Serena Williams spoke for millions of disappointed Olympic fans when she pulled a pained face during the opening ceremony.
The tennis star was no longer looking her best as she sailed down the Seine in a fast boat as a torchbearer for the Paris Games.
Together with Rafael Nadal, nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis and former Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci, they made their way through the torrential rain and choppy water.
The boat was part of a four-hour ceremony that took place on the French capital’s river, and was moving so fast that Nadal feared the flame would go out.
Tennis star Serena Williams suddenly looked anxious as she descended the River Seine
Viewers who attended the opening ceremony noted that Williams looked as many felt
Some speculated that the tennis champion looked like she was about to get sick while on the boat
Williams appeared to be enjoying the ride and waved to fans, but suddenly she started having trouble breathing and had to quickly hold Comancei to steady herself.
People who watched footage of the four-time Olympic gold medalist commented that they thought she looked ill and that she resembled the way people felt when they watched the controversial opening.
Someone said online, “This is how the rest of us felt when we saw it.”
Someone else wrote online: ‘She felt as bad as everyone else!’
Another joked: “She watched the rest of the opening ceremony.”
Team Spain’s Rafael Nadal, former American tennis player Serena Williams, American athlete Carl Lewis and Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci carry the torch on a boat on the River Seine
The Olympic ceremony is controversial with some claiming it is the ‘worst ever’
A social media user said: ‘A large part of the audience felt sick too.’
Another said: ‘What a disgrace for France that opening ceremony was. The French must be furious.’
Another added: ‘I thought Serena was going to get sick.’
And someone else said, ‘Yeah, it was all disgusting.’
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics has been slammed by critics, who called it the “worst ever” due to poor audio caused by near-torrential rain, and joked online that organizers should “stop the boats.”
At one point, as the long line of boats full of athletes made their way down the Seine, there was an embarrassing moment when the announcers renamed South Korea to North Korea.
As the South Korean delegation sailed down the Seine, they were introduced to North Korea’s official name: “Republique populaire democratique de Coree” in French, and “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” in English.
The IOC wrote in a message on its official Korean-language X account: “We sincerely apologize for the error made in the introduction of the South Korean team during the broadcast of the opening ceremony.”
Serena Williams smiles and looks happy before being presented with the Olympic torch for the opening ceremony
Serena Williams walks the red carpet ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26, 2024
Hundreds of thousands of spectators watched as 6,800 athletes, dressed in plastic ponchos, tried to keep the spirits up as they sailed down the Seine in a huge fleet of 85 boats.
Performances by Lady Gaga and some 3,000 dancers, acrobats and actors were barely audible over the sound of rain, with spectators calling it “the worst Olympic opening ceremony ever.”
But of the various art representations named after French values such as liberty, brotherhood and equality, it was the representation in the style of the Last Supper in the ‘festivité’ or party scene that caused the most controversy.
The performance, complete with models, dancers, fashion icons and transvestites from the host country, took place on a bridge over the capital’s river, around a table that doubled as a catwalk.
Other bizarre moments included a singer dressed as a beheaded Marie Antoinette
A catwalk-turned-stage element of the opening ceremony was criticized by some Christians for being a parody of the Last Supper
A performer, painted blue and covered with flowers and fruit, representing the Greek god Dionysus, sang in French
In the center stood a woman with a golden crown in the shape of a halo behind a DJ machine, surrounded by several drag queens and dozens of dancers and performers.
Some people accused the organizers of creating a “woke” parody of the Last Supper – a painting by Leonardo da Vinci depicting Jesus’ final meal with his disciples.
Tesla and SpaceX owner Elon Musk, who has been criticized for his conservative views, including toward his own daughter, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Christianity has become toothless.”
Later in the show came the most bizarre moment of the evening: there was a giant bowl full of fake fruit and other food, with a ‘smurf’ in the middle of it.
The man, dressed in a tight blue bodysuit that left little to the imagination, was dressed as the Greek god of wine, merrymaking and theatre: Dionysus.
