Olympics: 40 Belgian athletes to take part in opening ceremony on Seine
Around 40 Team Belgium athletes will take part in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on the Seine in Paris on Friday evening. The opening ceremony should go ahead as planned despite today’s attacks on the French rail network.
The Belgian athletes taking part in the ceremony hail from 10 sports: basketball, athletics, badminton, boxing, hockey, fencing, judo, showjumping, sailing and swimming. They will be accompanied by coaches and staff. Basketball player Emma Meesseman and showjumper Jérôme Guéry will carry the flag.
Belgium will be the 20th out of 207 delegations in the parade and will share a boat with Barbados, Belize, Benin and Bermuda.
On Friday morning, French rail operator SNCF suffered "simultaneous malicious acts", including "arson attacks to damage installations", causing significant disruption across the rail network.
The opening ceremony begins at 19.30, with a boat parade on the Seine. French pop star Aya Nakamura is due to perform. Céline Dion and Lady Gaga are also expected to take the stage, though this has not yet been officially announced.
About 326,000 spectators will be allowed to watch the spectacle, which should last about three hours, from the quay. They will have to adhere to very strict security measures. At the end of the ceremony, French president Emmanuel Macron will officially open the Games.
Preparations for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics on the Seine, Paris, 26 July 2024 © BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS
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