[Image of the Olympic Flag, Credit to Pexels]

The 2024 Summer Olympics officially commenced on July 26th in Paris, France, as the city lit up with a fascinating opening ceremony.

The Paris Olympics is the 33rd Summer Olympics in history, and marks the 100th anniversary of the Paris Olympics back in 1924.

10,714 athletes from 206 different countries are participating in this international event to represent their countries and compete for the podium in various sports events.

When the Olympics took place 3 years ago in Tokyo, Japan, the COVID pandemic was a crucial impediment that hindered the magnitude of this major event.

In contrast, as the pandemic ended, France has put in immense effort to create a splendid opening ceremony.

The ceremony started from Pont d'Austerlitz, a bridge that crosses the Seine River in the capital city.

Smokes of red, white, and blue, to represent the French flag, bursted out in the sky, creating an astonishing sight.

85 boats carried the athletes along the river, as representatives of each nation waved their flags up high.

The athletes passed through famous tourist attractions in Paris, such as the Louvre Museum, Place de la Concorde, and the Cathédrale Notre-Dame.

Various entertaining shows were also held near the Seine River by over 2,000 artists, and dancers.

World-famous celebrities such as American artist Lady Gaga and French-Malian singer-songwriter Aya Nakamura heated up the ceremony with enthusiasm.

Another remarkable stage was the performance by Canadian singer Celine Dion, who was recently reported to be fighting a rare neurological disorder called stiff-person syndrome.

Celine Dion left a heartwarming impression on stage by singing Hymne A L'Amour.

Popular animation characters known as ‘minions’ from the movie ‘Despicable Me’ became another source of entertainment during the ceremony.

Furthermore, one of the Olympics’ most essential and traditional events, the torch relay was another sight that captivated the audience.

Former French football legend Zinedine Zidane, Spanish tennis star Rafael Nada, American women’s tennis icon Serena Williams, and many more renowned athletes participated in the relay.

The torch was also passed over to an old man on a wheelchair, known to be Charles Coste, a former French cyclist who participated in the 1948 Olympics in London.

Celebrating his 100th birthday this year, Chales Coste is the oldest living athlete to have won a gold medal in the Olympics.

The final participants were former French gold medalists Marie-José Perec and Teddy Rine, who won in track and field and judo respectively.

The relay was finished as the flame was put onto a hot air balloon, known to be one of France’s very own inventions.

Admittedly, various mistakes and shortcomings did exist in the opening ceremony.

Unlike the original plan to create a pleasing sight of sunlight shining on the Seine River, weather conditions were quite the opposite.

South Korea was introduced as The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, which is in fact the official name of North Korea.

Moreover, The Olympics flag was hung upside-down during its hoist, which was another critical mistake by the hosts.

Nevertheless, expectations of people around the globe are high for many entertaining sports matches.

The closing ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics is planned to be on August 11th.