On July 26, Paris hosted the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games. The Olympic team of Tajikistan participated in the parade of delegations, with the renowned Tajik judoka Temur Rahimov as the flag bearer.

For four hours, the event that officially commenced the Games took place along the Seine and adjacent to the city's main waterway. This marked the first time in Olympic history that the opening ceremony extended beyond the stadium. Essentially, the entire center of the French capital transformed into a grand stadium.

Athletes paraded along the Seine River in the heart of Paris. A total of 205 delegations traveled 6 km from Austerlitz station to the Jena Bridge, using 85 boats for the journey.

Spectators on both the lower and upper promenades greeted them all along the route. Greece, as the Olympic host country, traditionally led the parade. The parade concluded with the teams from Australia (the host country for the 2032 Games), the USA (hosting the next Olympic Games in 2028), and, of course, France.

Judoka Teddy Riner and runner Marie-Josee Perec lit the Olympic flame, which ascended into the sky above the French capital in a balloon.

According to organizers, about 320,000 people, including approximately 100 heads of state and government, watched the opening ceremony. The show, which lasted nearly four hours, featured about 3,000 actors and dancers.

It is worth noting that the Republic of Tajikistan will be represented at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris by 14 athletes competing in six sports: judo, boxing, taekwondo, freestyle wrestling, swimming, and track and field.

n addition to Temur Rahimov competing in judo (+100kg), five other Tajik judokas will also participate in the Summer Olympics. These include Emomali Nurali in the 66kg category, Behruz Hojazoda in the 73kg category, Somon Mahmadbekov in the 81kg category, Komronshokh Ustopiriyon in the 90kg category, and Jahongir Majidov in the 100kg category.

In boxing, Tajikistan will be represented by three athletes: Bakhodur Usmonov in the 63.5kg division, Mizhgona Samadova in the 57kg division, and Davlat Boltaev in the 92kg division.

Other Tajik competitors include Ekaterina Bordacheva and Fakhriddin Madkamov, who will compete in the 50 and 100 meters freestyle swimming events, respectively. Favoris Muzrapov will compete in the 100 meters track and field, Munira Abdusalomova in +67 kg taekwondo, and Viktor Rassadin in the 74 kg freestyle wrestling category.

It is noteworthy that the XXXIII Summer Olympic Games in Paris are scheduled to take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024. A total of 329 sets of medals will be awarded across 32 sports. Alongside the traditional Olympic events, the Games in France will feature new sports such as breakdancing, sport climbing, skateboarding, and surfing. Surfing events will be held in French Polynesia, situated in the South Pacific, over 15,000 kilometers from Paris.

NIAT “Khovar”

translated by Ismoilov R.