Team USA arrived in style for their performance at the Opening Ceremony on the Seine in Paris.
As part of one of the most ambitious ceremonies in Games history, Team USA will take a boat trip along the famous river that runs through the City of Light.
The United States Olympic athletes, dressed in their specially designed and controversial Ralph Lauren outfits, head to the Trocadero, where a temporary stadium has been built.
Among the athletes getting ready are Coco Gauff and LeBron James. The two flag bearers have traded in their blue blazers for white coats to underscore their responsibilities.
A number of athletes have posted photos of themselves online looking ready for the Games, including gold medalist Katie Ledecky.
Coco Gauff and LeBron James wear their white coats as a symbol of their work as flag bearers
Katie Ledecky (L) shows off her outfit before the opening ceremony begins in Paris
“I think it’s always a new experience that’s different. A new group of guys — some guys have never been Olympians before, so you want them to experience the whole moment of being here in Paris,” James told Team USA on the boat.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to continue to inspire the next generation and I’m super excited to be here.
“I’ve participated in the Athens Games, the Beijing Games, the London Games and now the Paris Games, and they are always special in themselves. It’s 2024 and it’s a special moment again, not only for this country, France, but also for us other Olympians who are here competing for the United States of America.”
Gauff, 20, became the first American tennis player to carry the flag, three years after she missed the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for Covid.
In a heartwarming clip shared on social media by Team USA, men’s team star Chris Eubanks announces that his teammate will be the female flag bearer in Paris, leaving her completely stunned.
“I never imagined I would have the honor of carrying the American flag for Team USA during the Opening Ceremony,” Gauff said in a statement.
“I’m extremely proud to be able to lead my teammates alongside LeBron and demonstrate our dedication and passion on the biggest stage there is.”
Gauff and James received their selection through a vote among their fellow American athletes.
The 39-year-old Lakers legend became the third basketball player – and the first male player – to carry the American flag at the Olympic Games.
Basketball players have served as flag bearers for the United States twice in the past, both times as women.
Team USA sails down the Seine on a boat during the opening ceremony in Paris
The United States has the largest delegation at the Olympic Games – with a total of 592 athletes
The American athletes aboard the boat wave American flags as they sail down the Seine
Dawn Staley, the current coach of the University of South Carolina women’s basketball team, was the first to do so at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
At the last Summer Olympics in Tokyo, WNBA legend Sue Bird was one of two American flag bearers, alongside baseball star Eddy Alvarez.
“It is an incredible honor to represent the United States on this world stage, especially at a time when the entire world can come together,” James said.
“As a kid from Akron, this responsibility means everything, not just to me, but to my family, all the kids in my hometown, my teammates, fellow Olympians and so many people across the country with big aspirations. Sports has the power to bring us all together, and I’m proud to be a part of this important moment.”
However, tonight’s opening ceremony was chaotic as torrential rain and grey skies marred the event, which took place along the River Seine in front of 320,000 soaked spectators.
The unique French plan to hold the opening event outdoors rather than in a stadium backfired spectacularly tonight, as Parisians, celebrities, politicians and members of the royal family from around the world were forced to take shelter from the horrendous rain.
The carefully choreographed open-air parade began at 1:30pm (local time), with an incredible performance by American superstar Lady Gaga, who wowed the crowd with a dazzling Folie Bergiere, entirely in French.
The French tricolour flew on the Pont d’Austerlitz bridge as 6,800 athletes, clad in plastic ponchos, tried to keep the spirits up as they sailed along the famous waterway in a huge flotilla of 85 boats.
American track and field star Sha;Carri Richardson shows off her star-studded nails
The basketball icon wore his white blazer to distinguish himself as the flag bearer for the US
Meteorologists who predicted that the unusually rainy weather in July would be a “disaster” for the outdoor ceremony appear to have been proven right, as 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.
The ceremony began with a short film featuring French football legend Zinedine Zidan carrying the Olympic torch, before passing it on to local children who appeared in real life on the banks of the river.
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.
Torrential rain in Paris disrupted the opening ceremony, with many spectators wearing ponchos and umbrellas
Lady Gaga’s opening performance narrowly avoided the rain before the heavens opened
Let the games begin! The opening ceremony for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games has officially begun
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.
As the dance medley continues below on the riverbank, the Olympic torch is carried over the beautiful rooftops of the city by a freerunning athlete.
Meanwhile, more than 600,000 people attend the opening ceremony at the stadium, including a host of celebrities, including pop star Arianna Grande, tennis star Serena Williams and Hollywood king Stephen Spielberg.