Paris Olympics 2024: Recap of the opening ceremony as the Games are underway with parade on River Seine
The Paris Olympics unique opening ceremony is underway, with athletes taking part in a parade down the River Seine before the Games are officially launched.
Recap all the news and colour in our live blog below.
From one King to another
Zinedine Zidane has passed the torch to France’s adopted ‘King’, the ‘King of Clay’ Rafael Nadal.
Nadal has won a record 14 Roland Garros grand slams in his career, and this will be his last Olympic Games appearance.
Torchmaster Zidane
French football legend Zinedine Zidane has taken hold of the Olympic torch in front of his beloved fans and is parading it down the runway.
Beginning of presentations
The silver knight rode in on horse back to deliver the Olympic flag before a choir sung the Olympic anthem.
Anthemic proportions
An emormous 50-strong choir breaks out into song, belting out the Olympic anthem to a live supporting orchestra.
Knight time
A mysterious silver knight has arrived on horse back.
A white stallion carries the silver knight through the guard of flags, encouraged by two other supporting soldier-ridden horses.
Flags unite
After a brilliant spectacle along the Seine, the flags are now united under the iron legs of the Eiffel Tower which stands as beacon for the city.
As the Olympic rings are draped from the structure, the flags of all competing countries line together as the ceremony enters its next phase.
France is bleu
The French have lived up to the bill as the host nation with an enormous boat filled to the brim with a bleu chort of poncho-wearing, flag-waving athletes.
Arm in arm, the French nationals pass through the neon-lit city to tunes from their fellow countrymen as they carry the hopes of their applauding and cherring home crowd.
Wonderful Women
A boat representing a total of 460 athletes carried team Australia through the city of love.
Led by flag bearers Eddie Ockenden and Jessica Fox, 256 women - the highest percentage of an Australia team ever - and 204 men will compete throughout the two-week tournament.
Bigger than Texas
Team USA have cruised on by with the biggest contingent at the Games.
NBA superstar LeBron James and tennis ace Coco Gauff are holding the stars and stripes aloft.
Who would have thought LeBron would look so relaxed in a plastic rain poncho...
OK - Here they are!
The Aussies have arrived on the Seine with a huge contingent of athletes waving the flag for their nation.
The boisterous army for Aussie battlers were in raptures as they travelled down the canal.
