THREE equestrian Olympians were part of the Irish contingent of 20 athletes for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games along the Seine in Paris last Friday night. Abigail Lyle, who had just arrived in the capital city, was joined by show jumpers Shane Sweetnam and Daniel Coyle, who came in for the occasion, before going back to their European bases.

The was the first time in history the Olympic opening ceremony didn’t take place in a stadium and it featured performances from Lady Gaga, Gojira and a show-stopping comeback by Céline Dion. The incredible production included a metal horse galloping down the river to deliver the Olympic flag.

Speaking about the experience of the opening ceremony, Abigail Lyle said: “Oh my gosh, it was amazing. It was very wet! But it was unbelievable, I’ll never see anything like that again in my life. We got to go to the Olympic village and chill out there for a while, have a walk around and get a coffee and they gave us all a phone. Everyone was so nice, but I have to say, I am a 39-year-old equestrian and it is one way to definitely make you feel old walking around in there with all the young, tall athletes!” Lyle said with a laugh.

The flag bearers were golfer Shane Lowry and hurdler Sarah Lavin, while all the athletes wore uniforms designed by Dublin native Laura Weber.