’s reminder for ‘coloniser’ France
In a unique form of protest, the Algerian delegation threw roses into the Seine river in memory of the victims of 1961 police crackdown on Algerian protesters in Paris. Some members of the delegation chanted “Long live Algeria!” in Arabic after throwing the flowers.
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