Sir Keir Starmer wore his own designed Team Great Britain Adidas jacket when he met with British athletes at the Paris Olympics.
The navy blue coat came in very handy as the skies opened up during last night’s opening ceremony.
The prime minister was photographed wearing a blue hoodie as he watched the rain-soaked ceremony on Friday, which was unusual in that it was held outdoors rather than in an enclosed stadium.
Labour’s tweet included a picture of the Prime Minister wearing the jacket, alongside senior government officials wearing ponchos, with the joke that “preparation is the key to success”.
His jacket would have come in handy as players wore plastic ponchos to keep from getting soaked in the 85-boat convoy.
Without raincoats or umbrellas, the British players smiled at their fans and tried to embrace the bad weather.
Asked about a funding shortfall facing UK Sport, the government body that funds the UK’s Olympic and Paralympic programme, Sir Keir told the BBC the issue was under review.
Lord Starmer met with British athletes wearing the UK national team’s Adidas jacket. Pictured: The Prime Minister speaks to British judoka Kelly Petersen-Pollard. British amateur boxer Delicious Ollie in training with Lord Starmer. A Labour Party tweet of Lord Starmer’s attendance at the Opening Ceremony was captioned “Preparation is the key to success”. The Prime Minister was seen watching the Opening Ceremony on Friday night in pouring rain, with his hood up. The Prime Minister visited British athletes as they trained. Lord Starmer called the delegation a “fantastic” team and said they had “calm confidence”. Lord Starmer with judoka Kelly Petersen-Pollard. During the visit, the Prime Minister stressed that Britain was “punching its teeth” at the Olympics. The Prime Minister told reporters that the Olympics was “the biggest thing for me”. Thumbs up: Prime Minister encourages British athletes during Olympic training
“That’s something we’ll need to look at and obviously we’re still having discussions about funding,” he said.
“But these are tough times in terms of the economy – I won’t pretend they aren’t – but this is an important thing and it’s an investment in the next UK team.”
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He said it was “fantastic” to meet the British athletes and insisted “we can surpass our potential” at the Olympics.
He added: “I tell the players, the whole country is watching you, so that adds a bit of pressure, but they are great athletes who come into this game full of hope and determination. But at the same time, I sense a calm confidence that they bring to the job, and I think that’s what you need.”
Sir Keir told Eurosport presenter Laura Woods that he watches all sport but that this is why the Olympics is “the biggest one for me”.
The Prime Minister said he met athletes including boxer Delicious Ollie, adding that it was “really special” because his son is a fan.
Sir Keir was also forced to make last-minute changes to his journey after the Eurostar attack on the high-speed train prevented him from arriving in Paris.
Unlike the dignitaries around him, Prime Minister Sir Keir chose not to wear a poncho during Friday’s rain-soaked opening ceremony. The prime minister stands and claps while watching the Olympic opening ceremony in Paris last night, which also saw the much-anticipated return of French-Canadian singer Celine Dion, who sang beneath the Eiffel Tower. An aerial view of the Eiffel Tower and five Olympic rings lit up during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Due to confusion and delays, the prime minister flew to the French capital to attend the opening ceremony.
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Three fires were reported on Friday near the Atlantique, Nord and Est high-speed rail tracks. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal labelled the fires as “acts of vandalism”.
Eurostar has advised passengers not to use the service due to ongoing disruptions, and trains have been cancelled or delayed, including those between London and Paris.
The CEO of French railway company SNCF warned Olympic visitors that the effects of the attack would be felt throughout the weekend.
Sir Keir watched as flag bearers Tom Daley and Helen Glover led the British delegation through the Olympic Opening Ceremony in Paris on Friday night, a ceremony marred by bad weather and much of its excitement.
The dire situation in Paris continued today with heavy rain forcing the postponement of tennis matches at Roland Garros and also the postponement of skateboarding events.
British athletes braved the elements in a convoy down the Seine. The opening ceremony was marred by bad weather, with spectators reaching for umbrellas, ponchos and parasols. A female jockey carrying the Olympic flag down the Seine was one of the show’s unforgettable moments. President Emmanuel Macron waves to the crowd at the start of the Olympic opening ceremony.
The show also featured the long-awaited return of French-Canadian pop star Celine Dion, who sang beneath the Olympic rings at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.
Lady Gaga also took to the stage as thousands of people gathered along the Seine River seeking shelter from the pouring rain.
Besides the bad weather, another blunder occurred during the competition when the Olympic flag was mistakenly hoisted upside down.
Unlike his dignitaries neighbours, Sir Keir did not wear a protective poncho as he braved the pouring rain at Trocadero, where the athletes’ six-kilometre (three-mile) stretch along the Seine river ends.
The tournament has now got into full swing with 14 medal events and a program on Saturday that will see three-time Olympic champion Adam Peaty make his 100m breaststroke heats debut.
