Among the festivities at the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony — which included a metal horse galloping down the Seine river and a metal rock band performing on the side of a building in Paris — few might have noticed when one of the event's longest standing traditions went wrong.
After being brought down the same path on the Seine as the athletes (which took close to 30 minutes), the Olympic flag was raised upside down as it was hoisted up the pole in front of all of the delegations at the end of the parade route in front of the Eiffel Tower.
The "you had one job" moment unfortunately took place on the world's biggest stage, and viewers had a field day with the mistake online. Here are some of the best reactions to the opening ceremony blunder.
Social media reacts to upside-down Olympic flag
Those who managed to stay awake during the Opening Ceremonies were treated to the Olympic flag being flown upside down pic.twitter.com/flIG1kF8g7
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) July 26, 2024
If you’re having a bad day at work, it could be worse. You could be the flag team that hoisted the Olympic Flag upside down at the opening ceremony. #Paris2024
— Jonathan Jaworski (@jaworskijp) July 26, 2024
The Olympic flag is upside down!! #Paris2024 #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/GCvusFEGED
— mrlkdds (@mrlkdds) July 26, 2024
That long journey down the Seine just to deliver a flag that was put on UPSIDE DOWN?? #OpeningCeremony
— Matthew Joyce (@ItsMatthewJoyce) July 26, 2024
I’m in awe of France spending €130m on a lavish, unintelligible ceremony that culminates in sending the Olympic flag down the Seine on a robot horse for nearly half an hour, the central moment of the event, only for them to raise it upside down.
— Against League 3 (@AgainstLeague3) July 26, 2024
