Opening ceremony set to formally start Games

The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics is inching closer, and the excitement is building for the Team USA athletes who will be parading behind flag bearers LeBron James and Coco Gauff tonight.

“This one’s gonna be unlike any other opening ceremony,” Team USA artistic swimmer Anita Alvarez said on NBC News’ “TODAY”. “If any of us here have been to one or more, this one is going to be completely different, so we’re super excited for this special experience on the river.”

“This will be a first for all of us,” added fencer Garrick Meinhardt. “The energy has been really drawing up in the village… It’s going to be an incredible experience.” 

Trains have begun to run again after part of France’s high-speed rail network was paralyzed today by a “massive attack” that upended service for hundreds of thousands of passengers, French Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete said.

Vergriete said he wasn’t convinced the attack was linked to the opening ceremony of the Olympics, which take place tonight in Paris.

“There’s not necessarily a link,” he told French television network TF1. “It seems it’s more the big vacation rush that is targeted than the Olympic Games specifically.”

The hosting team of the opening ceremony rivals the athletic field at these Olympics in terms of name recognition.

NBC’s Mike Tirico will host the ceremony for the fourth time, alongside three-time Grammy-winning singer Kelly Clarkson and NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning.

Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, hosts of NBC’s “TODAY” show, will have prime seating — an aerial view of the ceremony from a bridge on the Seine. Maria Taylor, a commentator for NBC Sports, will join in on the hosting duties.

Preliminary information from French law enforcement and intelligence organizations indicates that anarchists or extreme leftist groups are likely responsible for the coordinated sabotage attack on the French high-speed rail network, two senior law enforcement and intelligence officials in the U.S. briefed on the matter said.

The officials stressed the investigation is ongoing and the initial assessment is preliminary.

First lady Jill Biden leads the U.S. delegation at the opening ceremony.

She is joined by the U.S. ambassador to France and Monaco, Denise Bauer; Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Alex Padilla, D-Calif.; Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass; 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games Chairperson Casey Wasserman; and Olympic gold medalists Dawn Staley and Brian Boitano. 

The clock is waterproof.

Rap icon Flavor Fav said he’s determined to bring water polo, particularly the women’s game, to new levels of popularity after signing up as the team’s sponsor, super fan and hype man.

“They’ve been on the journey, a fantastic journey. You know what I’m saying?” he said today. “When these girls aren’t in the water, they’re home living active lives, housewives. You know what I’m saying, two, three jobs. You know what I’m saying and you know it takes time to get a gold medal.”

Flav spoke to reporters wearing a water polo bonnet, a basketball style jersey with “USAWP” on it, various bling and of course his signature clock: “So it’s waterproof, definitely waterproof, you know, I’m saying.” 

He’s committed to sponsoring the team for five years, though he declined to get into the specifics or name any dollar figures: “Five years, y’all got Flav.”

Security is tight all along the Seine in Paris. The river police speed by patrolling the 4-mile route where the opening ceremony will be held later. At the Avenue de New York, a fleet of police dog units arrives and sets off again. 

Wearing yellow vests, security guards stand at the entrance to bleachers on the river bank that will soon be full of spectators. Units of Gendarmerie 3 officers walk by every few minutes. 

The area has been security swept and is lined with barriers. Some without tickets have begun to arrive and are sitting on the wall along the river grabbing a spot for a great view later on. 

People are making friends. One group, some from France some from Argentina, say they just met. All of them are eagerly anticipating the historic moment they’ll witness later. 

Ralph Lauren is Team USA’s go-to for epitomizing all-American fashion on the Olympic stage. This year’s opening ceremony outfits don’t disappoint.

The U.S. athletes will be wearing “modern, but distinctly American” blazers in classic navy, with patriotic red and white trim. The blazers will be paired with crisp, striped button-downs and blue jeans, creating a comfortable ensemble that mixes high-end polish and relaxed casual attire.

The ceremony is an intensive affair that will have athletes on their feet for upward of eight hours, so Team USA will sport an outfit that supports that undertaking.

Some Chinese sports fans will go to the movie theater to watch the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony today, skipping sleep on their Friday nights.

The country’s largest, Communist Party-owned movie and entertainment company, China Film Group Corporation, bought exclusive licensing from state broadcaster CCTV to livestream the Olympic Games, according to a statement it released earlier this month.

Tickets can be bought on Maoyan, China’s Ticketmaster-like platform, with the average price at around $5. Each session has a minimum number of participants required for a successful screening, ranging from 30 to 100.

Some movie theaters in major Chinese cities such as Shanghai and Guangzhou had received enough bookings to proceed with the screenings for tonight’s opening ceremonies, which would be at 1:30 a.m. Beijing time.

At the Olympic Games this summer, Black athletes will take to the world stage in Paris outfitted in red, white and blue, representing the U.S. with stars and stripes stamped across their uniforms.

Black athletes will be some of the most high-profile Olympians at the Paris Summer Games. Simone Biles will make her highly awaited return to the mat, LeBron James will carry the American flag at the opening ceremony today, and track star Noah Lyles will set his sights on overtaking Usain Bolt’s gold medal records.

On the road to the Paris Games, Black Olympians spoke with NBC News about the special obligations of Black athletes representing the U.S. and stepping up as role models. 

Read the full story here.

On the morning of Paris’ big party, the country’s airwaves were dominated not by excitement for the Games themselves — as organizers would have hoped — but rather blanket coverage of the coordinated attack on the country’s high-speed rail network.

The country’s most watched news network, BFM.TV, bounced between footage of rail workers carrying out repairs, and interviews with passengers stuck at Paris stations.

Many of those impacted by the mass disruption will not be Olympics fans themselves, but rather the droves of Parisians who planned to get out of this security-dominated city.

Becoming an Olympian takes many sacrifices, but Australian hockey player Matt Dawson has sacrificed more than most.

When Dawson suffered a badly broken finger two weeks ago after being hit by a hockey stick during a practice match, his Olympics journey looked to be over. The 30-year-old was told reconstructing his finger would mean four to six months out. Or there was a more dramatic option that would see him able to compete in Paris — amputation, an option Dawson’s wife warned him not to be rash about.

“With all the information I had to make the decision, in a pretty short period of time, I still decided to take it and I can still have a pretty good functioning life with just a little less finger to worry about,” Dawson told the Australian hockey podcast Parlez Vous Hockey.

“If taking the top of my finger was the price I had to pay, that’s what I would do… Fingers crossed we get the gold in the end, it’s not a really big price to pay then.”

Rapper Snoop Dogg holds a flame aloft as he takes part in the Olympic torch relay in Saint-Denis, Paris today.

PARIS — Travelers at Paris’ Gare du Montparnasse train station are being urged to make alternative plans after part of France’s high-speed rail network was paralyzed by a “massive attack” that upended service for hundreds of thousands of passengers.

In Gare du Montparnasse, one of Paris’ seven major rail terminus stations, the atmosphere was calm but disrupted as people tried to work out the next steps in their journeys. 

Passengers, many of whom appeared to be locals getting out of town for vacation, have been urged to find alternative plans with high-speed services expected to resume on Monday.

The Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Airport in eastern France has reopened after passengers were evacuated due to a bomb alert.

The French National Police told NBC News that the evacuation and intervention were underway after the alert was called this morning.

But EuroAirport posted on X shortly afterwards that the airport had reopened and that flight operations were restarting.

Driving across the streets of Paris this morning on the way to the 9th Arrondissement it was hauntingly quiet with many of the streets empty, roundabouts absent of cars and cafes lightly trafficked.

Police and military personnel dotted central parts of the city in clusters — many we saw huddled together smoking cigarettes, in camouflage uniforms, berets and rifles slung across their shoulders.

Tourists are everywhere taking pictures of Paris from above and lunching on salads, pizza and coffee.

After “coordinated” arson attacks wreaked havoc on swaths of French rail services on Friday morning, trains appeared to be back up and running normally at one of Europe’s primary hubs, Gare du Nord, by early afternoon.

SNFC trains were seen coming and going routinely with arrival/departure monitors filled with lines of “on time.”

Olympic opening ceremonies are set for 7:30 p.m. local time here in the French capital.

A star-studded charity gala called “Prelude to the Games” brought together the worlds of sports, movies, music and fashion on the eve of opening of the Paris Olympics

Grindr rolled out a number of enhanced privacy protections within the Olympic Village in Paris to protect LGBTQ athletes using the popular gay dating app.

The app said in a blog post Wednesday that it disabled its location-based features, which it also did at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. That means Grindr users will not be able to use the app’s “explore,” “roam” or “show distance” features in the Olympic Village. However, users can share their approximate distances if they decide to turn it on. 

“If an athlete is not out or comes from a country where being LGBTQ+ is dangerous or illegal, using Grindr can put them at risk of being outed by curious individuals who may try to identify and expose them on the app,” Grindr said in its post. 

Read the full story here.

The “massive attack” that disrupted rail service for hundreds of thousands of passengers in France has heightened tensions for authorities, who were already keeping security tight around the City of Lights ahead of today’s opening ceremony.

There will be 45,000 police officers and gendarmes, including 650 specialist officers from France’s elite tactical units: the GIGN (on the barges on the Seine and in helicopters), RAID (on the Seine) and BRI (on the ground).  

A new army battalion will also secure a military zone along the Seine, where the 10,000 athletes will board their barges. About 1,800 specialist police officers from around the world, including from the U.S., are in France for the Games. Officials have also hired 22,000 security contractors.

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As some of the world’s best athletes assemble in Paris, their TikTok videos are giving viewers an inside look at life in the Olympic Village. Some took to social media to share “one of the most exciting parts” of the Games: the Olympic merch.

Each delegation gives its athletes suitcases full of gear to sport in the Olympic Village, including training garb and elevated designs for the opening ceremony.

Evy Leibfarth, an American canoer, unboxed her Nike and Ralph Lauren hauls for her TikTok audience. Sarah Douglas, a Canadian sailing athlete, shared the country’s Olympic kit. Lululemon, an activewear company based in Canada, designed the team’s patriotic gear. 

Aleah Finnegan, a former U.S. gymnast who now represents the Philippines, documented her experience learning to make French baguettes and getting her hair styled in the Village on TikTok.

Three-time Olympic medalist and four-time NBA champion LeBron James will carry Team USA’s flag during the opening ceremonies.

James, who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, won two gold medals, in 2008 and 2012, and a bronze medal in 2004. He said he’s returning to the Games again this year to give his all to his fans and country. 

“At this point in my career, I still, I have a lot to give, and Team USA has given a lot to me, so I feel like it’s an opportunity for me to give back,” he told the “TODAY” show’s Craig Melvin this month. 

James is joined by Coco Gauff as the flag bearers for Team USA. Other past flag bearers for Team USA have included Simone Biles and Michael Phelps. 

Surfing will make its third Olympic appearance in Los Angeles in 2028.

The only sports that have been featured in all modern Olympic Summer Games are athletics, swimming, cycling, gymnastics and fencing.

Those five sports date back to the first modern Olympics in 1896, though specific events within each sport have evolved over time.

Some sports were introduced in the early 1900s, such as boxing and rowing, while others were introduced in the 21st century, like taekwondo and rugby sevens. Other sports have come and gone, like tug-of-war and polo.

Now in Paris, we’ll see the Olympics debut of another sport: breaking, or break-dancing.

The International Olympic Committee determines what new sports are included based on numerous factors, such as their popularity and specific needs. But just because a sport features at the Olympics doesn’t mean it will stay. Paris decided not to host baseball or softball, though both will return in 2028. Paris also dropped karate, which made its debut in Tokyo three years ago.

Dion, who is French Canadian, posted a series of photos from the Louvre in Paris. She is rumored to be a performer at tonight’s festivities.

“Every time I return to Paris, I remember there’s so much beauty and joy still to experience in the world,” the five-time Grammy winner wrote in her Instagram caption on Wednesday. “I love Paris, and I’m so happy to be back!”

Dion recently shared her struggles with stiff person syndrome in the documentary “I Am Celine Dion,” which debuted last month on Amazon.

The Paris Olympics come 100 years after the Games were first held in the city. Some of the milestones of 1924 still resonate today, along with the Olympic spirit. NBC News’ Keir Simmons looks at the parallels and what has changed.

The Paris opening ceremony is the first one open to the public (and the first one not in a stadium), and it is expected to draw the biggest crowd ever, with a mix of Parisians and tourists joining in on the celebrations. 

Almost 100 boats carrying about 10,500 Olympic athletes will float down the Seine as the opening ceremony takes shape in Paris today. Nearly 600,000 spectators will be there, as well. They claimed 222,000 free tickets to watch the procession from the Seine’s upper banks, and an additional 104,000 tickets were sold for a fee to watch lower down. 

Decks along the route will have cameras so onlookers can catch the athletes’ faces up close as they inch closer to the Olympic Games. Eighty screens will be set up around the city so those without tickets can still get front-row seats. 

In addition, 1.5 billion people around the world are expected to tune in to the broadcast version of the ceremony from home. 

It has been a century since the city of light last hosted the Games. Watch how Paris officials prepared for this year’s opening ceremony.

Even though swimming in the Seine has been banned for more than 100 years, the Paris Games spent $1.5 billion to clean it up and use it for the Olympics. It was also an effort to ensure Parisians will have a cleaner river after the Games. 

As recently as early June, the Seine wasn’t Olympics-ready: Water tests returned results that showed an unsafe level of E. coli. Readings since then have shown improvement. On July 17, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo got in the Seine, declaring the famed river clean enough for Olympic swimmers who will compete in the waterway.

“The water is wonderful,” Hidalgo told NBC News after she emerged from the water, adding that it was “very cool and very nice.”

PARIS — Part of France’s high-speed rail network was paralyzed by a “massive attack” that disrupted service for hundreds of thousands of passengers hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said the country’s intelligence services and law enforcement agencies had been mobilized to track down suspects as he warned in a post on X that “the consequences for the rail network are massive and serious.”

France’s national rail network SNFC said in a news release that a series of “coordinated” arson attacks had damaged a number of its facilities and services, while another “malicious act was foiled” on the LGV Sud-Est line connecting Paris and Lyon.

Read the full story here.

This year’s opening ceremony is poised to be the most ambitious in Olympic history as the Parade of Nations moves from land to water.

Over 10,000 athletes will sail down the “main artery” of Paris, the Seine River, and make their grand entrance to the Olympic Games via boat. Typically, the parade involves processing into a stadium, nation by nation, but the French organizers had something even grander in mind.

“An opening ceremony has never been held outside of a stadium,” opening ceremony artistic director Thomas Jolly told The Associated Press. “There is no model; it’s absolute creation.”

The ceremony will begin at the Austerlitz Bridge and travel just under four miles down the river, landing at the Trocadéro near the Eiffel Tower. Along the way, the athletes will pass the city’s most prominent icons, including the Louvre and the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral.

The ceremony will be available to watch on NBC, Peacock and the NBC and NBC Olympics apps. 

It will air live on NBC and Peacock at 1:30 p.m. ET and again during prime time, starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The opening ceremony, which is expected to last four-and-a-half hours, will begin at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT. NBC will air a preview show beginning at noon ET/9 a.m. PT. 

The NBC News live blogging team will also be reporting updates here all day, so be sure to hit refresh on this page.