Rio 2016 officially opens on Friday with the traditional Olympic Games opening ceremony which begins at 8pm (local time) and will be seen by three billion people around the world.
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On Friday, the torch will be carried into the Maracana stadium to light the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony where Temer will pronounce the Games open.
More supporters made their way into the Olympic Stadium, with the official attendance of 13,439 given, although that was more than 75 per cent short of capacity.
Most Canadians prefer the winter Olympics: When asked which Olympic Games they look forward to most, 43 per cent of respondents said winter, 32 per cent said “neither” and just 25 per cent chose summer.
Executive producer Marco Balich said: “I would call on all the athletes to join what is going to be the coolest party they have participated in”.
“The social programme will kick in in the sports we don’t know”.
Given the low-tech budget, Thomas said they looked back at how the Greeks, the inventors of the Games, created “analogue” performances in ancient times.
While the Rio 2016 organizing committee has not said how much the ceremony cost, it is believed to be about half of the $42 million spent by London in 2012. “I think it’s right, given the situation the world and Brazil finds itself in, that we don’t have an opulent ceremony“.
Brazil has been grappling with a volatile political situation, concerns over crime levels in Rio, water pollution, late infrastructure and an outbreak of the Zika virus, which has clouded the start to the Games. “And we have conveyed the message of sustainability which has excited and motivated all of us”.
The team made special adjustments for Russian Federation – typically among the top five medal winners – since it is unclear to what degree the country will participate, due to the doping scandal. You remember Muhammad Ali lighting the torch in Atlanta and the archer in Barcelona.
An in-depth report from the Associated Press described Guanabara Bay, where many of Rio’s open water competitions are taking place, as contaminated with raw human sewage and dead bodies that could put almost 1,400 athletes at risk of getting violently ill.
Another of the creative directors, Fernando Meirelles, said previous opening ceremonies, particularly the spectacle that kick-started the Beijing 2008 Games, had served as inspiration for Rio.
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Bolt is aiming for a triple triple, having won gold over 100m, 200m and the 4x100m relay in Beijing and London.
