The 2024 Paris Olympics hinted at being an elaborate affair from the get-go. A stupendous Opening Ceremony caught the attention of the world with its extravagant set-up. While controversies revolving around the incident have been rampant, the grandeur of the entire thing just couldn’t be ignored. And yet, Olympic legend Carl Lewis assured EssentiallySports that he had very few things to complain about, considering how he got to experience the entire enthralling event.

Lewis was seen on the boat that hosted legends from different sports at the Paris Olympic Opening Ceremony. While seeing legendary figures like Serena Williams, Carl, and gymnastics icon Nadia Comaneci on the same boat was a sight to behold, Lewis’ glee was heightened by the presence of a fourth person in the gang.

Carl Lewis had his moment with old buddies at the Paris Olympics

Comaneci, Williams, and Lewis were joined by the tennis phenome Rafael Nadal as the four veterans of their fields carried the Olympic Torch at the Opening Serena. After the ceremony, Shreya Verma, the Olympic correspondent for EssentiallySports, in collaboration with Tide, caught up with the nine-time Olympic gold medalist Lewis to talk about how it was to share the stage with some of the greatest sports stars of all time. Candidly, the track legend explained that things were like a reunion of friends.

“…going down the river in that boat it was a little rocky cuz it’s pretty fast, you know,” Carl told us with a chuckle as he remembered how the rain added to the misery. While Lewis was undoubtedly one of the main selling points of the Opening Ceremony, he was only among the many who helped the Olympic Torch to reach its final destination.

Stars from all walks of life chimed in

The 2024 Paris Olympics made history in more ways than one, and we at EssentiallySports enjoyed every moment of it. For the first time in Olympic history, the Opening Ceremony was held outside of a stadium and on a water body, as athletes and guests made their way through the city on boats over the river Seine. Glimpses of the Olympic Torch were first shared with fans via a video broadcast featuring French soccer legend Zinedine Zidane. Zidane retrieved the torch from actor Jamel Debbouze and took it to the Stade de France. After Zidane brought it to Saint-Denis, the torch changed hands multiple times before igniting the Olympic Cauldron.

Along with the aforementioned stars, the torch was also held by French tennis celebrity Amélie Mauresmo, basketball star Tony Parker, and the oldest living French Olympic gold medalist, Charles Coste, who won his honors at the 1948 London Olympics. The torch was ultimately passed to sprinter Marie-José Pérec, who lit the balloon-shaped cauldron.

With the Opening Ceremony being the illustrious affair that it was, do you think the 33rd Olympics will come to an end with a similar bang? Tell us!