Biden sports some Olympic gear of his own
President Joe Biden appeared in a Team USA Olympic jacket as he left the White House today. The white jacket had a flag and the words USA on the back.
The president walked to Marine One, the helicopter, en route to Camp David.
First lady Jill Biden was set to lead the U.S. delegation for the opening ceremony in Paris.
Ceremony shined spotlight on artists and athletes alike
The Paris Games' are celebrating a mix of artistry and athleticism.
Lady Gaga kicked things off musically with a performance of Zizi Jeanmaire’s “Mon Truc En Plumes” on a set of stairs along the Seine River.
Surrounded by pink feathers, Gaga’s brief set was reminiscent of her Jazz and Piano residency in Las Vegas. It also appeared to pay tribute to Jeanmaire’s performance of the song on the Ed Sullivan Show. After descending the stairs, Gaga kicked on a chorus line and played on a piano.
Lavish boat parade helped make Paris opening one for the books
For the first time, athletes from around the world made their grand entrance to the Olympic Games via boat. Each national delegation sailed down the “main artery“ of Paris, the Seine River.
Greece was the first delegation, with NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo carrying the flag. The country has been the traditional leader of the parade, in honor of the origins of the Olympics in Ancient Greece 3,000 years ago.
Team USA’s boat, which included flag bearers Coco Gauff and LeBron James, was the penultimate vessel to sail into view in the opening ceremony. The country’s placement symbolizes the next Olympic cycle, when the U.S. will host the Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
France, as the host country, had the honor of closing the 2024 parade.
Read about other standout moments from tonight's opening ceremony.
Torch bearer Snoop Dogg 'did somethin today'
You can call that an understatement: Rap icon Snoop Dogg posted a photo of himself holding the Olympic torch in Paris earlier today and wrote “Did somethin today” — the day he carried it through Saint-Denis, north of Paris.
He said the experience of holding the torch was hard to put into words.
"The D-o-double was holding the torch, walking through the city, man. I felt like Muhammad Ali," Snoop told told Mike Tirico.
"We're here for peace, love and unity and great sportsmanship," the rapper said. "That's what we're here for, baby."
Experience the magic of the opening ceremony all over again
The opening ceremony is over, but the Olympics are just getting going — and so is NBC’s coverage of the Paris Games.
The boat parade down the Seine, the pomp and circumstance, the cauldron lighting and all of today’s surprises will be shown again tonight during “enhanced” coverage that includes bonus footage, athlete reaction and more.
Tune in at 7:30 p.m. on NBC and follow along here.
France stepped up security across train network
The SNCF, France's national state-owned rail company, said additional law enforcement personnel and rail staff are monitoring the network following last night's sabotage.
About 40 police teams and 50 drones have been deployed, the SNCF said in a statement. The company has more than a hundred employees working on repairs and says it's confident that high-speed train services will improve by tomorrow on the routes that were affected by the attacks.
Transportation for Olympic personnel and teams is being provided for, according to the statement.
10,000 miles from Paris, the surfers settle into Olympic life in Tahiti
While the Olympic village in Paris is abuzz today ahead of the opening ceremony, 10,000 miles away in Tahiti, the Olympic surfers are settling into a unique village of their own.
The surfing events for the Games will see 48 competitors, including Team USA's Carissa Moore and Caroline Marks, descend on the picturesque coastal village of Teahupo’o, a renowned surfing spot famous for being one of the most extreme and dangerous in the world. To accommodate those athletes, organizers are pushing the boat out, literally.
They will be spending the next few weeks staying on a luxury cruise ship. Tokyo silver medalist Kanoa Igarashi shared a tour of the ship with his followers on TikTok. There's no cardboard beds in sight here, and it might just be the first Olympic village that comes complete with water slides and a tattoo parlor.
Missed the ceremony live? Tune in to primetime coverage
Full primetime coverage of the Olympic opening ceremony begins tonight on NBC and Peacock at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Céline Dion’s performance brings tears, goosebumps
Céline Dion’s performance drew a tearful standing ovation from drinkers at Au Trappiste in the 1st Arrondissement.
“Céline is the queen — the queen of everything,” said Angie Miorin, 30, who works in communications and whose table were the only French natives among the tourists. “I had tears in my eyes because it’s been a while since she’s been here and she’s not been well.”
Across the table, Zelie Fiquet, 27, chimed in, “It gave me goosebumps.”
Fin!
After about four hours of French flair, the opening ceremony has come to an end.