Chaos at Paris Olympic ceremony as rain dampens grand opening

With 115 boats carrying delegations of athletes, the presence of leaders from nearly a hundred countries, journalists, photo reporters, and a sea of fans, the inauguration of the Summer Olympic Games was expected to be grand. Spectators were treated to spectacular visual displays and performances by the biggest stars along the Seine River. However, the organizers' decision to hold this costly outdoor ceremony backfired.

Despite perfecting every detail, one thing could not be predicted - the erratic weather. Morning weather reports failed to mention possible rainfall in the French capital. However, in the late afternoon, the Parisian sky became completely covered with clouds, and torrential rain impacted not only the quality of the broadcast but also the moods of the world's dignitaries attending the event.

Nearly 320,000 participants in the ceremony experienced the changing weather firsthand. Cameras captured famous athletes and members of the royal elite in raincoats. There were also technical problems. The large screen placed at Trocadero Square, where a huge crowd was closely watching the event, stopped working at one point. Additionally, the heavy rain effectively drowned out the music, and millions of television viewers could see the raindrops better than the Olympic river parade.

Fortunately, the downpour did not affect the ceremony's program. It started promptly at 1:30 PM, and just a few minutes later, the audience could applaud the highly anticipated performance by Lady Gaga, who paid a remarkable tribute to the legendary French artist Zizi Jeanmaire—significant moments of the Olympic Games opening ceremony also included Zinedine Zidane passing the Olympic torch to three children and a dance referencing the reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral.