The Paris Olympics kicked off with an extravagant opening ceremony on Friday night when an armada of boats carried 10,500 athletes along the Seine — the first outdoor version of the spectacle that was expected to be watched by a billion people.

However, a shadow was cast over the event by an act of criminal sabotage that hit France’s high-speed rail network in the early hours of the morning that caused nationwide transport chaos. Heavy rain began to fall about 30 minutes into the three-hour show, a nightmare scenario for the planners of the theatrical performance that featured a massive cast of dancers, two orchestras and a clutch of pop stars, including Lady Gaga doing a cabaret-tinged song.

“We are ready for this magnificent event,” said interior minister Gérald Darmanin before the ceremony, adding that no specific threats had been detected. The railway sabotage would “not have direct consequence on the Olympics or the ceremony”.