By Glaiza Salanio

The 2024 Paris Olympics kicked off on Saturday, July 27, with an opening ceremony held along the River Seine in France, where the 10,500 athletes from different countries gathered to commemorate the start of the event.

This is the first time in the history of the Olympic Summer Games that the opening ceremony did not take place in a stadium, proving that it is the “biggest event ever organized in France.”

During the river parade, each nation rode a boat to cross six kilometers through the center of Paris, and the athletes were seen wearing their unique uniforms that represent their countries.

The Olympic cauldron, attached to a giant balloon, was lit up by the final torchbearers, French judo champion Teddy Riner and three-time gold medal sprinter Marie-José Pérec.

Starting from July 26 to August 11, 22 athletes will represent the Philippines in the Olympic Games in events in athletics, boxing, fencing, golf, gymnastics, judo, rowing, swimming, and weightlifting.

Olympic silver medalists Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam led the delegation during the opening ceremony.

Carlos Yulo

The first Filipino athlete to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics was gymnast Carlos Yulo, with his games in the events of floor exercises, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars, and horizontal bar held at the Bercy Arena on Saturday, July 27.

Yulo will enter the final rounds for the events of all-around, floor exercise, and vault after he placed 9th, 2nd, and 6th in these events, respectively.

The final rounds of these events will happen on July 31, August 3, and August 4.

He secured his spot in the 2024 Summer Games through the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships held in Antwerp, Belgium.