THE 2016 RIO OLYMPIC GAMES HAVE BEEN OPENED IN SPECTACULAR FASHION, WITH A MAGICAL MIXTURE OF HISTORY, CULTURE AND AN APPEARANCE BY SUPERMODEL GISELE…!
ANDY MURRAY WAS FLAG BEARER AND LED TEAM GB INTO THE OLYMPIC STADIUM
GISELE LOOKED STUNNING AND WALKED THE LENGTH OF THE STADIUM IN A SHIMMERING GOWN, DESIGNED BY DESIGNER ALEXANDRE HERCHCOVITCH, TO THE SOUND OF BOSSA NOVA HIT “GIRL FROM IPANEMA”
DANCING, COLOUR, & JOY FILLED THE MARACANA STADIUM, WITH INGENIOUS CREATIONS BY THE CEREMONY’S CREATIVE DIRECTOR FERNANDO MEIRELLES, INCLUDING AN AMAZING GIANT DIGITAL FLOOR
THE ENTIRE CEREMONY WAS MAGNIFICENT, AND CULMINATED WITH THE LIGHTING OF THE OLYMPIC CAULDRON BY VANDERLEI CORDEIRO DE LIMA, A FORMER MARATHON RUNNER, WHO WAS ATTACKED BY A SPECTATOR DURING THE 2004 SUMMER OLYMPICS MARATHON, WHILST HE WAS LEADING THE RACE AT 35 KM.
FOLLOWING THIS ATTACK, VANDERLEI FELL BACK FROM FIRST TO THIRD PLACE, WINNING THE BRONZE MEDAL. HOWEVER, HE WAS LATER AWARDED “THE PIERRE DE COUBERTIN MEDAL FOR THE TRUE SPIRIT OF SPORTSMANSHIP” BY THE IOC.
PIERRE DE COUBERTIN WAS THE FOUNDER OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE AND IS CONSIDERED THE “FATHER” OF THE MODERN OLYMPIC GAMES. IT IS SAID THAT ONE OF HIS MOST RENOWNED IDEALS WERE EXPRESSED AS FOLLOWS:-
“THE IMPORTANT THING IN LIFE IS NOT THE TRIUMPH BUT THE STRUGGLE – THE ESSENTIAL THING IS NOT TO HAVE CONQUERED BUT TO HAVE FOUGHT WELL”