Mabuhay to the 22 at the Paris Olympics!
By Loida Nicolas Lewis
PARIS — France just knows how to wow the world with the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics!
Every other country that hosted the modern Olympics since its founding in Greece in 1896 held the opening ceremony in a giant stadium. Each country’s athletes marched waving their flags to the cheers of the audience particularly their fellow citizens assembled in the designated stadium.
What did France decide for the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics held from July 26 to August 11, 2024? President Emmanuel Macron’s government and the Paris City Council decided that the Seine River between the Île de la Cite and Île Saint-Louis would be the venue for the opening ceremony!
The Paris Council spent to clean up the Seine River for €1.5 billion so each country’s top athletes would be in a boat waving their country’s flags and a section would be safe for a swimming tournament to be held on the river!
Thus, along both sides of the river, strict rules and expensive ticket prices allowed thousands of spectators from around the world to cheer each country’s contingent as their boats cruised along the river.
Needless to say, the largest number of athletes, nearly 600, were on the ship waving the flag of the USA. The biggest ship of course and the largest applause belonged to the French contingent (573 athletes, second to the USA) waving the tri-colors of Blue, White and Red.
Aside from this parade of ships, the performance of Lady Gaga in pre-recorded French song with multiple dancers carrying pink plumes was a tribute to the late French artist Zizi Jeanmaire. Céline Dion in resplendent silver gown sang “Hymne à l’Amour,” a tribute to Edith Piaf and her sort of defiance against fate because she has recovered from a debilitating disease.
Another jaw-dropping event was the silver hologram horse first seen in the movie “Frozen 2” galloping over the waters of the Seine River with a woman dressed in silver-looking armor riding on its back.
The most unique feature aside from the river parade was how the French managed to have Marie-José Pérec and Teddy Riner light the Cauldron of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at the end of an exceptional opening ceremony. Created by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur, the Paris 2024 Cauldron is different from all previous Olympic Cauldrons! This giant ring of fire topped by a monumental balloon took to the skies over Paris. For the first time in the history of the Games, the Olympic Flame will shine without fuel, until the end of the Olympics (powered by LED lights and water vapor), thanks to the French EDF (Electricity of France).
Going back to the Parade of Boats, as the predicted rain started to fall, athletes on the Philippine boat waved the distinctive flag of white triangle with the Golden Sun and three Stars with the Blue on the top half and Red at the lower half of the flag.
Of the 22-strong Team Philippines, seven were scheduled to arrive after July 26, due to pre-games preparation but the boat was filled with our top Filipino athletes. It is the largest contingent since Olympics 2020 Tokyo, where 19 top Filipino athletes competed.
How proud I was to shout “Mabuhay” from the Île Saint-Louis side to salute the best athletes of the Philippines, who have worked relentlessly to earn their place in the Olympics Games Paris 2024. So was the Philippines Olympic Committee President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, who sat in the Olympic Family Section on the bank of Île de la Cite.
Who are the 22 players who reached their dreams of representing the Philippines in Paris 2024 after proving themselves champions in their chosen sport?
- In Boxing, Carlo Paalam and Eumir Felix Marcial (men’s); Nesthy Petecio, Aira Villegas, Hergie Bacyadan (women’s)
- In Athletics, EJ Obiena (Pole Vault), Lauren Hoffman (400m hurdles), John Tolentino (110m hurdles)
- In Fencing, Samantha Catantan (1st Filipino woman fencer)
- In Golf, Bianca Pagdanganan, Dottie Ardina
- In Gymnastics, Carlos Yulo (PH best bet), Emma Malabuyo and Aleah Finnegan (previously US contenders), Levi Ruivivar
- In Judo, Kiyomi Watanabe (women’s 63kg)
- In Rowing. Joanie Delgado (1st Filipino woman)
- In Swimming, Jarod Hatch, Kayla Noelle Sanchez (previously with Canada’s team)
- In Weightlifting, Elreen Ando (who edged out Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz), John Ceniza, Vanessa Sarno
Each of these 22 Filipino athletes made the supreme sacrifice to devote their time and resources to prepare for the Olympics. God willing, may they reap the rewards of the tough, grueling competitions with a gold, silver or bronze medal!
