Paris Olympics: 100 boats to carry over 10,000 athletes along the Seine

Paris, July 26 (IANS) The fans will be in position to witness a unique moment in Olympic history at the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony, set to be held along the Seine on Friday evening.

The Opening Ceremony promises to be unforgettable, with athlete barges floating down the river starting at the Austerlitz Bridge. They will pass under historic bridges and by iconic landmarks such as Notre-Dame and the Louvre, as well as Olympic Games venues including the Esplanade des Invalides and the Grand Palais.

Almost 100 boats carrying an estimated 10,500 athletes will float along the Seine during the parade. The larger of the 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) represented in the parade will have boats to themselves, while the smaller ones will share boats.

Boats equipped with cameras will give TV and online viewers an up-close look at the athletes. The 6-kilometer parade will culminate at the Trocadero, where the final Olympic protocols and spectacular shows will unfold.

Disembarking at the Trocadero, the delegations will assemble for the official opening of Paris 2024.

The river parade will follow the course of the Seine, from east to west, over 6 kilometres. The parade will depart from the Austerlitz bridge beside the Jardin des Plantes at 11.00 pm IST (7.30 pm CET) and make its way around the two islands at the centre of the city (the Ile Saint Louis and the Ile de la Cite) before passing under several bridges and gateways.

Athletes aboard the parade boats will catch glimpses of official Games venues like Parc Urbain La Concorde, Esplanade des Invalides, and Grand Palais. The parade will then pause at the Iena Bridge before the grand finale at the Trocadero.

Paris 2024 will mark the first time in the history of the Olympic Summer Games that the opening ceremony is held outside a stadium. This outdoor concept also makes it the largest opening ceremony in terms of audience and geographical coverage.

The Opening Ceremony will be open to all: residents from Paris and its region, as well as visitors from all over France and around the world.

Ace shuttler PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, and table tennis veteran Sharath Kamal, who is set to feature in his fifth Olympics, will lead the Indian contingent at the Parsi 2024 Parade of Nations.

At the opening ceremony, the Indian men will be dressed in kurta bundi sets while the women will don matching saris, reflecting India’s tricolour flag. The outfits, featuring traditional ikat-inspired prints and Banarasi brocade, have been designed by Tarun Tahiliani.