TIRANA, July 26 /ATA/ – Albanian team paraded with eight athletes as the 2024 Paris Olympics kicked off officially with the parade of participating nations and performances along the River Seine in the French capital on Friday afternoon.
A nautical parade of 85 boats carrying over 7000 athletes from each Olympic delegation unfold along the Seine running through the city.
The boats, with the Olympic teams on board, floated by the Louvre, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower and other iconic Paris landmarks, starting from the Pont d’Austerlitz and culminating at the foot of the Eiffel Tower in today’s opening ceremony that began at 7:30 pm.
The first to parade was the Greek Olympic team due to the origins of the Olympic Games, followed by the IOC Refugee Olympic Team. Then it was the Red and Black’s turn. Albania’s Olympic team paraded in front of more than 80 heads of state and government and more than 300.000 spectators.
The country’s red-and-black flag was held high by swimmer Kaltra Meca and world wrestling champion Zelimkhan Abakarov.
Albania, taking part for tenth time in the Olympics, will be represented in Paris by eight athletes, with four of them having secured their qualification based on their performance, whereas four others have received invitation to participate.
Runner Luiza Gega is the best known, having specialized in middle and long-distance running since 2016. Three other athletes include wrestlers Zelimkhan Abakarov, Islam Dudaev and Chermen Valiev. The team also includes athlete Franko Burraj, swimmers Greisi Koxhaku and Kaltra Meça, and Manjola Konini in shooting.
/r.e/u.sh/
