PARIS, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Following are six of the biggest talking points from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games so far:
OPENING CEREMONY
The Paris Olympics began with a spectacular opening ceremony on the River Seine. The four-hour extravaganza included the first ever boat parade of athletes and a series of high-octane song and dance acts, including a cabaret medley from Lady Gaga.
One of the highlights was Celine Dion's stunning rendition of "Hymne a l'Amour" from the Eiffel Tower, marking her first live appearance in four years.
The lighting of the Olympic cauldron near the Louvre Museum by Olympic legends Marie-Jose Perec and Teddy Riner is sure to be one of the Games' most iconic moments.
Perec, a three-time Olympic gold medalist in athletics, and Riner, a judo champion competing in Paris, symbolized the first Games with full gender parity, with the same number of men's and women's participants.
CHINA GOLD RUSH
China has surged to the top of the Paris 2024 medals table thanks largely to outstanding performances in diving and shooting.
Chen Yiwen and Chang Yani began the diving competition by capturing gold in the women's synchronized 3m springboard event before Quan Hongchan and Chen Yuxi triumphed in the women's synchronized 10-meter platform.
Lian Junjie and Yang Hao claimed gold on their Olympic debut in the men's 10m synchronized platform while the pairing of Wang Zongyuan and Long Daoyi retained China's men's synchronized 3m springboard title.
Shooting has brought similarly successful results for China. The pairing of Sheng Lihao and Huang Yuting won the first gold medal of the Games in the 10m mixed team air rifle; Sheng Lihao seized gold in the 10m air rifle; Olympic debutant Liu Yukun won the 50m rifle three positions title; and Xie Yu prevailed in the men's 10m air pistol.
MARVELLOUS MARCHAND
French swimmer Leon Marchand has already staked a claim as the brightest star of these Games with his sublime performances in the pool.
On Wednesday, the 22-year-old from Toulouse became the first swimmer to win both the 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke gold medals at the same Games, despite having only two hours between both finals.
Marchand also triumphed in the 200m individual medley and the 400m individual medley events, becoming the fourth swimmer in Olympic history to win four individual golds in a single Olympics.
"I've fulfilled a lot of dreams since I've been here," Marchand said. "Doing this double [the 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke] was something I felt I could do. But to really do it, that's something else."
BRILLIANT BILES
Simone Biles made a triumphant return after she withdrew from the all-round event in Tokyo three years ago.
Sporting a sparkling GOAT necklace, Biles overcame a shaky performance on the uneven bars to eclipse Brazil's Rebeca Andrade by 1.199 points. Her dazzling floor routine secured her a total of 59.131 points, making her the oldest champion in this event since 1952 and winning her second Olympic gold in the all-around final. She now has six Olympic titles under her belt.
The 27-year-old American now holds an astounding 39 world and Olympic medals.
FRENCH RUGBY GOLD
France clinched its first gold medal of the Olympics and a historic first in men's rugby sevens after substitute Antoine Dupont masterminded a comprehensive 28-7 victory over Fiji in the final.
Fiji, the double-defending champions and favorites, entered the gold medal-deciding match at the Stade de France on the back of a 17-match winning streak in the Olympics.
However, Dupont, who took a break from the national XV team to join the sevens squad, had a major impact in his late cameo. He broke the 7-7 deadlock by setting up a decisive try and then scored two himself, igniting the crowd and sparking jubilant celebrations.
"I wondered if skipping the Six Nations was the right choice," Dupont said. "But our team spirit and physical endurance were key. The atmosphere was incredible, and we wanted to repay the fans by starting these Olympics on a high note."
AIR MEDINA
One of the most remarkable images of the first week of the Games was not in Paris, but 16,000 km away in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
Photographer Jerome Brouillet captured the moment when Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina appeared to levitate above the water following a ride that earned him an almost-perfect score of 9.9 at the Teahupo'o reef break in Tahiti.
In the image, Medina poses serenely with his right arm raised while his surfboard is also airborne and perfectly upright behind him.
"So he [Medina] is at the back of the wave and I can't see him and then he pops up and I took four pictures and one of them was this one," said Brouillet.
"It was not hard to take the picture. It was more about anticipating the moment and where Gabriel will kick off the wave."
The wave allowed Medina to advance to the quarterfinals with a combined score of 17.40 out of a possible 20. ■
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