PARIS, France — It looked like the Paris Olympics would get off to a rough start on Friday, but despite the rainy skies, joy and happiness radiated from athletes and spectators as each boat floated by at the Opening Ceremony.
The four-hour spectacle kicked off with French soccer legend Zinedine Zidane and ended with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron: a ring of fire carried by a hot air balloon.
Surprise performances
Lady Gaga delivered a dazzling performance as the first musical act during the Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony — except it was all prerecorded. The Grammy- and Oscar-winning performer kicked off her performance on steps along the Seine River, singing Zizi Jeanmaire’s “Mon Truc en Plumes.” Gaga’s appearance was a surprise — she was not listed on a program provided to the media in advance — but was heavily rumored after the singer and actor was spotted in Paris.
To close out the ceremony, Celine Dion showed she’s back to singing with a tear-jerking performance of Edith Piaf's "Hymn to Love" from the Eiffel Tower.
As a pianist played alongside her, Dion reached out to the assembled crowd, who applauded her stellar performance before the monument began to sparkle. Dion canceled her world tour after revealing her stiff person syndrome diagnosis, a rare neurological condition that causes rigid muscles and painful muscle spasms. She returned to the Olympic forefront nearly three decades after she performed ”The Power of the Dream” during the opening ceremony at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Who was the masked figure at the Opening Ceremony?
Is it from the “Phantom of the Opera” or “Assassin's Creed”? It's actually both and more. The mysterious torchbearer that appeared in a hooded, masked costume was inspired by a number of characters from French culture: Belphégor, the Iron Mask, the titular character from “Phantom of the Opera,” Fantomas, Ezio from “Assassin's Creed” and Arsène Lupin. The torchbearer ran atop the Musee d’Orsay, dashed past Pont Neuf, rode a boat with a kid holding the flame and later cartwheeled down a red runway.
“We were impressed by the opening ceremony and very proud to see that Assassin’s Creed was one of the inspirations for the show’s talented creators. It is a true testament to video games’ influence on popular culture,” said a spokesperson for Ubisoft, creator of “Assassin's Creed.”
Olympic legends reunite
Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, Carl Lewis and Nadia Comaneci rode down the Seine wearing life jackets. Charles Coste, the oldest French Olympic champion at 100, took the Olympic flame from his wheelchair, then passed it on to French judo great Teddy Riner and sprinter Marie-José Pérec.
From a boat filled with Olympic legends to an air balloon floating into the Paris skies, the final torch relay delivered several memorable moments. Other notable Olympians who played an influential role included Tony Parker, Zidane and Amelie Mauresmo.
The Associated Press contributed.