The 33rd Summer Olympic Games Open in Paris, President Xi Jinping's Special Representative Han Zheng Attends the Opening Ceremony

At 19:30 on July 26, 2024 local time, the 33rd Summer Olympic Games opened in Paris, France. President Xi Jinping's Special Representative and Vice President Han Zheng attended the opening ceremony upon invitation.

This is the third time France has hosted the Summer Olympics. With the slogan of "Games Wide Open", the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics was held outdoors for the first time, turning Paris, the City of Love, into a huge stage. At around 19:30, the opening ceremony began. Athletes from all over the world set off from the Austerlitz Bridge on 85 boats for a parade. Amid the cheers of tens of thousands of spectators on both sides of the riverbank, the cruise ship sailed about 6 kilometers from east to west along the Seine River, passing the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre and other landmark buildings. The picturesque scenery of the Seine River unfolded slowly, and about 2,000 artists presented France's rich history, culture, and artistic heritage to visitors from afar through splendid performances in various forms.

During the opening ceremony parade, when the host announced the Chinese delegation, Han Zheng stood up, applauded, and smiled to show his respect to the Chinese Olympic athletes.

China has sent a delegation of 716 people to participate in the Paris Olympic Games, with table tennis player Ma Long and artistic swimming athlete Feng Yu serving as the flag bearers at the opening ceremony. Chinese athletes will participate in 30 sports, 42 disciplines, and 236 events. The number of sports, disciplines, and events in which they compete all exceeds those of the previous Olympics. While the total number of events in the Paris Olympic Games decreased by 10 compared with the Tokyo Olympic Games, the number of events to be participated in by the Chinese Olympic Delegation increased by 11, marking the most overseas event participation in any Olympic Games.

Among the Chinese athletes competing in the Paris Olympic Games, there are a total of 42 Olympic champions, including Ma Long who has won three consecutive Olympic championships and five Olympic gold medals. Track and field athletes Liu Hong and Gong Lijiao are both participating in the Olympics for the fifth time. At the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, China ranked second on the gold medal table with 38 gold, 32 silver and 19 bronze medals. At the Paris Olympics, the Chinese athletes will keep the great motherland in mind, carry forward the Chinese sportsmanship and the Olympic spirit, and contribute the strength and spirit of Chinese sports to the splendid success of the Paris Olympic Games.

After the parade, the opening ceremony was held in the Trocadero Square, opposite the Eiffel Tower.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach addressed the opening ceremony. He thanked and congratulated France for hosting the Summer Olympic Games and looked forward to athletes from all countries and regions showing the Olympic spirit of peace and unity to the world together.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced the opening of the 33rd Paris Summer Olympics, which was brought to its climax by the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron. The Olympic flame, collected in ancient Olympia on the Greek Peloponnese peninsula, made its way to the opening ceremony after passing through Greece, France and across the ocean. Amid the cheers of the spectators, the Olympic Cauldron was lit in the Tuileries Garden, and a huge hot-air balloon carried it slowly into the air.

A total of 10,500 athletes from more than 200 countries and regions, will participate in 32 sports, 45 disciplines, and 329 events in the Paris Olympic Games, and the ratio of male and female athletes reached 1:1 for the first time. Prior to the official opening of the Olympic Games, soccer, rugby sevens, handball, archery and other matches have started in advance. All competitions will conclude on August 11. Breakdancing will make its debut as an official sport in the Olympics, while skateboarding, surfing and rock climbing will be official sports for the second time in a row. These emerging sports add to the vitality and youthfulness of the Olympic movement.

Before the opening ceremony, Han Zheng specially visited the Chinese Olympic Delegation at the Paris Olympic Village to meet with athletes, coaches, and staff members, convey the cordial greetings and best wishes of General Secretary Xi Jinping and the CPC Central Committee, expressing the hope that every athlete will be well prepared, rise to the challenges, go all out to win glory for the country, actively pass on the positive energy of sports, present a positive image of new-era China. Han Zheng also visited the China House at the Hotel Salomon de Rothschild, attended the welcoming reception hosted by President Emmanuel Macron for distinguished guests including leaders of various countries and heads of international organizations, and the banquet hosted by IOC President Thomas Bach for leaders and guests of various countries, and will meet with Thomas Bach.

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