Paris Olympics: Opening Ceremony recap as Summer Games begin [Video]

PARIS, France — It looked like the Paris Olympics would get off to a rough start on Friday, but despite the rainy skies, joy and happiness radiated from athletes and spectators as each boat floated by at the Opening Ceremony. 

The four-hour spectacle kicked off with French soccer legend Zinedine Zidane and ended with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron: a ring of fire carried by a hot air balloon. 

Surprise performances

Lady Gaga delivered a dazzling performance as the first musical act during the Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony — except it was all prerecorded.The Grammy- and Oscar-winning performer kicked off her performance on steps along the Seine River, singing Zizi Jeanmaire’s “Mon Truc en Plumes.” Gaga’s appearance was a surprise — she was not listed on a program provided to the media …