In a first-of-its-kind opening ceremony, the 2024 Paris Olympics officially began Friday on the River Seine, with athletes from the 206 participating nations forming a photogenic flotilla through the City of Light.
This is the first time the ceremony has not been held inside a stadium. Instead, the city’s iconic landmarks provided a stunning backdrop for the parade of nations, with the athletes traveling on boats along the six-kilometer route through Paris from the Pont d’Austerlitz to the Trocadero.
Mother Nature didn't fully cooperate, but thousands of Olympians, performers and spectators alike didn't let the precipitation rain on their parade. A rainy early forecast gave way to cloudy skies and an eventual heavy downpour, but cheering crowds still lined the banks of the Seine and fountains heralded the arrival of the athletes.
OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY:Recap of Paris' parade on the river
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NBA superstar LeBron James, 39, and tennis champion Coco Gauff, 20, led the American delegation into the Games in a vote by their fellow Team USA athletes.
"It’s a great opportunity for myself to continue to inspire the next generation and super excited to be here," said James, a senior member of the U.S. men's basketball team who is participating in his fourth Olympic Games.
Gauff, 20, is the USA's youngest Olympic flag bearer in history. She was supposed to represent the U.S. in Tokyo in 2021, but was forced to withdraw after she tested positive for COVID-19 days before her scheduled departure.
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Four Olympic legends — Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal, U.S. tennis player Serena Williams, Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci and U.S. track and field star Carl Lewis — helped carry the Olympic flame to its final destination. They did so in fashion, on a French speedboat that looked straight out of a "James Bond" film.
Greece (with flag bearer Giannis Antetokounmpo) led the procession, followed by the Refugee Olympic Team. Antetokounmpo became the first Black Olympic flagbearer for Greece, which he called a "huge honor."
France, as the host nation, is the final country represented in the parade and is immediately preceded by the hosts of the next two Summer Games: Australia (2032) and the United States (2028). The rest of the countries in between are ordered alphabetically in French.
MORE: Why does Greece go first at Olympics? It's tradition
It was a guarded secret, even as she walked down the golden staircase covered by pink feathers held by dancers, but Lady Gaga emerged to sing the first notes of the opening ceremony. (In French, of course.)
There were numerous performances throughout the four-and-a-half hour affair, including a dance sequence from France's world-renowned Moulin Rouge and a head-banging performance that combined heavy metal band Gojira with headless Marie Antoinettes, pyrotechnics and traditional opera singers.
They saved the best for last. Celine Dion, who is battling stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological condition that causes muscle spasms and affects her vocal cord, performed a powerful ballad from the Eiffel Tower after the Olympic Cauldron was officially lit.
Dion performed at the opening ceremony nearly 30 years ago at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
The waters of the River Seine have been a point of contention leading up the Paris Games, but viewers got a peak of what's under the water during the opening ceremony ... Minions. The camera playfully panned underwater to show a submarine full on Minions, stars of the "Despicable Me" franchise, practicing for various Olympics sports, including gymnastics, weightlifting, archery, volleyball and track and field. They even stole the Mona Lisa.
It didn't go so well for the Minions. An errant arrow pierced a window and sank their submarine.
You can take a quarterback off the football field, but you can't take football out of the quarterback. That was on full display Friday when NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning was spotted wearing a wristband during the opening ceremony, one that a quarterback would normally wear during a game for calling plays.
"This is just my wristband," said Manning, who is providing commentary for NBC, alongside Mike Tirico and Kelly Clarkson. "I have notes on all 200 countries, all 10,000 athletes."
Tirico added: "That's just Peyton Manning being Peyton Manning."
The Grammy-nominated rapper is serving as a special correspondent for NBC throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics. He danced, laughed and captivated viewers with his hilarious commentary, memorable catchphrases and positive attitude during the opening ceremony: "I'm chilling like a villain. Raindrops falling on my head, but we still playing to win baby."
He also provided fashion advice. After Team USA sprinter Noah Lyles shared that he and Snoop Dogg "are going to the same nail tech," the rapper said: "Noah (Lyles) stays spooned and groomed, dipped and whipped, suited and booted. ... I know he was going to be fresh to death. Ya dig? That's my guy."
"Imagine," a song by John Lennon and Yoko Ono that promotes world peace, has become the unofficial song of the Olympics. Pianist Sofiane Pamart and singer Juliette Armanet performed the anthem on a floating platform on the Seine, a poignant moment that marked the end of the Parade of Nations and beginning of the Games.
Kelly Clarkson said the chilling rendition was the best performance of the night.
Ralph Lauren is the official outfitter of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams, providing 14 different tailored pieces and accessories for the ceremonies, as well as Villagewear for the Games. Ralph Lauren has designed Team USA uniforms dating to the Beijing Summer Games in 2008.
An extra accessory came in handy during the opening ceremony on Friday – a poncho.
One American missing from the Team USA delegation is Simone Biles. Biles' parents Ronald and Nellie Biles attended the opening ceremony and caught up with "Today" host Hoda Kotb and Snoop Dogg, where they revealed that Biles is not in attendance. Nellie Biles said the gymnast opted out in preparation for team qualifying, which kicks off at 3:30 a.m. ET Sunday, July 28.
"She is feeling really good," Nellie Biles said of four-time Olympic gold medalist. "I spoke to her this morning and she's feeling great."
Although Biles wasn't at the opening ceremony, her family was representing. Nellie Biles said 17 members of the Biles family is in Paris to cheer on Biles.
NBC will have a prime-time replay of Friday's opening ceremony. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Mike Tirico hosts the broadcast, along with Kelly Clarkson and Peyton Manning.
"Today" show hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb will be stationed on a bridge over the Seine. And reporter Maria Taylor will be embedded with Team USA, interviewing athletes from the river.
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