The day also sees Team GB’s women’s hockey side take on Australia in their opening pool match and World Champion James Guy looking for a first swimming medal in the 400m freestyle. We have worked for seven years for this.
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The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, have officially begun with Friday’s (Aug. 5) Opening Ceremony.
International Olympic Committee resident Thomas Bach spoke after the parade of athletes and said the Rio Games will promote peace.
“Our admiration for you is even greater”.
Zoë Schlanger, senior writer at Newsweek, joined Marketplace Weekend to discuss water issues at the Rio Olympics and beyond.
There was no Pele – the Brazilian football legend’s ill health prevented him from lighting the Olympic flame – but the show went on.
After the grandeur of Beijing’s opening ceremony and the high-tech, cheeky inventiveness of London’s, Rio’s was earthier and less swish but more sobering with its gloomy environmental look at the future and deliberate penny-pinching. “This will be a symbol of hope for all the refugees in our world, and will make the world better aware of the magnitude of this crisis”.
There had been concerns beforehand that the limited budget allocated to the ceremony would lead to a less-than-impressive production, but under the leadership of director Fernando Meirelles (City of God, 2002) the cast provided an evening that would not be forgotten by those who took their seats in the 80 000-seater venue.
Prior to the 11,000-plus athletes parading into the stadium, it was revealed each of them would plant a seed that would form a forest at Radical Park in Deodoro, containing a different species for each of the 207 competing nations. I’m proud of my city, my country. “I believe that the unity is the key to creating a world filled with kindness, gratitude, peace, and love”.
More than 80,000 police and security staff are being used in the city – double the amount used for the London Olympics in 2012.
From the favela came Brazilian funk, a contemporary mash-up of 20th century rhythms, sung by stars Karol Conka and MC Soffia.
The Russian team was led into the stadium by flag bearer Sergei Tetiukhin, who is on the men’s volleyball team.
On behalf of all 11,288 competitors (6,182 men; 5,106 women), Brazilian two-time Olympic champion sailor Robert Scheidt pledged that they won’t take banned drugs – an oath likely to ring false to fans after the scandal of government-orchestrated cheating in Russian Federation.
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The IOC’s decision not to impose a blanket ban on Russia over revelations of a state-sponsored doping program opened the door to legal turmoil which left the precise make-up of the Russian team in limbo.
