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Opening Ceremony

XXXI Olympic Games opened in Rio de Janeiro

XXXI Olympic Games · Rio de Janeiro, BRA

The XXXI Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro were officially opened at the Maracana stadium tonight, August 5th. Tomorrow, the women’s 10m Air Rifle Final will assign the first gold medal of Rio 2016.

This evening’s Rio 2016 Opening Ceremony saw a great show by creative director Fernando Meirelles on stage at the Maracana stadium, taking over 60.000 spectators on site on a journey through Brazil's extraordinary musical heritage, portraying at the same time the social inequality and the dangers of climate change.

 

Almost 11,000 parading athletes were each given a cartridge containing a seedling. Rio 2016 organizers have pledged that every tree will be transplanted to create an Athletes' Forest in Deodoro. Eleven shooters were selected by their respective countries as flag bearers during the parade: Rafael Antonio LACAYO PALADINO (NCA), Ole Kristian BRYHN (NOR), Hamed AL KHATRI (OMA), Ghulam Mustafa BASHIR (PAK), Francisco BOZA (PER), Arianna PERILLI (SMR), Ivana ANDUSIC MAKSIMOVIC (SBR), Lilian CASTRO (ESA), Danka BARTEKOVA (SVK), Abhinav BINDRA (IND), Mykola MILCHEV (UKR).

 

During the show, Brazil’s funk sensation Ludmilla shared the stage with 1950s samba queen Elza Soares, before 12-year-old rapper MC Soffia picked up the baton and led 1500 residents of the Carnaval city into a rocking street party.

 

Athens 2004 Olympic Marathone Bronze medalist Vanderlei Cordeiro De Lima, lit the Olympic flame.

 

“Dear Olympic friends of the whole world, welcome to the Games of the 31st Olympiad, Rio 2016,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.  

 

“This is the moment of the cidade maravilhosa. These first-ever Olympic Games in South America will go from Brazil to the entire world. The Organising Committee, Brazilian authorities at all levels, and all Brazilians can be very proud tonight.”

 

“We are living in a world of crises, mistrust and uncertainty,” continued Dr. Bach, “here is our Olympic answer: the 10 thousand best athletes in the world, competing with each other, at the same time living peacefully together in one Olympic Village, sharing their meals and their emotions. In this Olympic world there is one universal law for everybody. In this Olympic world we are all equal. In this Olympic world we see that the values of our shared humanity are stronger than the forces which want to divide us.”

 

Rio 2016 Olympic Games Organizing Committee president Carlos Nuzman said: “From this giant Brazil that we learned to love, a new world will be born today. We have worked passionately for sports, overcoming obstacles throughout a seven-year journey.”

 

“Rio de Janeiro is proud to be the Olympic capital of the world. Honoured with our guests. Enlightened by the transformation that we promised, and delivered.”

 

The first medal of Rio 2016 will be awarded at tomorrow’s 10m Air Rifle Women final starting at 10.30 AM local time. To find out where to watch the match in your country, follow this link: http://go.olympic.org/ISSF.

 

Olympic Rings in the sky appear after awesome firework display #olympics #rio2016 (c)Getty Images

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Bem-vindo aos #JogosOlímpicos #Rio2016 . Welcome to the Rio 2016 #OlympicGames . Bienvenidos a los #JuegosOlímpicos Rio 2016

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Rio 2016 is here!! #ISSF #ShootingSport #Olympics #Rio2016

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PHOTOS - Opening Ceremony

05.08.2016

Marco Dalla Dea

 

ISSF Partners