Friday's swimming practice is captured in the goggles of Canada's Brent Hayden.

Fireworks over the Olympic Stadium and the Aquatics Arena light up the night sky during Friday night's Opening Ceremony at the Olympic Park in London.

The view from inside the stadium is equally spetacular.

Athletes watch as fireworks explode after the Olympic cauldron was lit during the opening ceremony.

Britain's Steve Redgrave holds the Olympic Flame aloft before he passes it to the seven final torchbearers during the opening ceremony.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is flanked by Britain's Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh (right) and IOC President Jacques Rogge (left) at the Opening Ceremony.

Dancers dazzle with their moves as they perform during the opening ceremony.

Performers bathed in light and shrouded in shadows dance across the stage with mesmerizing movement.

Performers with wings ride bikes during the opening ceremony, and yes, they do take flight.

Actors perform in a sequence meant to represent Britain's National Health Service (NHS).

An actor performs during the opening ceremony, which was filled with stunts, sounds and sights that wowed the spectators.

Fireworks burst over Tower Bridge and the River Thames in London during the opening ceremony.

An artist climbs a chimney during The Age of Industry scene in the opening ceremony.

Spectators are shielded from rain and most everything else thanks to plenty of plastic.

Spectators shelter themselves from the rain with newspapers ahead of the opening ceremony.

Lee Tae Hoon of South Korea, competing in the men's RS-X sailing event, trains on Friday in Weymouth and Portland.

New Zealand's Men's Pursuit team gets it in gear during a training session at the Velodrome in the Olympic Park.

Arrested cyclists are loaded on to a bus after a protest outside the Olympic Park. London police said they arrested several members of an amateur cycling club who tried to pedal their way through the security cordon around the Olympic Park during the opening ceremony.

Northern Irish singer Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol performs on stage in Hyde Park in London.

British singer Paolo Nutini performs at the opening ceremony celebration concert in Hyde Park. The concert was part of a series of events organized by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The Red Arrows fly over London to herald in the Olympic opening ceremony celebration concert in Hyde Park.

Olympic photographs of past performances are projected onto the Palace of Westminster on the bank of the River Thames in the City of Westminster.

US hoops star Kevin Durant looks like a young Samuel Jackson in his opening ceremony outfit.

Apparently SpongeBob is the only one who comes ashore for the Olympics. On Friday, just hours before the opening ceremony, the TV star hung out with some other well-known people: David Beckham, Brandi Chastain and United States First Lady Michelle Obama. They came together for an event to promote fitness, and a friendly game of soccer. Turns out short arms are a hindrance in soccer, as Michelle Obama got one by SpongeBob in net.

The First Lady of the U.S., Michelle Obama, and the First Man of British soccer, David Beckham, mingle at a "Let's Move!'' event for about 1,000 American military children and American and British students at the U.S. ambassador's residence in London, ahead of Friday's opening ceremonies for the Olympics.

The royal barge Gloriana carries the Olympic flame along the river Thames.

With the games about to begin, a volunteer watches rowing training Friday in Eton Dorney, near Windsor.

They're tough as tungsten, heavily armed and ready to defend against any trouble at the Olympics — but as you can see, there's also a sentimental side to these British soldiers as they snap pictures at the All England Lawn Tennis Club at Wimbledon. That's the site for the tennis competition that's scheduled to begin Saturday.