In a procession that not only followed the Seine through the centre of the capital city but wove a track through the hundreds of thousands of spectators, taking in views of Paris’ many landmarks and souvenirs of a vibrant history, the flame found itself at the cauldron, an unforgettable fire at the foot of a hot air balloon which rose high into the Paris skyline soon after being lit.
Through the final stages of the torch’s journey, Rafa Nadal and Serena Williams were among international sports stars to lift the flame before it was passed to an incredible group of French stars including Clarisse Agbegnenou and David Douillet.
However, the final honour belonged to Teddy Riner who was the epitome of professionalism, an icon not just representing France but also judo. He, in tandem with 3-time athletics Olympic champion Marie-José Perec, lit the cauldron, the final moment of this Olympiad’s relay.
Judo was not only at the centre of the stage for the final ignition of the flame, but throughout the evening the sport was mentioned several times as the sport that people want to see. It began with the famous actor Omar Sy, who underlined that if there was a sport he wanted to go to it was judo. This was confirmed a little later by the French astronaut, Thomas Pesquet, a black belt in judo, and by the worldwide known chef, Thierry Marx.
The end of the opening ceremony signifies the final hours before the Olympic judo event begins. Day one will see host athletes Shirine Boukli and Luka Mkheidze open the bidding for France, looking to secure the first two gold medals of this Games.