Rain dampens Olympics following stunning ceremony, as China secures its first gold
Chinese divers are seeking an extraordinary clean sweep at the upcoming Olympics in Paris.
TroibNews 
China secured the first gold medal of the Paris Olympics on Saturday, overcoming the challenges presented by rain that affected both the opening ceremony and the inaugural day of competitions.
The mixed-team 10-meter air rifle final saw a fierce battle, where teenage athletes Sheng Lihao and Huang Yuting excelled. Team China quickly celebrated additional success as the renowned diving duo Chang Yani and Chen Yiwen triumphed in the women's synchronized 3-meter springboard event.
Chang and Chen have proven to be a dominant force in international diving, clinching gold at the last three world championships held in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Meanwhile, Britain's Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen captured the bronze medal.
This victory by Chang and Chen set the stage for China’s ambitious quest for a potential clean sweep of Olympic diving golds, following their impressive performance at the Tokyo Olympics where they secured seven out of eight gold medals.
However, the inclement weather led to an early setback as the men's street skateboarding event, scheduled for the Place de la Concorde in central Paris, was postponed until Monday.
The rain also interfered with the initial rounds of tennis at Roland Garros, preventing any play on the 10 uncovered outdoor courts during the morning hours.
Participants and spectators alike faced heavy rain during Friday's unique opening ceremony, featuring a parade of 7,000 athletes along the Seine on boats, culminating in a breathtaking light show at the Eiffel Tower accompanied by a performance from singer Celine Dion.
The ceremony garnered mostly positive feedback, with France's center-right newspaper Le Figaro describing it as "full of surprises but often disjointed."
However, the International Olympic Committee had to issue an apology following a mix-up that led to South Korean athletes being incorrectly announced as athletes from the DPRK during the ceremony.
On the sporting agenda, events in swimming, badminton, rowing, cycling, hockey, and basketball commenced, alongside surfing competitions taking place nearly 16,000 kilometers away on the French Pacific island of Tahiti.
There was a silver lining for organizers as it was confirmed that traffic on France's high-speed rail network would return to normal by Monday, following disruptions caused by sabotage of signal stations and cables on Friday.
The French rail operator SNCF assured that transport arrangements for teams participating in the Paris 2024 Olympics would remain secure despite the troubles caused by the early morning attacks on the rail infrastructure connecting Paris to various regions, including Lille, Bordeaux, and Strasbourg. A separate attempt to sabotage the Paris-Marseille line was reportedly thwarted, according to SNCF.
Subscribe to Storyboard: A weekly newsletter bringing you the best of CGTN every Friday.
Lucas Dupont contributed to this report for TROIB News
The mixed-team 10-meter air rifle final saw a fierce battle, where teenage athletes Sheng Lihao and Huang Yuting excelled. Team China quickly celebrated additional success as the renowned diving duo Chang Yani and Chen Yiwen triumphed in the women's synchronized 3-meter springboard event.
Chang and Chen have proven to be a dominant force in international diving, clinching gold at the last three world championships held in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Meanwhile, Britain's Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen captured the bronze medal.
This victory by Chang and Chen set the stage for China’s ambitious quest for a potential clean sweep of Olympic diving golds, following their impressive performance at the Tokyo Olympics where they secured seven out of eight gold medals.
However, the inclement weather led to an early setback as the men's street skateboarding event, scheduled for the Place de la Concorde in central Paris, was postponed until Monday.
The rain also interfered with the initial rounds of tennis at Roland Garros, preventing any play on the 10 uncovered outdoor courts during the morning hours.
Participants and spectators alike faced heavy rain during Friday's unique opening ceremony, featuring a parade of 7,000 athletes along the Seine on boats, culminating in a breathtaking light show at the Eiffel Tower accompanied by a performance from singer Celine Dion.
The ceremony garnered mostly positive feedback, with France's center-right newspaper Le Figaro describing it as "full of surprises but often disjointed."
However, the International Olympic Committee had to issue an apology following a mix-up that led to South Korean athletes being incorrectly announced as athletes from the DPRK during the ceremony.
On the sporting agenda, events in swimming, badminton, rowing, cycling, hockey, and basketball commenced, alongside surfing competitions taking place nearly 16,000 kilometers away on the French Pacific island of Tahiti.
There was a silver lining for organizers as it was confirmed that traffic on France's high-speed rail network would return to normal by Monday, following disruptions caused by sabotage of signal stations and cables on Friday.
The French rail operator SNCF assured that transport arrangements for teams participating in the Paris 2024 Olympics would remain secure despite the troubles caused by the early morning attacks on the rail infrastructure connecting Paris to various regions, including Lille, Bordeaux, and Strasbourg. A separate attempt to sabotage the Paris-Marseille line was reportedly thwarted, according to SNCF.
Subscribe to Storyboard: A weekly newsletter bringing you the best of CGTN every Friday.
Lucas Dupont contributed to this report for TROIB News
