塞纳河上的新桥，巴黎，法国 Pont Neuf over the Seine, Paris, France (© f11photo/Getty Images)

塞纳河上的新桥，巴黎，法国 Pont Neuf over the Seine, Paris, France (© f11photo/Getty Images)

比赛开始 Let the Games begin!

夏季奥运会在巴黎开幕

今天是巴黎夏季奥运会开幕的日子。“光之城”巴黎成为继伦敦之后第二个第三次举办夏季奥运会的城市。这届奥运会的独特之处在于其开幕式：参赛选手不再站在体育场内，而将乘坐船队沿塞纳河游行，两岸观众会为之欢呼。其实，这不是巴黎第一次打破陈规了。在1900年的巴黎奥运会中，虽然在997名参赛运动员中只有22名是女性，但这是历史上第一次有女运动员参加奥运会。

自1923年塞纳河因污染和安全问题被禁止游泳后，今年的奥运会选手将首次获准重返塞纳河，参加各种游泳比赛。现在，一项耗资15亿美元的清理计划已经落实到位，以保持塞纳河河水的洁净，确保未经处理的水不会流入塞纳河，从而保证游泳者的安全。图中的新桥是塞纳河上最广为人知的地标之一。其他横跨塞纳河的华丽桥梁还包括亚历山大三世桥，它将成为巴黎奥运会马拉松游泳比赛的终点线。

Summer Olympics begin in Paris

Welcome to Paris, the City of Light, which is hosting the Summer Olympics for the third time. What makes these Games unique is the opening ceremony, which will be held outside a stadium for the first time. Participants will parade along the Seine on a flotilla of boats, passing under the Pont Neuf, pictured here, and cheered by spectators lining both banks. Paris is no stranger to historic firsts; the 1900 Games included women competing for the first time, although they made up only 22 of 997 athletes.

These Games are set to be rather special: Breakdancing will make its Summer Olympic debut in Paris. Competitors will be scored by a panel of nine judges who will look out for creativity and personality, along with other criteria. This could be a one-off, as breakdancing hasn't been included in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The surfing event at Paris 2024 is also rather unique: the competition will take place in Tahiti, part of French Polynesia. Almost 10,000 miles away from the host city, Tahiti was chosen because the island's huge waves make it perfect for surfing.