“It’s disappearing very quickly”.
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Before the show, in a video broadcast, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the games “celebrate the best of humanity” and appealed for an Olympic truce, calling on “all warring parties to lay down their weapons” during the two weeks of sporting achievement.
Cash-strapped Brazil has had to keep in check spending on its Olympics, the first to be held in a South American city.
De Lima was a worthy replacement, but the absence of the most recognisable Brazilian sportsman on the planet was somehow fitting with the pared down nature of Rio’s opening night.
The jeers Brazil’s interim leader Temer was trying to avoid at the outset of the ceremony could not be avoided later on, though, as his short address to officially open the Olympics was drowned out by loud catcalls.
The Olympic cauldron was lighted by former marathon runner Vanderlei de Lima. Fewer than 25 foreign heads of state were listed as attending, with others seemingly staying away to avoid giving the impression of taking sides amid Brazil’s leadership uncertainty. Fireworks formed the word “Rio” in the skies. Bach, who has faced criticism in recent weeks for his decision not to ban Russian Federation from the Games over a doping scandal, said the August 5-21 sporting extravaganza would send a message of hope to the watching world. The largest cheers of the night were reserved for when the refugee team walked out into the Maracana Stadium.
Each athlete will be asked to plant seeds that will eventually grow into trees and be planted in the Athletes Forest in Rio in a few years.
The ceremony also had a strong environrmental message Reuters As host, Brazil were the last nation to enter the Maracana Stadium, led by Yane Marques.
But Spitz said Phelps was not properly rested for the trials, and said the extra incentive of swimming his final games ensured that the record 22-time Olympic medalist would remain a force to be reckoned with.
But Brazil’s most famous athlete – soccer star Pele – will not appear. The USA was the 70th country out of 207 introduced because its name in Portuguese – Estados Unidos da America – put it earlier in the parade than normal. Creative director Fernando Meirelles said their budget was slashed by half as Brazil’s economic recession bit ever harder. Some wondered if it actually ever lit up, but we’re pretty sure it did.
The opening ceremonies on Friday were criticized for showing too many advertisements, but the festivities, a mixture of lively and dark, kicked off with earnest stories, energetic dancing and an attention-grabbing catwalk from supermodel Gisele Bundchen.
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These are hard times for a country that was enjoying rapid economic growth when Rio won the right to host the Games but is now in recession.
