HK pair to turn on the style in Paris Games opening
Top News | Alysha Bibi and Ayra Wang 26 Jul 2024
Alysha Bibi and Ayra Wang
Hong Kong fencer Edgar Cheung Ka-long will rock a new hairstyle and star swimmer Siobhan Haughey will flash Olympic-themed nails as the SAR's flag bearers at the Paris Games opening ceremony.
The glittering, more-than-three-hour-long ceremony will be held at 1.30am tomorrow (HK time) and for the first time will be held outside a sports arena.
Instead of a traditional march into a stadium, about 10,500 athletes will parade on more than 90 boats on the River Seine for six kilometers. Hundreds of thousands of people, including 320,000 paying and invited ticket-holders, are expected to line the Seine's banks.
Led by Cheung and Haughey, Hong Kong will be the 82nd delegation among more than 200 countries and regions to appear in the parade.
But there are still worries that the weather will wreak havoc on the spectacle, as the weather service Meteo-France is forecasting light rain.
If it rains, the ceremony is expected to go on as planned, so Cheung can still sport that new hairstyle, which was done by his coach Gregory Koenig.
Haughey's nails should stay intact even if it the rains. The double silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago said the painted nails are part of her "dress up" campaign, which hopefully will give her good luck.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, who arrived in Paris yesterday, said he will also be attending the opening ceremony.
Yeung met with Hong Kong athletes and their coaches at the Olympic Village and got a positive feedback about the accommodation.
"Athletes have told me that they can rest well and are used to the food here," Yeung said, adding that the air conditioners prepared by the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China also improved the condition.
"I've told athletes that they are supported by all Hongkongers and should try their best while enjoying the competition," he added.
Yeung said it is also "encouraging" that some 20 athletes are making their Olympic debuts as it shows that Hong Kong has developed a good training system.
"This means that new athletes with high standards start to emerge in our system, which is important for Hong Kong as we would like to have a system that could continuously produce athletes up to world standards."
He said the government will keep communicating with the delegation and the committee to assist athletes throughout the Games.
Yeung also met with Vice President Han Zheng, who will be attending the opening ceremony on behalf of President Xi Jinping.
Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, president of the SF&OC, accompanied Yeung when he met Hong Kong athletes and inspected facilities at the village.
