Teddy Riner and Marie-José Pérec light the Paris 2024 Olympic cauldron

And the athletes chosen for the honour of lighting the Olympic cauldron at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 were... French judoka Teddy Riner and sprinter Marie-José Pérec, but how we got to that point was absolutely epic.

In a twist that no one saw coming, the Olympic flame bypassed the Eiffel Tower where athletes had disembarked from their boats after a Parade of Nations along the River Seine, the first time an Olympic Opening Ceremony has featured outside of a stadium.

The Olympic flame was delivered to footballing legend Zinedine Zidane, who received it from a hooded figure that had featured throughout the ceremony, arriving in the final throes of the four-hour extravaganza on the back of a grey steed, the Olympic flag draped around the shoulders of the knight-like, silver-clad rider.

‘Zizou’ then passed the torch to honorary Parisian Rafael Nadal, who has won the French Open title at Roland-Garros, where the tennis tournament will take place, a record-breaking 14 times.

The Spaniard then joined fellow former tennis player Serena Williams, gymnast Nadia Comaneci, and athlete Carl Lewis, in a speedboat stuffed with Olympic legends.

The torch then made its way back on land with French tennis great and equality campaigner Amelie Mauresmo taking on the mantle of making sure the flame reaches its destination, wherever that may be, safely. At this point, we just still didn’t know.

Celine Dion’s towering performance

While a spectacular laser show played out through the Iron Lady’s frame, the flame arrived at the Louvre where a number of athletes, such as French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie, passed the torch to the duo who would ultimately carry out the iconic Olympic moment.

In the Tuileries Garden, the pair lit a ring of flames attached to a hot air balloon, the sphere then rising into the sky.

The unmissable vocals of Celine Dion resounded from midway up the Eiffel Tower, drawing audible gasps from those watching.

An emotional rendition of Hymne A L’Amour, a comeback performance for the Canadian who announced a diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome in 2022, brought the house down on an epic evening for France, with the real fireworks set to start tomorrow, Saturday, 27 July when the first full day of action begins.

“Finally, the moment has arrived,” said International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, “and welcome to the Olympic Games Paris 2024. My heartfelt thanks go to our gracious French hosts. Thank you for welcoming us in such a spectacular way. The Olympic flame will make Paris and all of France shine even brighter.”