One small step

The 1991 World Student Games were held in Sheffield. Who better to open them than local lass and first British astronaut Helen Sharman, fresh from a trip to the Mir space station? Trouble was, more used to floating weightless than trotting round a track, she tripped and dropped the torch, extinguishing the ceremonial flame.

The tooth will out

The 2008 Olympics' opening bash at Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium was deemed a success, with spectacular fireworks (aided by CGI, it turned out) and flawless dance routines. Yet controversy ensued when it emerged that cute, pigtailed nine-year-old Lin Miaoke, who "sang" the national anthem, was miming to another schoolgirl's voice. Embarrassed organisers were forced to admit that the vocals actually belonged to seven-year-old Yang Peiyi, who had won a national contest to perform but was deemed unsuitable due to her bad teeth.

Hubble bubble cauldron trouble

The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver opened on an awkward note, due to a massive malfunctioning cauldron. Four pillars were supposed to rise, enabling a quartet of Canadian sporting heroes to walk up them and jointly light the flame. Only three legs rose to the occasion, leaving speed-skater Catriona LeMay Doan standing sheepishly with a flaming torch but nowhere to go.

A scuff Supreme

Not one but two American showbiz queens came a cropper launching the 1994 World Cup at Soldier Field in Chicago. After performing a medley of her hits, soul diva Diana Ross had to take a penalty from a few yards out. Humiliatingly, she toe-punted the shot yards wide. The goal promptly split in half and fell apart. The ceremony's presenter Oprah Winfrey then slipped off her on-stage dais.

Tarred feathers

To get the 1988 Seoul Olympics under way, a flock of doves was released into the stadium as a symbol of peace. Sadly, that peace didn't extend to the birds, and when the cauldron was lit several doves were flame-grilled live on TV in front of billions.

He chutes, he scores

The 1988 Africa Cup of Nations kicked off in Casablanca with parachutists descending into the stadium and landing in the centre circle. Until the 10th skydiver veered off course and flew into a floodlight. He hung upside down from a pylon for 45 minutes while the ceremony continued below. Eventually a crane arrived to rescue him.