Every two years, people from around the globe tune in to the Olympic opening ceremony to celebrate the official start of the Games. National pride is on full display during the Parade of Nations as athletes and officials from competing countries make their grand entrance in matching uniforms typically in the hues of their home country, led by designated flag bearers. Following the queue of athletes, the fanfare continues with a symbolic release of doves, official speeches and the Olympic Anthem to mark the Games’ opening.
The 2024 Paris Games will likely be the largest in history, with an expected 1.5 billion viewers.
The parade has historically taken place in a large stadium somewhere in the host country. But this year, France broke with tradition by hosting the opening ceremony outside, along the Seine River.
JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images
Athletes — 10,500 strong from 184 countries — “paraded” along the almost 4-mile-long aquatic route in a boat designated for their national delegation. The parade departed from Austerlitz Bridge on the Seine, navigated around the Île Saint Louis and the Île de la Cité, and then ended in front of Trocadéro, which sits opposite the Eiffel Tower on “La Rive Droite,” the right bank. Each of the approximately 94 boats was equipped with cameras so viewers can take in the action and cheer on their favorite athletes.
Here’s more about the order of countries in this year’s opening ceremony — including the American team.
How does the Olympics decide the order of the Parade of Nations?
As outlined by the International Olympic Committee, countries appear in alphabetical order, according to the language of the host country. So for example, Germany, “l’Allemagne” in French, appeared before China, “la Chine.”
Greece always leads the parade because it’s the birthplace of the Games while the host country rounds out the parade.
Beginning with the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, delegations from two future host countries of the corresponding Summer Games, the United States, which will host of the 2028 Summer Olympics, and France, the 2024 host, came before Japan, that year’s host nation.
“This is to strengthen the emphasis on future hosts in the stadium and among the global audience,” according to an IOC factsheet.
So this year, Australia, which will host the 2032 Summer Olympics entered third to last and the United States, the 2028 host, entered second to last. France will be the final country in the rear of the parade.
Why is Greece always first in the Parade of Nations?
Greece has led the parade since the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam. Greece’s designation as the first country in the parade is to recognize its significance as the birthplace of the Olympics over 3,000 years ago and its role as the host of the first modern Olympics.
Greece has hosted the Games twice in the modern era — in 1896 and 2004 — both times in Athens.