The 32-year-old has sport in the blood, born to a mother who was part of the French volleyball team and a father who competed in the 1988 Seoul Olympics in windsurfing. 

Cadre fell into breakdancing at the age of nine after seeing a clip on TV, later adding contortion to his skill set, followed by acrobatics and circus arts. Not forgetting "a bit of ballet, tap-dancing" and free running, which involves creatively throwing yourself around obstacles and urban environments, like parkour. 

Cadre describes his style as "a mixture of movement art and visual art", and emphasises the point by swinging his leg up behind his ear in a standing split, then perching on one hand. 

He has been working with a team of dancers since early June on Sunday's ceremony at the Stade de France, where the athletics events are held. 

While he is keeping details of the 30-minute show under wraps, he told AFP his character is "the common thread" recounting the story on a large stage featuring many performers and lots of visual effects.  "It will be something that people are not used to seeing in France," he said.