Zinedine Zidane, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams steal the show as rain-drenched opening ceremony sees Paris Olympics begin with a bang
Paris delivered an epic Olympic opening ceremony to officially get the global sporting tournament off to a bang.
Zinedine Zidane, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams were just some of the stars of the occasion which saw a host of A-list celebrities involved.
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Event organisers would have been tearing their hair out when seeing the heavy rain that was forecast for Friday night.
But it'll take more than torrential rain to stop the biggest event on the planet.
Lady Gaga got things started with a stunning performance that, in part, she delivered in French as she paid tribute to the culture that shaped her success.
While one of her backing dancers endured a moment to forget by slipping in the rain, it was a moment that perfectly encapsulated the feeling that a little downpour wouldn't hurt anybody.
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A series of performances took place on the banks of the River Seine, while 94 boats containing competitors from 184 nations - including stars such as Andy Murray and Team USA flagbearers LeBron James and Coco Gauff - made their way down the river with flags and ponchos in equal amounts as each nation refused to let the weather dampen their spirits.
As darkness descended upon the Seine, a silver, metallic horse and rider made its way down the river with the Olympic flag on the jockey's shoulders before the official raising of the Olympic flag.
The flags of the 184 nations then formed a guard of honour as the Olympic flag was placed in advance of a series of speeches.
It wasn't long until the journey of the Olympic torch to its final destination got started.
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Superstars such as Snoop Dogg had been involved earlier in its journey through Paris, but it was Zidane who started its final route through the city.
As fans chanted 'Zizou', Zidane passed the torch onto tennis legend Rafael Nadal, who is sporting royalty in the French capital having won the French Open on 14 occasions, as well as claiming an Olympic gold in Beijing 2008.
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Making his way onto a speedboat, Nadal was joined by a number of sporting stars including fellow tennis great Serena Williams as they faced the unenviable task of keeping the Olympic torch alight during a windy and rain-swept journey through Paris.
A stunning light show at the Eiffel Tower kept spectators enthralled as the torch made its way towards the Louvre, where a number of historic French sporting icons - including ex-NBA star Tony Parker - carried the torch to its final destination as the Olympic Flame was lit and lifted high above the city.
And as the four-hour spectacle was winding down, there was one more treat for fans - a performance from pop queen Celine Dion.
Team GB legend Paula Radcliffe previews the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris
The singer serenaded the city from the Eiffel Tower in an emotionally-charged performance.
It truly was a memorable Olympic opening ceremony, with France being the first nation to host the event on river rather than in a stadium.
If the event itself can be even half as memorable, then sports fans will be in store for a cracking couple of weeks.
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