Friday morning and much of Friday afternoon had been threatened by the rain. However, after a three-and-a-half-hour performance, Paris’ gloomy skies eventually cleared, possibly creating the most rainy opening ceremony in the history of the modern Olympics.

Clad with rain jackets and ponchos, hundreds of thousands of onlookers gathered along the banks of the Seine River, and at the first sign of precipitation, an umbrella canopy appeared. However, it was evident that several members of the crowd had had enough once the wet stuff started to fall in earnest for approximately an hour. When the Parade of Nations came to a conclusion, spectators in the open rushed to the shade of hospitality tents.

Dancers occasionally made hesitant moves or were seen to slip a little bit while performing, making the rain visible in the performances. As musicians performed, water spurted from their instruments, and some of the boats transporting the smaller sports delegations seemed to be thrown about in the waves of the Seine.

However, the rain did not dampen the Olympic spirit. Though it’s possible that the majority of Parisians who did not embrace the Games had already left the city in order to escape the millions of people who came to watch the competitions, the athletes, standing in pouring rain days before they are about to compete in the most important competitions of their lives, looked beyond excited to wave to the crowds.