The opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics may have been hit by rain, but that didn't stop athletes, fans, and a hooded character from dazzling the the world's attention. French soccer legend Zinedine Zidane opened the ceremony holding the Olympic flame, followed by a parade of boats carrying the national teams over the Seine River. 

An armored horsewoman, meant to represent the Olympic spirit, also "rode" a metal horse across the river. At the final stretch of the torch relay famous athletes Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, Carl Lewis and Nadia Comaneci rode down the river in a speed boat bringing the torch to several French athletes ending with Charles Coste, the oldest French Olympic champion who is 100 years old, and finally French judo great Teddy Riner and sprinter Marie-José Pérec who lit the flame. An air balloon atop the flame also floated into the Paris skies.

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