Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony Highlights: France president Emmanuel Macron declares the Games open

Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony Live Updates: On Day 1, Indian athletes will be in action in multiple sporting disciplines including Shooting (Air rifle mixed team, men and women's air pistol), Tennis, Badminton (men's singles and doubles), Table Tennis (men's singles), and Hockey, where Indian men's team faces New Zealand. Late on Saturday, India will also be in action in the women's doubles category. So far, Indian archers have been part of the action at the Olympics, as they played in the ranking rounds for the main event on Thursday.

Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony Live Updates: India's badminton star, PV Sindhu, posted her picture wearing the traditional Indian saree as she gears up to bear the Indian flag at the opening ceremony in the Paris Olympics. She wrote on X, “Paris 2024, flag bearer—one of the greatest honors of my life to hold our country's flag in front of millions.” Sindhu is a two-time Olympic medallist, winning a silver (Rio 2016) and a bronze (Tokyo 2020) at the Games.

Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony Live Updates: It seems the cat is out of the bag. Lady Gaga has been snapped rehearsing for what could be her performance at the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics. The organisers have remained tight-lipped on the celebrities who will feature in the programme for the ceremony; there are speculations that pop icon Celine Dion will perform, too. The opening ceremony will start at 11 PM IST.

Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony Live Updates: The King and the Prince unite for a grand spectacle on clay courts this Olympics. Spain's Rafael Nadal, famously called the King of Clay for his incredible record at the French Open, will pair with young tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz for an iconic men's doubles duo in Paris. Nadal has won both singles (2008) and doubles (2016) titles at the Olympics and will aim to add another to his tally with the young Alcaraz in what could be the former's final appearance at the Games.

Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony Live Updates: British tennis icon Andy Murray has already confirmed that the Paris edition would be his last Olympics; Murray won successive gold medals in singles events at the Games, beating Roger Federer and Juan Martin del Potro in 2012 and 2016 finals, respectively. Spain's 22-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal, had also hinted last year that the 2024 season would likely be his last, meaning the Spaniard potentially gears up for his last Olympics, too. Among women's players, former world no.1 Angelique Kerber has also confirmed retirement following the Olympics.

Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony 2024 Live Updates: LeBron James will become the first US male athlete to bear the national flag at the Olympic ceremony tonight. The NBA legend, who has accumulated 273 points (third all-time among Americans) in the Olympics, is set to compete in his fourth Games, marking his first appearance since 2012. James won gold medals in 2008 and 2012, and he made his Olympics debut in 2004, earning a bronze medal. Additionally, he secured a gold medal at the 2007 FIBA Tournament of the Americas.

Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony 2024 Live Updates: One of the many iconic storylines at the Olympics is the return of LeBron James to the US basketball roster. James missed the previous edition in Tokyo, and many speculated it was the end of the basketball legend's international career. However, the NBA's all-time scoring leader will not only take the court in US colours at the Olympics but will also bear the American flag at the opening ceremony on Friday evening.

Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony 2024 Live Updates: The Games are yet to officially begin and there's already a positive case of doping. Iraq's male judoka, Sajjad Sehen, has been found positive for two anabolic steroids, ruling him out of the Games. The International Testing Agency confirmed the dope case a few minutes ago; Sehen was scheduled to compete in the men's 81kg class, the action in which begins on Tuesday (next week).

Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony 2024 Live Updates: The 117-athlete-strong Indian contingent will aim to surpass India's record tally from the previous Olympics in Tokyo, when the contingent returned with seven medals, including a gold. Neeraj Chopra, the javelin throw champion at the Olympics, will carry the hope of a billion yet again to deliver a high-quality outing and defend his title. Eyes will also be on badminton, shooting, wrestling, and boxing, where multiple medal hopefuls will be in action.

Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony 2024 Live Updates: Iconic badminton player PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, will be India's flagbearer at the opening ceremony alongside five-time Olympian and table tennis veteran Sharath Kamal. Sindhu won a historic silver medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics and followed it up with a bronze medal at the Covid-delayed 2020 edition in Tokyo. Kamal, meanwhile, has been among the leading Indian names in table tennis, with multiple gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and two bronze at the Asian Games.

Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony 2024 Live Updates: As security threats remain a major concern, especially in the wake of fresh attacks on French railways, president Emmanuel Macron posted a video welcoming the fans and athletes to Paris for the Olympics. “Welcome to France,” captioned President Macron. Earlier, Macron had also assured the opening ceremony on Friday will be among the most memorable, stating that Paris “is ready.”

The parade will commence at the Austerlitz Bridge, and will follow the Seine river from east to west, passing multiple bridges and gateways. Athletes will pass by several Olympic venues, including La Concorde Urban Park, hosting events like 3x3 basketball, BMX freestyle cycling, breaking, and skateboarding; Invalides, the site for archery, the marathon finish, and road cycling; and the Grand Palais, where fencing and taekwondo will take place. The parade will conclude at the Iena Bridge, which connects the Eiffel Tower with the Trocadéro district. The ceremony’s grand finale, held at the Trocadéro, will feature opening remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony 2024 Live Updates: Even before the opening ceremony, the Paris edition of the Games has etched its name in history books. The 2024 edition of the Olympics marks the equal participation of male and female athletes in the Summer Games; 5250 men and as many women, which is unprecedented. Interestingly, the last time Paris held the Olympics – a hundred years ago in 1924 – was also historic, as they were the first to have a live radio broadcast.

Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony 2024 Live Updates: It has been a safely-guarded secret so far. Speculations remain on the celebrities who will be performing at the opening ceremony, with NBC News reporting that pop icons Celine Dion and Lady Gaga have arrived in Paris. This has justifiably fuelled discussions on whether the two are on the list of performers; additionally, French-Malian artist Aya Nakamura is also rumoured to perform. The opening ceremony will feature over 3000 artists in various fields taking centre-stage.

Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony 2024 Live Updates: Concerns extend beyond security as Parisians also hope for favourable weather during the ceremony. The French Met department has forecasted potential rain showers for Friday evening due to disturbances approaching the Paris region. While the weather appears pleasant now, there is a chance it could change by evening when spectators gather to witness the grand spectacle along the Seine River. However, France's Minister of Sports, Amelie Oudea-Castera, has stated that the rain will "not spoil the opening ceremony."

Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony 2024 Live Updates: Extensive security arrangements are in full swing as Paris gears up for the iconic opening ceremony. Around 45,000 police and military officials will remain on patrol, with barriers erected along the Seine to ensure safety during the unique boat parade. Large sections of the city have been cordoned off in preparation, with key Olympic sites, train stations, and tourist landmarks heavily guarded by armed officers and military personnel. Additionally, AI-enhanced cameras have also been put in place on rooftops throughout the areas surrounding the Seine.

Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony 2024 Live Updates: Paris faced a major setback earlier on Friday when SNCF, the French train line, faced attack from arsonists, who damaged signal boxes along the lines connecting Paris. The rail traffic from some of the major cities in France such as Lille, Bordeaux, and Strasbourg to Paris has since been affected. The attack has left thousands of people stranded, with trains being either cancelled or diverted. The security for the opening ceremony has since been tightened significantly.

Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony 2024 Live Updates: The ceremony commences at 11 PM (IST) with a spectacular floating parade featuring nearly 7,000 athletes on the River Seine. The event, expected to last roughly 3:45 hours, will showcase the athletes passing by Paris's iconic landmarks. Attended by over 80 heads of state and government, the ceremony will also draw an audience of more than 300,000 spectators lining the riverbanks. This is the first time when a Summer Olympics ceremony will take place outside the stadium.

Olympics Opening Ceremony 2024 Live Updates: Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the Olympic Games opening ceremony! The time has finally arrived; Paris, a city with its timeless charms, will play host to one of the most celebrated modern-day events of our times. In an unprecedented opening ceremony, the Games will kickstart not inside a stadium, but along the Siene river, as athletes ride on boats to raise their flags.