Japanese athletes wave national flags aboard a boat sailing on the Seine River on Friday during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
15:58 JST, July 27, 2024
PARIS — Team Japan was the 93rd delegation to enter the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris on Friday evening.
Many Japanese athletes, dressed in white jackets, waved small national flags from a boat sailing down the Seine River, which flows through the center of Paris.
With the COVID-19 pandemic under control, spectators from around the world are flocking to the banks of the French capital, where the Olympic torch has not been lit for 100 years.
When it started to rain, some participants took a moment to put on their raincoats before responding again to the cheers of the spectators.
Sarina Koga, 28, captain of the women’s volleyball team, who announced she will retire after the Games, was seen smiling on the boat.
Takaharu Furukawa, a 39-year-old archer, will compete in the Summer Olympics for the sixth time in a row.
“I will do everything I can to express my gratitude to everyone who supports me,” he said.
A video of athletes waving from Tahiti, French Polynesia, where the surfing events are being held, was also shown during the opening ceremony.
“My goal is to win a gold medal,” said Kanoa Igarashi, 26, the silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics. “I’m going to enjoy it so I can give my best performance.”
