An evening in Paris: France dazzles world with colourful, vibrant Olympics opening ceremony

PARIS: The city of Paris turned into a colossal amphitheatre, and the iconic river Seine served as a track for the athletes' parade as France showcased its cultural diversity, spirit of revolution, impeccable craftsmanship and architectural heritage in a riveting opening ceremony for the 33rd Olympic Games here on Friday.

The spectacle started with a dreamy break from tradition as 'Parade of Nations' kicked off the proceedings in which athletes from 205 countries and one refugee team sailed down the Seine on boats 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 before action went live.

The six kilometer parade began from Austerlitz bridge and 85 boats carried more than 6800 athletes amid loud cheers from the gathered crowd. A good number of athletes also skipped the incredible show due to their competitions on Saturday.

The sequence of arrivals followed the French alphabetical order. The first to arrive was the Greek contingent, for being the spiritual home of the Games, followed by the Refugee team.

The Indian contingent is being led by two flag-bearers -- two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and table tennis legend A Sharath Kamal.

The boats passed through the iconic landmarks of the city such as the restored Cathedral of Notre Dame, which was gutted in a fire five years ago, the iconic Louvre Museum and also a few of Games venues.

American Pop superstar Lady Gaga was among the first international artists to enthral the assembled crowd. The ceremony is being helmed by artistic director Thomas Jolly.

Amid the colourful proceedings, a mysterious torch-bearer also became a focus of attention as he darted around the city and its most famous landmarks, holding the flame.

The bridges dotting the parade route featured dance performances for the fans, who had gathered at different spots after more than two lakh free tickets were distributed aside from the over one lakh that were sold.

The French organisers had 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.