There’s nothing like the unique Brazilian vibe – and the opening ceremony for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will see no shortage of samba, culture, diversity and history as the South American nation proudly showcases its traditions and environmental wonders. This opening ceremony will be a celebration of Brazilian culture, of the pageantry, of the excitement, of the flare that this lovely nation has.
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The honor of declaring the games open will fall to Michel Temer, Brazil’s unpopular interim president, standing in for suspended President Dilma Rousseff.
The 2016 Olympics have been formally opened with a colourful and pulsating ceremony at Rio’s Maracana stadium.
International Olympic Committee resident Thomas Bach spoke after the parade of athletes and said the Rio Games will promote peace.
An alluring fireworks display – which ushered in the games in the historic city of Rio de janeiro.
This is the first Olympics at which athletes can compete under the flag of Kosovo, which proclaimed independence from Serbia in 2008.
The UOL media outlet reported that former tennis world number one Gustavo Kuerten would be the one to light the Olympic cauldron, as the last of the 12,494 people who have carried the torch since it was lit in April at the birthplace of the ancient games in Olympia, Greece.
The ceremony started with the raising of the Brazilian flag and the national anthem. Their flag-bearer, Rose Nathike Lokonyen, fled war in South Sudan and ran her first race in a refugee camp in northern Kenya.
First, the opening ceremony drew praise from all over the world.
Michael Phelps will lead the USA team, the largest with 549 competitors.
On Saturday, some of the proud locals watched as Brazil’s women’s handball team beat Olympic champion Norway.
The Portuguese bobbed to shore in boats, the African slaves rolled in on wheels and together they ploughed through the forests and planted the seeds of modern Brazil. “We are calling for action”, said Fernando Meirelles, one of the directors of the show.
He was jeered by some in the crowd at the famed Maracana soccer stadium in a sign of the political divisions that have riven the country ahead of the games, but otherwise the opening ceremony was untroubled.
Russia’s team shrunk from 389 to 270 athletes following the government-orchestrated cheating in previous, recent competitions.
Shoals of samba dancers flowed in a rainbow of colors, but many showed less flesh than normal for Brazil, seemingly mindful of their global TV audience. For now, here are the photos captured by DigitalGlobe that show how Brazil prepared for the Olympics. “I hope we have wonderful games in Brazil”.
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“They failed and that tells me that this was all just a way for corrupt politicians to steal more”, said Palma, who was sharing a pork sandwich and a beer with her 20-year-old daughter.
