With a groundbreaking Opening Ceremony under constant rain, the French officially announced the start of the 33rd Olympic Games on Friday 26th July. This was the first time in history that an opening ceremony was not held at the Stadium but featured thletes and officials cruising along the Seine River with Paris’ iconic landmarks as a stunning backdrop for the parade of nations. The torrential rain that hit the ceremony could have dampened the spirits of all taking part, but in true Maltese fashion, Team Malta  took it all with a strong dose of positivity and embraced the moment with loud cheers and big smiles. The Opening Ceremony was attended by more than 85 leaders of state and governments down in the torrential rain, but also more than 300,000 spectators from the riverbanks, where there are about 80 giant screens along the way. Flag bearers for Malta were Gianluca Chetcuti (Shooting) and Sasha Gatt (Swimming) Team Malta in Paris is supported by Sport Malta, NDSF, APS Bank, National Lottery, Olympic Solidarity and KM Malta Airlines