Rain-soaked Seine spectacle marks Paris Olympics opening; Singapore led by flagbearers Shanti Pereira, Ryan Lo

PARIS: Down the River Seine, against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower and in the pouring rain, Paris welcomed the Olympic Games with a historic opening ceremony on Friday (Jul 26).

One hundred years after it last held the Games, France's capital city welcomed the multi-sport event for the third time.

But in a gutsy move, organisers eschewed the main athletics stadium for an 85-boat parade down a 6km stretch of water - an Olympics first.

In front of a crowd of more than 300,000, there was no shortage of star power during the four-hour-long celebration, including Lady Gaga, Celine Dion and United States flag-bearer Lebron James.

Team Singapore's contingent of 29 athletes and officials was led by sprint queen Shanti Pereira and sailor Ryan Lo, both of whom carried the country's flag.

With rain forecast for the evening, there were fears that the weather could derail proceedings.

To further complicate matters, France's high-speed rail network was hit by arson attacks that disrupted travel for hundreds of thousands of passengers on Friday, just hours before the opening ceremony.

But the moody skies and damp seats would not dampen the mood as smoke in the French tricolour billowed over the Pont d'Austerlitz to get things started.

As is tradition, the first nation out on the parade of nations was Greece, with towering NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo gripping the flag.

Early in the procession, Lady Gaga emerged through a plume of pink feathers on the banks of the Seine to loud cheers. The pop star had been rumoured to be performing, and she sang Zizi Jeanmaire's "Mon truc en plumes".

With raindrops beginning to pelt down, ponchos were hastily put on. Spectators were treated to a variety of performances ranging from a Gojira rendition