Regardless of the volume of rainfall the world could have offered, it wouldn’t have been possible to mar the remarkably splendid and bold procession of the Olympic nations.
It was just minutes past 9 p.m. in Paris when the Irish team sailed into view near the Eiffel Tower, after a swift sail up the river from Pont d’Austerlitz. By this time, the organisers of the 2024 Olympic games had already constructed a grand and exquisite Opening Ceremony along the Seine.
This extraordinarily ambitious and excellently organised event was indeed one of the kind, unlikely to be replicated in the future. The first of its kind in the 128 years of modern Olympic history, this was the premier Opening Ceremony not held inside the Olympic Stadium. Moreover, it’s the first one to be held on water.
The ceremony started in conventional fashion with the Greek Olympic team and soon the Seine was filled with 85 boats, marking the commencement of a procession of 205 competing delegations including roughly 6,000 of the 10,700 athletes.
Creating an unforgettable spectacle, all these teams joined in a 6km-long display of artistic performances and dance celebrations along the river, spanning various landmarks all the way up to Trocadéro. Athletes disembarked here for the customary flag-bearing exercise, witnessed by approximately 100 state leaders.
Olympian Ronnie Delany famously said “once an Olympian, always an Olympian”. Over Ireland’s 100-year history in the Olympics, only 911 athletes have represented the country, including those participating in the delayed 2021 Tokyo games. This number will cross the 1,000-mark with the 2024 Irish team, which will include an impressive 133 athletes, competing in 15 Olympic sports.
On Friday’s lunchtime, Sarah Lavin and Shane Lowry received the distinct honour of serving as Ireland’s flag-bearers. As Team Ireland’s vessel appeared, they jointly held the flag aloft, the boat being 36 out of the parade’s total 85 and sharing a spot with Iraq.
Lavin, soon to participate in the 100m hurdles for a second time, expressed her emotions, claiming that being a flag-bearer tops any honour she or possibly any other Olympic athlete could ever receive. Her sentiments were similarly echoed by Lowry, a golfer participating in his second Olympics, who described the honour as gigantic not only for himself but also for his family. He opined that the kind of patriotism he possesses is not something you would even dare to imagine as a child because it seems so unattainable.
Joined in Paris with 18 more of Ireland’s Olympians, including athletes from various disciplines such as badminton, diving, canoeing, equestrian, sailing, taekwondo, and boxing. Among them were Rachael Darragh, Jake Passmore, Ciara McGing, Noel Hendrick, Liam Jegou, twins Michaela and Madison Corcoran, Shane Sweetnam, Daniel Coyle, Abigail Lyle, Eve McMahon, Finn Lynch, Jack Woolley, Michaela Walsh, Daina Moorhouse, and Jennifer Lehane.
French president Emmanuel Macron, commenting about this gathering later, emphasised unity and focused on launching a fresh era for the Olympics. This new era will prioritise sustainability, equality, and future planning. He added that this ceremony would reveal to the globe France’s true essence, which isn’t merely historical, hereditary, and cultural legacy. Macron ended his speech with an exhilarating call to start the celebrations.
Paris has indeed primed itself to host the forthcoming Games, eagerly anticipating their return since their last tenure in 1924. With nearly all the significant sporting sites already in place within the city’s notable locations, Paris appears to be more in tune with its persona than any other city.
Thomas Bach, who currently presides over the International Olympic Committee (IOC), declared, “The Paris 2024 Olympic Games promise to be more youthful, accessible, metropolitan, and environmentally responsible.”
In a significant stride towards gender equality, these Olympics will be a historic first, with a strict 50 per cent gender quota allocated to both female and male athletes by the IOC. In this spirit of Olympism, he aspires for everyone to have a memorable encounter and a successful Olympic episode in Paris.
With that, it’s time to roll the dice and commence the Games.