Olympic officials were left red-faced after one of the Opening Ceremony’s longest standing traditions went horribly wrong in Paris on Saturday morning AEST.
After embarking a lengthy journey along the River Seine, which took nearly 30 minutes, the Olympic flag was delivered by a mysterious masked figure and hoisted into the air at Place du Trocadero.
However, eagled-eyed viewers on social media notched the flag, which donned the five Olympic rings, was upside down.
A historic boat parade down the River Seine launched the Paris Olympics with spectacular French flair, as the City of Light welcomed the world’s greatest athletes for a sporting extravaganza.
Braving torrential rain, some 300,000 people lined the river banks to cheer on the armada carrying competitors past the city’s iconic sights, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral.
The wildly ambitious display was the first time the Olympic opening ceremony has been staged outside the main stadium, making it the biggest-ever launch for the “Greatest Show on Earth”.
Source Agencies
