Watch the Paris 2024 opening ceremony

Posted on July 26, 2024 by Peggy

Canada’s flag-bearers Andre De Grasse, a six-time Olympic medallist track star, and weightlifter Maude Charron, who won gold three years ago in Tokyo, led the Canadian athletes in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games opening ceremony on Friday.

Athletes are making their way down the Seine River through France’s capital to mark the official opening of the Paris Olympics.

Nearly 200 Canadian athletes, staff and coaches are sharing a boat with Olympians representing China, Chile and Central African Republic.

Click on the video player above to watch full coverage. The broadcast will also be available with an American Sign Language translation, as seen further below.

WATCH | The Olympic Opening Ceremony with American Sign Language:

The Olympic opening ceremony with American Sign Language

Started 2 hours ago

The opening ceremonies of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games presented with American Sign Language.

“Over the next two weeks, more than 330 athletes will represent Team Canada, competing in 28 sports — from swimming, to track and field, to table tennis,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement. “With an unmatched display of athleticism, sportsmanship, and talent, our athletes will cement their legacies and inspire the next generation of Canadians.

“A special congratulations to Maude Charron and Andre De Grasse on being named Team Canada’s Opening Ceremony flag-bearers. You’ve both won gold medals for our country and now you’ll be carrying our flag forward.”

Trudeau did not make the trip to France. Instead, Sports Minister Carla Qualtrough led the Canadian diplomatic delegation at the ceremony.

Two athletes, a man and a woman, are seen posing with the Canadian flag on a boat, in front of plenty of fellow athletes. — Flagbearers Maude Charron, right, and Andre de Grasse, left, led the Canadian Olympians in the Paris 2024 opening ceremony on the Seine River on Friday. (Cao Can/The Associated Press)

Ambitious, sprawling event

Celebrating its reputation as a cradle of revolution, Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century with a rule-breaking opening ceremony studded with stars and fantasy, showcasing the city’s resilience as authorities dealt with suspected acts of sabotage that targeted France’s flagship high-speed rail network.

In a unique opening ceremony, competitors and representatives from more than 200 competing countries are entering the Games on boats, passing landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame before ending their journey at the Trocadero.

The show started with spectators watching a video on giant screens mounted along the Seine where various people carried the torch through Paris, including French soccer great Zinedine Zidane.

The six-kilometre cruise down the famous river will take athletes and Olympic delegations past several Paris landmarks. The journey culminates at the Trocadeo, with the Eiffel Tower in the background, as the rest of the official proceedings take place.

Thousands of people made their way through heavy security barricades more than three hours before Friday’s ceremony began to find a spot to take in the spectacle.

Coverage from the ceremony on the CBC TV network, CBC Gem and the CBC Sports’ Paris 2024 website and app will be hosted by chief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault and CBC Sports host Scott Russell, with the ceremony itself beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET.

INTRODUCING TEAM CANADA 🇨🇦 <br><br>What a glorious barrage of red and white goodness on a barge. <br><br>Team Canada is on the Seine. <a href=”https://t.co/JuvJ9ouYHF”>pic.twitter.com/JuvJ9ouYHF</a>

—@Devin_Heroux

Celine Dion reportedly performing

Among the usual parade of athletes, fans will also be treated to theatrical performances showcasing French culture and Paris history. Several musical acts will also perform, with Celine Dion reportedly among the headliners.

Lady Gaga, who was seen rehearsing for about an hour near the Austerlitz Bridge, performed at Friday’s opening ceremony.

American rapper Snoop Dogg will also carry the torch during the ceremony.

WATCH l Lady Gaga perform ‘Mon truc en plumes”:

Lady Gaga sings on the Seine during Paris 2024 opening ceremony

6 minutes ago

Duration 4:46

Watch Lady Gaga perform ‘Mon truc en plumes” made famous by the French singer Renée Marcelle “Zizi” Jeanmaire.

Cloudy skies, rain forecast

Weather also threatened to dampen the ride down the Seine. An overcast sky threatened rain Friday evening as temperatures hovered around 23 C.

Stands along the river slowly filled about two hours before the ceremony, with many fans holding umbrellas to keep dry.

Police sirens and whistles blared in the distance, another sign of the ever-present security that will permeate the city throughout the Games.

Macron delivers message of peace

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed several dozen of heads of state and government at the Elysee presidential palace Friday afternoon.

Macron’s office said the Elysee reception was “an opportunity for France to deliver a message of peace and tolerance as 10,500 athletes from around the world gather to take part in the world’s biggest event.”

About 100 world leaders, government officials and heads of international organizations were expected to attend the ceremony.

Live events from the rest of the Paris 2024 Olympics are being broadcast on the CBC TV network, TSN and Sportsnet. Or choose exactly what you want to watch by live streaming on CBC Gem or CBC Sports’ Paris 2024 website and app.

WATCH l CBC’s Paris 2024 opening ceremony feature:

The Gold Within: Paris 2024 CBC Olympics opening montage

1 hour ago

Duration 6:10

CBC’s Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony features a spoken word performance by Ontario’s first Poet Laureate Randell Adjei and three-time Olympian Phylicia George.