Memorable Olympic opening ceremony moments: Why Tonga's oiled-up flag bearer 'may' not return in Paris
Countdown to Paris
Over the next 16 days, thousands of athletes will compete and create memories that are bound to last a lifetime.
The opening ceremony in Paris is set to make history with athletes floating down the Seine to open the Games.
But with the full plan of the opening ceremony yet to be revealed, let's step back in time to see what could be in store in Paris.
Human pyramid display (Moscow, 1980)
The opening ceremony in Moscow put on a dazzling display as performers assembled to create a human pyramid.
The pyramids filled the arena before a card display emerged in the grandstands to form the flags of the nations competing.
Olympic theme debuts (Los Angeles, 1984)
Today, it is hard to miss the iconic Olympic theme echo through the stadium at the opening and closing ceremonies at the Games.
But the score had yet to be heard until American composer John Williams debuted the graceful sounds at the Los Angeles Games.
Williams' 'Olympic Fanfare and Theme' became an instant success and has since been used as the theme for every Olympics.
American 'rocketman' (Los Angeles, 1984)
A futuristic stunt took place 40 years ago in Los Angeles Stadium.
American 'rocketman' Bill Suitor hovered over the crowd with a jetpack on his back before he zipped around the venue in a fun-filled display.
"It was like trying to stand on a beach ball in a swimming pool," Suitor said, when asked what navigating the jetpack was like.
World first flight marred by doves (Seoul, 1988)
In a historic moment for broadcast TV, a group of skydivers from all over the world descended from the sky in an exhibition jump.
With the colours of the rings flying behind them, the diver united in the air to form the Olympic rings before separating to land.
However, the flight was marred by the incineration of a number of doves in the cauldron - which were released as a traditional symbol of world peace.
Archer lights up sky (Barcelona, 1992)
Antonio Rebollo performed one of the most ambitious and iconic moments in Olympic history as he pulled his bow back.
His arrow lit up the Barcelona sky, travelling over 70 metres to perfectly land and erupt a burning flame in the Olympic Cauldron.
Muhammad Ali returns amid battle (Atlanta, 1996)
The 1960 gold medallist made a surprise appearance to open the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, with the moment serving as a harsh reminder of the reality of morality.
Ali, who was suffering the early stages of Parkinson's disease, proudly battled the pain to light the Cauldron inside the Centennial Olympic Stadium.
When Australia met Nikki Webster (Sydney, 2000)
Falling gracefully from the sky, a 13-year-old Nikki Webster was introduced to the nation as she sung Under the Southern Skies.
The performance instantly captured the heart of the nation before she released a follow up single, Strawberry Kisses.
The song later became the unofficial song of the World Cup for the Matildas.
120 Horsemen (Sydney, 2000)
A lone horseman came galloping into the empty stadium to open the Sydney Olympics.
At the crack of his whip, 120 more horsemen and women came riding in carrying Olympic flags as the theme from 'The Man from Snowy River' played.
The group diverged as a flag unfolded with a traditional Aussie welcome with the word "G'Day" appeared before the horsemen formed the Olympic rings.
Ancient to modern Olympiad (Athens, 2004)
Returning to the home of the Olympiad, Greece took everyone back in time to where the competition began.
The ceremony brought together a number of iconic messages and cultural significance that the Games holds to bring the evolution of the modern Olympics to life.
