Olympics Legends and Sports Stars Present at Opening Ceremony of Paris Olympics 2024 ft. Michael Phelps and More
Many Olympics legends and sports stars attended the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Find out which sporting icons graced the initial celebrations in France.
![Image Courtesy: Michael Phelps, Serena Williams and Zinedine Zidane Instagram Michael Phelps, Serena Williams and Zinedine Zidane](https://www.pinkvilla.com/images/2024-07/528475875_1280x720-2024-07-27t030508-628.jpg)
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics kicked off in a spectacular fashion on Friday, July 26. Athletes from 206 territories waved their country’s flag during the celebration. Many celebrities, including Lady Gaga, performed at the opening ceremony of the mega event.
However, the spotlight was on Olympians and sports stars at the opening ceremony. Several former Olympic medalists and great athletes joined the celebration. Get to know about the Olympians present at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics 2024.
Zinedine Zidane
Former French midfielder Zinedine Zidane began the proceedings in Paris. The ceremony started with an advertisement showing a man carrying the Olympic torch into an empty stadium. Zidane taps the man’s shoulders and takes the torch from him. He carries it through the streets of Paris to the Trocardo stadium, the ceremony’s starting point.
Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps, the most successful Olympian, was arguably the biggest name to feature in the opening ceremony. The American Swimmer is a 28-time Olympic medalist, 23 of which are gold medals. At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Phelps won 8 gold medals alone. At the time of his retirement in 2016, he had more medals than 161 countries.
Martin Fourcade
Martin Fourcade is a retired French biathlete. He appeared alongside Michael Phelps during the opening ceremony. Fourcade has won seven Olympic medals, including five gold medals, and is the most successful French Winter Olympian. Martin Fourcade is the President of the Athletes' Commission of the organising committee for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris.
Serena Williams
Tennis icon Serena Williams arrived on the red carpet before the commencement of the opening ceremony. She has won 23 Grand Slam titles, the second-most in the world, and four gold medals at the Olympic games. She won both singles and doubles events at the 2012 London Olympics.
Carl Lewis
Nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis was in Paris for the opening ceremony. He received the Olympic torch from Nadia Comaneci before he handed it back to Rafael Nadal. Lewis is an eight-time world champion in track and field events. He set multiple records in 100 m, 4 × 100 m, and 4 × 200 m relays. Carl Lewis still holds the world record in the Long Jump since 1984.
Nadia Comaneci
Nadia Comaneci is a retired Romanian gymnast. At 14, she became the first gymnast to receive a perfect score at the Olympic games. Comaneci won five golds, three silvers, and one bronze medal at the Olympic Games and two World Championships.
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