There was nothing but praise from First Lady Jill Biden, who attended Paris’ “spectacular” Olympic opening ceremony this past Friday. Yet, while the First Lady may have been dazzled by the pizazz of Paris and the Eiffel Tower backdrop, she found herself looking ahead Saturday to how the U.S. can match the same Paris energy when the Games are held in Los Angeles in four years. How? Simple – Hollywood, baby.
Friday night’s ceremony saw Biden snapping photos along the Seine River after meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte. Leading the U.S. presidential delegation to the Olympics, Biden continued enjoying the celebrity buzz in The City of Light, hugging and taking photos with hip-hop icon Flavor Flav when she stopped by to watch a women’s water polo match. Mirroring excited grins, Biden and Flavor Flav were decked out in red, white, and blue USA outfits – with the hip-hop star wearing a USA Water Polo clock around his neck — his signature accouterment.
The opening ceremony was a blend of elaborate performances that included the likes of Celine Dion, Lady Gaga, and French-Malian pop star Aya Nakamura, with French flair. The artists’ may have been the focal points, but the landmarks of Paris became the backdrops for captivating song, dance, and surprises like a hot air balloon carrying a ring of fire into a rainy Paris sky near the Eiffel Tower.
While the show also featured heavy rain that drenched the athletes parading on boats down the Seine and the crowds gathered along the river’s banks and bridges, the enthusiastic energy continued, with cheers erupting throughout the city.
Emphasizing that the weather didn’t impact the celebrations, Biden stated, “the rain did not dampen our spirits.”
Also seen at the star-studded ceremony was the founding member of the groundbreaking hip-hop group Public Enemy, the official hype man for USA Water Polo. After his PR team saw a post by an athlete drawing attention to the financial difficulties for most Olympic athletes, the hip-hop artists made an undisclosed financial contribution to the women’s program under a five-year deal.
The first lady also met and took photos with athletes from the U.S. team, giving a round of applause for American star Frederick Richard’s floor routine before meeting with the team shortly after it finished second in its subdivision, just behind Britain.
“That was pretty sick,” the 20-year-old Richard said. “I did not expect today that I would meet the First Lady, but I’m very thankful for the opportunity, and I’m glad they’re watching. I mean, that’s powerful, too.”
Richard’s only regret? He didn’t “show her a cooler floor routine” after he scored a little below his usual standard.
Earlier this week, Biden also stopped by the Grand Palais, the venue that hosts fencing, visiting athletes on the U.S. women’s rugby and the track and field teams at a training center in the northern Paris suburbs.
Speaking at a reception at the U.S. ambassador to France’s official residence, she mused on how the U.S. could top the show in 2028. Biden stated, “OK, so Paris has the Eiffel Tower, but we have Hollywood, right? And the magic of Hollywood that makes all dreams come true. So I think we’re gonna be OK,” she said. The First Lady added, “At the 2028 Games, Olympians and fans will see themselves reflected in Los Angeles — add that to our American warmth, hospitality and leadership, not to mention experience.”
