He said “The first-ever Olympic Games in South America will go from Brazil to the entire world”.
Advertisement
Besides showcasing the unique culture of Brazil and its deep connection with dance and music, the theme of environmentalism was also highlighted, no surprise considering the country is at the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
Controversies, from the banning of Russian athletes for doping to the myriad of domestic issues that had plagued Brazil, had dominated much of the build-up to the Rio Games but these were all put aside temporarily as Brazil sambaed the night away.
As Brazilian officials took their seats in the stadium, there were shouts of “out with Temer” from sections of the crowd.
Brazil s Gisele strutted into the arena to the iconic “Girl From Ipanema” before Greece, home of the ancient Olympics, led out the colourful athletes parade. Phelps was 15 when he made his first Olympic team in 2000, and he has competed in every Games since. This is the first time that the South American country has hosted Olympics. When they sprout, they will be planted in a Rio park.
Michael Phelps led the USA team, the largest with 549 competitors. History’s greatest Olympian will be looking to add to his record haul of 22 medals, in three individual swims plus relays, before the August 21 closing ceremony.
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.
Marathon runner Vanderlei Cordeiro lit the cauldron after an exuberant show of Brazilian cultural touchstones and breathtaking pyrotechnics – and a compulsory burst of samba.
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.
“Leaders don’t know which president to greet, the one who was removed or her interim replacement”, Basso told The Associated Press.
Advertisement
The opening ceremony in the city’s famous Maracana football stadium retraced the history of Brazil, from the arrival of Portuguese colonists through to the introduction of African slaves and the immigration of Arab and Japanese communities. Rio is one hour later than Eastern time.
