The strangest moments from the Paris Olympics opening ceremony

Big boats and small boats

The ceremony was punctuated by a strange mix of boats, some huge, others tiny. The size of the athletes’ delegation was a key factor, although several nations shared boats where possible. A few, however, were in rather smaller boats, with the two Solomon Islands athletes given their own boat. Indeed, the boat was so small that some feared it would capsize in the torrential Paris rain.

The faceless jockey

It almost looked like a nod to Star Wars, given the outfit, but the oddly armoured and faceless jockey had his moment of glory when he rode down the Seine on a mechanized horse, wearing his Olympic flag as a cape. He then switched horses, dismounted, and then walked for what seemed like an eternity to deliver a second Olympic flag for the hoisting ceremony. The jockey is apparently meant to represent Sequana, the Gallo-Roman goddess of the Seine.

We almost lost Serena Williams

Unexpectedly, the ceremony resumed on the water as Serena Williams, Carl Lewis, Rafael Nadal and Nadia Comaneci travelled up the Seine in a boat with the Olympic torch. There was a mishap when they appeared to hit a wave while passing under a bridge, with Williams briefly appearing to faint or be sick, and Comaneci grabbing her arm for support. “We nearly lost Serena there,” said BBC commentator Andrew Cotter.