Jill Biden braves the rain and gets a hug from Emanuel Macron during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris
Jill Biden, who was in the Oval Office on Wednesday night as her husband passed the torch to Kamala Harris, cheered on Team USA as the torch was lit during the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics on Friday.
The rain couldn’t dampen the fun as she stood in the stands and cheered.
The first stood with other world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, to watch the athletes arrive at the stadium beneath the Eiffel Tower.
Biden, like many others, took pictures with her iPhone. She sat next to U.S. Ambassador to France Denise Campbell Bauer.
Team USA consists of 592 athletes competing in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
The American athletes were on one of 90 boats carrying 6,800 athletes along the parade route on the Seine.
First lady Jill Biden cheers during the opening ceremony
Jill Biden, who leads the U.S. delegation, is their cheerleader-in-chief, cheering them on just days after her husband, President Biden, dropped out of the presidential race. Second in command Doug Emhoff will attend the Olympic closing ceremony.
The first lady drowned her sorrows on Thursday with a glass of champagne and a night of partying with Serena Williams, Charlize Theron, Mick Jagger and Zendaya.
The first lady attended the party with other stars in preparation for the 2024 Olympic Games.
She was spotted in a white pantsuit as she chatted with guests at the event. Biden is on the cover of Vogue’s August issue.
Guests were surprised and delighted when they encountered the first lady, Vogue noted in its report and photos of the event.
The opening ceremony took place at the Foundation Louis Vuitton in Paris. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and Louis Vuitton men’s creative director Pharrell William welcomed guests ahead of the opening ceremony on Friday.
Jill Biden takes a photo during the Olympic Games opening ceremony
Jill Biden wears a US Olympic jacket during the rain in Paris, US Ambassador to France Denise Campbell Bauer is at left
Jill Biden at the Prelude to the Olympics party in Paris at the Foundation Louis Vuitton
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte were also in attendance, along with LeBron James, Novak Djokovic, Ian Thorpe, Tyrese Haliburton, Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Soop Dogg, Tyla, Jeremy Allen White, Queen Latifah and Alan Cumming.
The party was organized by Vogue in collaboration with luxury goods company LVMH, the main sponsor of the Games.
Instead of a red carpet, guests walked a three-lane route to the event.
The gold, silver and bronze pieces that Louis Vuitton designed for the 2024 Olympic Games were on display.
Earlier on Thursday, the first lady met with American athletes to pump them up before the Games began.
However, her meeting with them also had a wistful edge, as she alluded to Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the presidential race.
The athletes applauded her and welcomed her warmly.
The first lady sat in the Oval Office on Wednesday night as President Biden explained to the nation why he was withdrawing from the 2024 election. She then boarded a plane to Paris to represent the United States.
Zendaya and Spike Lee (left) and Charlize Theron (right) arrive at the party
Snoop Dogg and Steven Spielberg (left) and Mick Jagger and Melanie Hamrick (right)
She referred to her husband’s words when she spoke Thursday morning.
“When Team USA glides through the opening ceremony tomorrow night, they will be carrying more than just our flag. They will be carrying the heart of our nation and our hopes,” she told the athletes at the reception at the French ambassador’s residence.
“That’s what I love about our country: that we’re united and that together we can seize every opportunity. President Biden has led our country with that hope always in his heart. As he says — “
And here the guests burst into applause. Jill Biden expressed her gratitude.
“Thank you,” she said. “I’ll take that home with me. And as he says, there’s nothing America can’t do if we do it together. And we’re seeing that now, especially at the Olympics.”
Later, Jill Biden literally passed the baton when she met members of the U.S. track and field team at the practice track outside Paris.
The team recruited her to serve as the lead leg of a relay.
French President Emmanuel Macron, Jill Biden and Brigitte Macron at the Elysee Palace for the reception of the heads of state
Jill Biden, left, learns the proper technique for passing a baton from women’s relay head coach Mechelle Freeman, center
First Lady Jill Biden records digital video with Team USA Track and Field athlete Gabby Thomas
First lady Jill Biden speaks with family members of the U.S. Olympic team at the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Paris
On Friday morning, the First Lady was present at the Élysée for a welcome reception hosted by President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron.
Eighty-five heads of state were expected at the reception, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Following Friday’s opening ceremony, Biden will speak at a brunch on Saturday to commemorate the opening of the Games and celebrate the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. LA Mayor Karen Bass was among those accompanying Biden on the trip to Paris.
She will also compete in several Olympic events, including the Olympic swimming competitions in Nanterre, France.