Residents of the Mangueira favela or slum, which overlooks the Maracana Stadium where the 2016 Olympic opening ceremony was held, expressed a mix of pride and disappointment as the Games opened in Rio de Janeiro on Friday.
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Stretching almost four hours, the opening ceremony turned from a celebration of Brazilian history, music and culture into an appeal to help save the environment and come together as human beings.
They were joined by a first-ever Refugee Olympic Team of 10 athletes, displaced from Syria, South Sudan, Congo and Ethiopia.
Brazilian marathoner Vanderlei De Lima has lit the cauldron at the Rio Games.
Unlike the opening ceremonies in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012, a financially constrained Brazil had little choice but to put on a more “analogue” show, with minimal high-tech and a heavy dependence on the vast talent of Brazil and its Carnival party traditions.
The Olympic torch began its final journey to the opening ceremony of the Games yesterday beneath the outstretched arms of Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, while anti-government protests clogged the famous Copacabana beach boulevard.
With Indian players performing strongly in the past two editions of the games, hopes will be high from them in 2016 edition of the mega sports event.
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.
Model Giselle Bunchen’s show-stopping catwalk as The Girl From Ipanema – one of the biggest worldwide hits of the 1960’s. It was incredible. Brazil is completely in good moment for the Olympic Games.
Brazil, which is home to the Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest, chose the environment among its themes and the ceremony grew serious, drawing attention to the problem of climate change.
There weren’t any visible issues during the Opening Ceremony.
He replaced his ally-turned-enemy, suspended President Dilma Rousseff, who was booed here when she arrived at the World Cup’s inaugural game two summers back.
That message was reiterated when International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach talked about the first team of refugees who will compete in these games as a team under the Olympic flag.
“Smile is the approach the Brazilians have toward life”, said Marco Balich, the executive producer.
“On behalf of all Canadians, I extend my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to our athletes who have displayed such tremendous dedication and commitment”, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement.
The four-hour spectacle took the 78,000 spectators and athletes at the venue through a journey from the dawn of civilization to modern-day Brazil.
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The cartridges will be taken to Deodoro and form what will be called the Athletes’ Forest.
