Everything was unusual. For example, the parade of athletes traditionally ends the ceremony, but in Paris it began with this parade. Moreover, it ran along the Senna River, which, according to the authors, was turned into an athletics track, and its embankment into stands with a capacity of more than 300 thousand spectators. Delegations of athletes sailed on special boats. More than six thousand participants from 206 countries fit on the decks of 95 ships. However, there was no place for neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus: they were allowed to attend the ceremony as spectators at most.
The river show included 12 parts, the names of which, according to the authors, reflected the key features of French culture and history: charm, synchronicity, freedom, equality, brotherhood, sportsmanship, celebration, darkness, solemnity, solidarity and eternity.
Almost immediately after the ceremony began, the rain that the meteorologists had promised began to fall. And although the organisers assured that they were prepared for any whim of the weather, it seems that the rain and the grey sky reflected in the waters of the Senna slightly dimmed the colours of the ceremony. However, in the models and posters that anticipated the spectacle, the river parade looked more impressive.
However, even in such a gloomy atmosphere there were memorable moments. A fire show in the colours of the French flag on the Austerlitz bridge, giant fragments of paintings from the Louvre rising above the river surface, countless artists dancing even on the rooftops. The creators of the show abandoned the laser component, but on the other hand, the famous historical buildings on the banks of the Senne are in themselves the ideal setting for any action.
The musical accompaniment was also quite varied. Lady Gaga performed Edith Piaf’s famous song “La vie en rose” and the world-famous French pop diva Aya Nakamura performed her own set. There was a place for heavy metal and, of course, for La Marseillaise, which was sung by debut actress Axelle Saint-Cyrel from the roof of the Grand Palais.
It is true that it is not a fact that all the details of the ceremony could be appreciated directly from the stands. Many spectators were completely tired of enduring the abyss of the sky and left their seats even before the end of the spectacle. Rather, the mosaic action was intended primarily for those who watched the ceremony on television.
The French, of course, would not be themselves if they dispensed with the inserts dedicated to so-called European values. The characters on the disco barge looked dubious, to say the least. In contrast is John Lennon’s ever-relevant Imagine, which was very movingly performed right in the middle of Senna’s waves by Juliette Pamart.
Even before the ceremony was over, its ambiguity was reflected in the reaction of the public, many of whom were, to put it mildly, not enthusiastic about sharing their “unique” experience on social media. Embarrassment was added to the symbolism already in the official part of the ceremony, when the gendarmes managed to raise the Olympic flag upside down. Was this also what the writers of the programme intended?
Traditionally, the main intrigue remained the identity of those who would be entrusted to light the flame and how this would actually happen. As a result, at the end of the Olympic torch relay, a whole host of sports legends gathered around it, including Spanish tennis player and record holder for victories at the French Roland Garros Rafael Nadal, famous basketball player, multiple NBA champion Tony Parker, footballer, world and European champion Zinedine Zidane and many others. Well, the cup was lit by three-time Olympic champion judoist Teddy Riner and track and field athlete Marie-Josée Perec. Only the cup turned out to be not a cup at all, but a hot air balloon flying over Paris.
The ceremony was truly unique. The Olympic world has never seen anything like it. But would you like to repeat this experience? Even after Celine Dion’s incredible performance from the balcony of the Eiffel Tower of another Edith Piaf masterpiece, Hymn of Love, there is no clear answer.
