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. Asked if these were really his last Games, he jokingly said they should be called, “My potential last Olympics”.
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At the opening ceremony, International Olympic Committee president, Thomas Bach said: “We were all waiting for this moment”. But the nation’s troubles intruded anyway.
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 and with a government in tatters.
Overall, the atmosphere in the Maracana Stadium was celebratory, as a succession of actors, dancers and musicians raced through routines meant to showcase Brazil’s culture, diversity and history, even finding time for a brief lecture on environmental issues.
According to early estimates, NBC’s full opening ceremony between 8 and 11:30 p.m. posted a 16.5 overnight household rating (which should come out to about 30 million viewers), compared to 23.0 during London 2012 (40 million viewers).
Mr Temer, a 75-year-old law professor, became acting president after the Senate voted in favour of launching an impeachment trial against Ms Rousseff, suspending her.
One of the warmest cheers of the evening was given to a team consisting of refugee athletes-the first ever at any Olympics.
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.
A man climbs on the Olympic rings near the basketball venue in the Olympic park on th eve before the opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016. Many residents are upset over how much money was spent on these games, saying it could have been better-directed toward Brazilian needs.
(AP Photo/Felipe Dana). In this photo taken with a slow shutter speed, people watch as cyclists ride past them on Ipanema beach during the men’s cycling road race final at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016. You have transformed the city of Rio de Janeiro into a modern metropolis and made it even more attractive. “We can do great things here, too”, said Silveira, an unemployed engineer. I love this country.
Britain may see its first flourish of medals on Saturday, with Chris Froome hoping to add to his third Tour de France victory in July with a gold in the men’s road race, and judoka Ashley McKenzie in the bronze round of the men’s 60kg.
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“I wasn’t very excited until last night, I admit”, waiter Wilson Elias said.
