Paris prepares for an Olympics opening ceremony like no other on the River Seine

Paris is preparing for an Olympics opening ceremony like no other on the River Seine on Friday night.

But the action has already got under way in Paris with preliminary competitions taking place in sports including rugby sevens, handball and archery.

Here the PA news agency looks back at a day on which the eagerly-awaited Games in the French capital began to creak into life.

HIGHLIGHT REEL

Carl Hester has signed a letter “universally condemning” the actions of dressage star and protegee Charlotte Dujardin.  Three-time Olympic gold medallist Dujardin withdrew from the Olympics in Paris on Tuesday after a video emerged of her repeatedly hitting a student’s horse with a whip from the ground during a coaching session. Hester is a signatory to a letter from the board members of the International Dressage Riders Club.

Ireland were denied by a second-half fightback as New Zealand emerged 14-12 winners in their rugby sevens Pool A decider at the Paris Olympics. First-half tries from Zac Ward and Jordan Conroy, plus a Mark Roche conversion, gave Ireland a shock 10-0 interval lead at the Stade de France. But New Zealand stormed back and Andrew Knewstubb’s late conversion proved decisive.

Teenage archer Megan Havers fired Team GB into Paris 2024 Olympic action when she released her first arrow at the Esplanade des Invalides. Havers, fellow debutant Penny Healey and Tokyo 2020 veteran Bryony Pitman were the first Britons to compete at these Games, their preliminary ranking round moved a day earlier than its traditional opening day morning slot due to the venue’s proximity to the River Seine opening ceremony.

PICTURE OF THE DAY

QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I can officially say I’m an Olympian now, so that’s really cool to say. I’ve got a lot more Olympics in me I hope as well” – 16-year-old archer Megan Havers on getting Team GB’s Paris 2024 quest underway.