Estonia's olympic flag-bearer: I was overcome with emotion all of a sudden
Estonian athletes carried aloft the national flag at Friday evening's olympic opening ceremony in Paris, as a flotilla of boats passed onlookers in roughly alphabetical order by country.
Among Estonia's 18-person delegation were flag-bearers Reena Pärnat, who is competing in archery, and judoka Klen-Kristofer Kaljulaid.
Kaljulaid expressed surprise at how powerful the experience proved to be.
"I unexpectedly became very emotional. I'm usually a very reserved person, so that was a surprise even to me," he said.
As for the Estonian blue-black-white itself: "We had plans to try holding it on our shoulders or to hold it up with both hands, but we'll save that for next time," he added.
Pärnat described the opening ceremony as an unforgettable experience. "It felt very different, very cool and awesome," she said, adding despite the rain, there were large crowds to wave to, on both sides of the Seine (see gallery).
The opening ceremony of the XXXIII Summer Olympic Games on Friday night saw the Olympic flame lit by judo champion Teddy Riner and sprinter Marie-Jose Perec, the crowning moment of a procession which went down the River Seine, with all competing countries' teams aboard an armada of river boats of different sizes.
Estonia's President Alar Karis and first lady Sirje Karis also attended the opening ceremony in Paris.
It was a powerful, wet, and memorable opening ceremony. Wishing everyone a wonderful @Paris2024 Olympic Games! pic.twitter.com/jBoKyZnTWu
— Alar Karis (@AlarKaris) July 26, 2024
After speeches, including from French President Emmanuel Macron, the torch was passed from hand to hand across a galaxy of sporting stars, starting with football legend Zinedine Zidane, and including Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, sprinter Carl Lewis and tennis player Amelie Mauresmo, as well as Marie-Amelie Le Fur, President of the French Paralympic Committee, and centenarian Charles Coste, France's oldest living Olympian.
After the Olympic cauldron was lit, the games were officially declared open, and audiences were serenaded by Celine Dion, who sang Edith Piaf's "Hymne à l'amour" from atop the Eiffel Tower.
The Paris 2024 Olympic cauldron is lit!
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) July 26, 2024
Sorry, THE PARIS 2024 HOT-AIR BALLOON OLYMPIC CAULDRON IS LIT! #Paris2024 #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/CIuS4RzfHD
A full list of Estonia's competitors and the events they are taking part in over the next two weeks is here.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Kristjan Kallaste
