French Olympic heroes Marie-José Pérec and Teddy Riner light the cauldron to kick off the Paris Games

Twenty-four French athletes carried the Olympic torch, but a special duo was given the honor of lighting the cauldron.

The torch’s final journey began with football legend Zinedine Zidane, and it was eventually passed on to two French Olympic heroes who each won three Olympic gold medals.

Track star Marie-José Pérec and judoka Teddy Riner lit the cauldron, which also had a French touch, as did the rest of the opening ceremony.

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Marie-José Pérec and Teddy Riner light the Olympic flame during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. (Marijan Murat/photo alliance via Getty Images)

The duo lit their torches on a 100-foot hot air balloon, marking the first hydrogen balloon flight in 1783.

Perec, 56, won gold in the 400 meters at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and four years later in Atlanta. She also won gold in the 200 meters in 1996. At the time, her time of 48.25 seconds in the 400 meters in 1996 was an Olympic record.

Torchbearers Marie-José Pérec and Teddy Riner light the Olympic cauldron at the Tuileries Gardens during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26, 2024, in Paris. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

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Riner won gold in London 2012 and Rio 2016 in the over 100kg category, and won the mixed team event in Tokyo. The 35-year-old also has 12 world championship gold medals, including one last year. He will be aiming for his fourth Olympic gold this year and will begin competition on August 2.

This is the second consecutive time that an athlete competing in that year’s Olympics has lit the cauldron. Naomi Osaka lit the cauldron in Tokyo 2021 before the competition.

Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Nadia Comaneci and Tony Parker were all torchbearers before the official lighting.

The Paris skyline after the lighting of the Olympic cauldron by torchbearers Marie-José Pérec and Teddy Riner during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 26, 2024, in Paris. (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

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Although the ceremony took place on Friday, events began on Wednesday, including United States Women’s Soccer victory over Zambia.

The first medal events begin on Saturday.

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