There are those who got emotional and those who lie. Paris paid tribute to those who made it their second home and wrote history on its courts (14 titles at Roland Garros). The moment when Rafael Nadal approached Zinedine Zidane to receive the Olympic torch was truly spine-tingling. The opening ceremony of this XXXIII edition of the Olympic Games aimed to celebrate athletes who have made history in the event and in sports in general, having them parade as guardians of the sacred Olympic fire.
Nadal, smiling as perhaps we haven’t seen him in a while, took the torch and headed towards a boat. There, three other legends awaited him: Carl Lewis, with 9 Olympic gold medals, Nadia Comaneci, gold in gymnastics and an icon of the sport, and Serena Williams. The American needs no introduction for fans, but let’s recall some numbers: 23 Grand Slam titles and 4 Olympic golds.
The assembled group set sail on a Seine stirred by rain, making their way down the river under the watchful eyes of fans gathered on the banks. Nadal held the torch tightly throughout the crossing as the four champions docked.
Here, they were met with a hand-off that continued the tennis theme. After these timeless international icons, the celebration returned to France with the next torchbearer: Amelie Mauresmo.
The former French tennis player, now the director of Roland Garros, initiated the parade of home stars that followed until the lighting of the cauldron.