Australia make a stunning entrance at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony – but viewers down under are NOT happy
- Flag bearers Jess Fox and Eddie Ockenden front and centre
- Australians crossed the River Seine in front of 320,000 spectators
- Viewers in Australia were unimpressed with one aspect of the team
It took a while, but the Australian team made their debut at the Paris Olympics in impressive fashion, celebrating their achievements aboard a boat on the famous River Seine, untroubled by the rain.
The wet weather meant athletes from other countries were warmly dressed for the unique start to the Games, but the Australians left their raincoats behind in the athletes’ village and flag bearers Jess Fox and Eddie Ockenden stood out.
The Channel Nine broadcast only briefly showed the green and gold team after viewers were left angry and confused by the contestants’ late arrival in Paris.
Many Australians expected their heroes to be among the first nations to sail down the Seine, but Olympic protocol dictates that countries hosting the Games are held back until almost the end of the parade. That means the team was third-last, while Brisbane will host the 2032 Games.
Some team members were lucky enough to meet Queen Mary of Denmark, who showed she is still Australian at heart when she met the team members in the athletes’ village prior to the ceremony.
Fox, Ockenden and the rest of the 460-plus members of the Australian team made their entrance before an audience of some 320,000 spectators as 85 boats sailed down the river.
However, many viewers were not happy with the uniforms the team wore, calling them basic and boring.
“I’m sorry but the US, Australia, France and Bulgaria uniforms don’t deserve to be here – I mean look at them! I’m no fashion expert but even I know they’re basic,” one viewer wrote.
Flag bearer Jess Fox was soaked by rain in Paris, but the bad weather did not dampen her spirits as the Australian team sailed down the River Seine
In the photo, members of the Australian team wave to the crowd of 320,000 spectators as they sailed along the famous waterway early Saturday morning
Tennis legend Lleyton Hewitt (third from left) was among the Australians who celebrated the start of the Games in Paris
“When I saw Australia with those simple uniforms I knew the list wouldn’t be beat,” another commented.
“Australia in navy blazers, white shirts with yellow and green piping… Bit disappointing,” wrote a third.
“Australia, what are those uniforms?” asked another viewer.
The Australians’ blazers are actually dark green, but the rain in Paris made them look like navy blue on TV.
The carefully choreographed open-air parade kicked off at 3:30am AEST with an incredible performance from American superstar Lady Gaga, who wowed the crowd with a stunning Folie Bergiere, all in French.
Meteorologists who predicted that the unusually rainy weather in July would be a “disaster” for the outdoor ceremony were proven right: the heavy showers drowned out the music for spectators at home.
Meanwhile, it appeared that the screen at the Trocadéro, where thousands of spectators had gathered, had failed due to the gloomy weather.
Instead of people enjoying the Parisian sun in shorts and T-shirts, the streets were lined with umbrellas and spectators – including celebrities – wore ponchos to protect themselves from the rain.
Television viewers in Australia were confused by the late appearance of the Aussies at the ceremony, as they were the third-to-last country to be named
Some Australians were very disappointed with the team’s ‘basic’ uniforms – their blazers appeared navy blue instead of dark green due to the soggy clothing they had been given
The ceremony began with a short film showing French football legend Zinedine Zidane carrying the Olympic torch before passing it to local children standing on the riverbank.
Spectators from the banks of the famous river – and from their armchairs around the world – were then able to enjoy a typically Parisian performance of the Cancan dance, with dancers dressed in pink lighting up the grey sky.
The ceremony touched on many aspects of the city’s history, with the flame passing through the workshop of world-famous French bag designer Louis Vuitton, before a dance referenced the rebuilding effort following the Notre Dame fire of 2019.
A heavy metal band sang a song referring to the violence of the French Revolution, while an ode was paid to Victor Hugo’s novel Les Miserables and a ‘headless’ Marie Antoinette could be seen along the route.