Céline Dion returned to the world stage at the Olympic Games opening ceremony in Paris, in her first public performance since revealing she was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome, to close out the event on Friday.
The Quebecois vocal powerhouse sang “L’Hymne a l’amour,” originally performed by Edith Piaf.
Earlier in the day, Olympic champions Maude Charron and Andre de Grasse held the Maple Leaf high as Canada’s Olympic delegation sailed its way into the Paris Games.
The flag-bearers led a delegation of nearly 200 athletes that represented Canada in a scenic, if rainy, trip down the Seine River as part of the Games’ unique opening ceremony.
Rain began steadily beating down as the boat carrying Canada’s athletes made its way through the parade. The Canadians gamely stood on the top level of their vessel waving at the crowd despite the increasing downpour.
Watch Team Canada’s entrance during the Paris 2024 opening ceremony.
More than three hours into the show, French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Games open. In a gaffe shortly beforehand, the five-ring Olympic flag was raised upside down at the Trocadero across from the Eiffel Tower.
The final torch relay spanned landmarks like the Louvre and included sports legends like tennis greats Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal before French judo champ Teddy Riner and three-time Olympic champion runner Marie-Jose Perec lit the Olympic cauldron attached to a giant balloon, which floated into the Paris night.
The Olympic flame lit by former French sprinter Marie-José Pérec and French judoka Teddy Riner at the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris
More than 200 competing countries entered the Games on boats, passing landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame before ending their journey at the Trocadero.
Canada shared a boat with Chile and China, but the Canadian athletes were easy to spot in bright-red Lululemon bomber jackets.
“Over the next two weeks, more than 330 athletes will represent Team Canada, competing in 28 sports — from swimming, to track and field, to table tennis,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement. “With an unmatched display of athleticism, sportsmanship, and talent, our athletes will cement their legacies and inspire the next generation of…
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