A balloon carrying the lit Olympic cauldron lifts off at the Tuileries Garden during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France, Friday. Photo: VCG

Charles Coste (left), the oldest French Olympic medalist, passes the Olympic flame to torchbearers Marie-Jose Perec (far right) and Teddy Riner during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Friday. Photo: Xinhua

Floriane Issert, a Gendarmerie non-commissioned officer of the National Gendarmerie, rides on a mechanical metal horse and wearing a cape bearing the Olympic symbol during the opening ceremony in Paris on Friday. Photo: IC Photo

Table tennis player Ma Long (center) holds the Chinese national flag as athletes from China cruise down the Seine on a boat. Ma and artistic swimmer Feng Yu were the flag bearers for China at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. Photo: VCG

A boat carrying delegations from China, Chile and Canada moves along the Seine in Paris during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games. China has sent a 716-member delegation with 405 athletes, including 42 Olympic gold medalists. Photo: Xinhua

The British delegation passes figures from famous paintings on the surface of the Seine as they cruise down the river in the Olympics opening ceremony procession on Friday. Photo: IC Photo

The French delegation emerge from under a bridge during the opening ceremony on Friday. Photo: Fu Tian/China News Service,VCG

At the start of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, the Seine was lit up with tricolor fireworks representing the French flag. Photo: VCG

Actors perform a theatrical show along the banks of the Seine in Paris on Friday. Photo: IC Photo

Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal (left) passes the Olympic flame to former French tennis player Amelie Mauresmo during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on Friday. Photo: VCG

French President Emmanuel Macron (left) and Thomas Bach (right), President of International Olympic Committee (IOC) gesture and wave to the crowd. Photo: VCG

Singer Celine Dion performs at the opening ceremony. Photo: VCG

People wear raincoats and plastic ponchos as they watch the opening ceremony in Paris at Place du Trocadero on Friday. Photo: VCG

Lights shaped like wings frame the Eiffel Tower, which bears the illuminated Olympic rings on Friday. Photo: IC Photo