Let the Games begin: The Olympic flame is lit in Paris

A little more than half an hour before midnight, the Olympic flame was finally lit - the Games were officially opened after a ceremony on the Seine River that was accompanied by rain, but which did not spoil the organizer's plans.

The flame was lit by legendary athlete Mari-Žoze Perek and judo ace Tedi Riner.

Montenegrin athletes, 19 of them (our flag was carried by tennis player Danka Kovinić and sailor Milivoj Dukić), were also part of the spectacle, sailing the Seine on a boat around 21.15:XNUMX p.m.

The ceremony, which in heavy rain was full of artistic elements, music and dance, lasted four hours on the Seine and it was the first time that the opening ceremony of the Games was held outside the stadium.

The ceremony began with a pre-recorded video featuring famous French soccer player Zinedine Zidane carrying the Olympic torch around the city and handing it to a group of children on the subway.

The parade of athletes was interrupted by an art and dance program, among which 80 dancers dressed in pink costumes performed the kan-kan dance from the Mule of Roses.

During the program, the mysterious torch bearer toured Notre Dame and then carried the torch through the Louvre Museum, where he saw that the famous Mona Lisa painting had been stolen.

"This is the city of love, and for the next 16 days - this is your city," said the president of the Organizing Committee, Toni Estange, to the athletes.