Twenty-four French athletes were Olympic torchbearers, but a special duo received the honor of lighting the cauldron.
The torch’s final trek began with soccer legend Zinedine Zidane, and it was eventually handed to two French Olympic heroes who each won three Olympic gold medals.
Track star Marie-José Pérec and judoka Teddy Riner lit the cauldron, which also had a French twist, much like the rest of the opening ceremony.
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The duo lit their torches onto a 100-foot hot-air balloon, which signified the first flight in a hydrogen balloon in 1783.
Pérec, 56, won gold in the 400 meters at both the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and four years later in Atlanta. She also took home the gold in 1996 in the 200 meters. At the time, her 48.25 400-meter run in ’96 was an Olympic record.
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Riner won gold in 2012 in London and 2016 in Rio in the men’s plus-100 kg division, while winning again in Tokyo in the mixed team competition. The 35-year-old also has 12 gold medals in world championships, including one last year. He will look for his fourth Olympic gold this year and will begin competing Aug. 2.
It is the second straight Summer Games an athlete participating in that year’s Olympics lit the cauldron. Naomi Osaka lit the cauldron in Tokyo in 2021 before competing.
Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Nadia Comaneci and Tony Parker were all torchbearers in the lead-up to the official lighting.
Despite the ceremony taking place Friday, events started as early as Wednesday, including the United States’ women’s soccer victory over Zambia.
The first medal events begin Saturday.
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