Opening ceremony of the olympic games takes place in Paris

Yesterday, on July 26, the opening ceremony of the XXXIII Summer Olympic Games was held in Paris. For the first time in history, it was conducted not in a stadium but on water, in the River Seine. More than 10,000 athletes from 206 countries participated in the traditional national boat parade.

According to tradition, the Greek team, the founder of the Games, was the first to appear, followed by a group of refugees. Subsequently, the delegations appeared in alphabetical order. The boat route covered about 6 km, culminating in a final show at Trocadero Square.

The delegation from Uzbekistan also sailed down the Seine. A total of 90 athletes from Uzbekistan will compete in 19 sports. In addition to traditional sports, this year, for the first time, they have qualified in football, diving, archery, and women's wrestling. This year, 36% of the Uzbek Olympians are women.

The Olympic flame was lit by judoka Teddy Riner and runner Marie-José Pérec. The flame ascended into the Parisian sky in a hot air balloon, referencing the events of 1783, when the first hot air balloon flight, invented by Frenchmen Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier, took place. Following this, singer Celine Dion performed the song "L'Hymne à l'amour" by Edith Piaf.

According to the organizers, about 320,000 people, including around 100 heads of state and government, watched the opening ceremony. Among the dignitaries was German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Approximately 3,000 actors and dancers participated in the show, which lasted about four hours.

The Russian and Belarusian teams did not participate in the Paris Olympics due to the war that Moscow is waging against Ukraine with the support of Minsk. Despite this, 15 Russian and 17 Belarusian athletes were allowed to compete under a neutral status. They did not participate in the athletes' parade.

It was also announced earlier that, for the first time in 40 years, Russian TV channels will not broadcast the Olympic Games. The last instance of this was in 1984 when the USSR national team boycotted the Olympics in Los Angeles.

The XXXIII Summer Olympic Games in Paris will be held from July 26 to August 11, 2024. Athletes will compete for a total of 329 medals in 32 sports. In addition to the usual Olympic sports, the Games in France will include breakdancing, sport climbing, skateboarding, and surfing.