Paris 2024 Olympics Officially Opens

The 2024 Paris Olympics is officially now underway, after a four-hour long opening ceremony on Friday.

It was a rough start to the Summer Games, with suspected acts of sabotage targeting France’s flagship high-speed rail network and rainy skies over the Seine river, where athletes were parading.

But the event went on.

French judo great, Teddy Riner, and sprinter Marie-José Pérec carried the torch to light the cauldron, attached to a giant balloon, which then floated into the Paris night.

Among the key moments were Lady Gaga delivering a dazzling performance as the first musical act and a mysterious torchbearer appearing in a hooded costume, inspired by a number of characters from French culture.

French singer and icon, Celine Dion, closed the show, performing partway up the Eiffel Tower.

Wayne Walker is in Paris and files this report.