Historic ceremony on River Seine opens 2024 Paris Summer Olympics

After a century-long wait, Paris welcomed back the Summer Olympics with a rainy but historic Opening Ceremony on the River Seine.

French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Games open before the waterborne celebration reached its climax with Teddy Riner and Marie-Jose Perec igniting the cauldron with the Olympic Flame.

Han Zheng, Chinese Vice President and President Xi Jinping's Special Representative, was among a host of international dignitaries in attendance at the Opening Ceremony.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach expressed his gratitude to the organizers and the French people.

"You are bringing our Olympic Agenda reforms to life by making these Games wide open. All of us will experience Olympic Games that are more inclusive, more urban, younger and more sustainable – the first Olympic Games with full gender parity on the field of play," said Bach.

For the first time in Olympic history, the Opening Ceremony took place outside the host city's main stadium for the Games. From the Austerlitz Bridge to the Trocadero, around 6,800 athletes assembled behind their flagbearers, and cruised down a six-kilometer stretch of the River Seine on 85 boats.

Despite the rainy conditions, the parade allowed athletes to bask in the beauty of the French capital's most famed landmarks, including the Louvre Museum, Place de la Concorde, Grand Palais and Eiffel Tower, with some of those sites playing host to the Opening Ceremony's musical performances.

The 2024 Summer Olympics marks the third time for Paris to host the Games. The first was in 1900, and the last was 100 years ago in 1924.

China dispatched a delegation of 405 athletes, including 42 Olympic champions, who will compete in 236 events across 30 sports at the Games.