SA's River of Dreams...

With the notes of Lady Gaga's rendition of Mon truc en plumes (My Thine with Feathers) echoing through the bridges and across the waters of the Seine River, South Africa's Olympians cruised into the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics last night, hoping that in this 2024 edition of the Games, their medal ship would come in.

- Brendan Seery

The boat carrying our athletes was fourth in line of the parade of 85 boats along the famous Parisian river in a spectacle which made an elegant and graceful change of the normal parade of athletes through the Olympic stadium.

Not all of our 138 participating athletes (from 19 sports and disciplines) was aboard the shallow draft river cruise boat because some were opting to use the time to rest and prepare mentally for the events ahead.

Also, the boat was shared with other countries, including Albania.

The opening ceremony was an unprecedented and ambitious show with up to 7 000 athletes parading down the River Seine past the historic monuments of the French capital despite the risk of rain dampening spirits.

For the first time in Olympic history, the opening ceremony took place outside the main stadium, with about 300 000 people watching in person from specially built stands on the river banks, and another 200 000 from overlooking balconies and apartments.

As tradition dictates, the Greek delegation had the honour of leading out the flotilla, as the cradle of the modern Olympic movement.