FROM IPANEMA
ball legend Pele could spoil the four-hour party. London 2012 went for spectacular displays of music and history, but Rio 2016 was a futuristic production with a simple message – Save the Planet.
It charted the nation from the beginning of time to three boats crossing a sea to symbolise settlers first arriving from Portugal. Teams of acrobats represented slaves from Africa, who shaped the nation’s agriculture and created its wealth.
Hundreds of performers held a Soul Ball of traditional Brazilian music as the ceremony explored modern culture. But, as fireworks faded, the audience was shown the impact of global warming with a giant light show.
It was a sobering moment, followed by one of hope as it was announced athletes would start to create a forest of thousands of trees during the show, each one planting a seedling.
From the off, the crowd cheered for every symbol of Brazil – with the only boos saved for acting President Michael Temer, and the Russian team hit by a doping scandal.
The biggest cheer in the Parade of Nations came as Brazil finally emerged into the arena to samba their way through thousands of athletes from more than 200 countries.
They included, for the first time in Olympic history, a Refugee Team which carried the Games flag, who also received a rapturous reception.
And President Obama tweeted: “The first ever Team Refugees stand before the world and prove that you can succeed no matter where you are from.” Tennis star Rafa Nadal was given a huge cheer as he emerged with his Spanish team-mates, as was the US Olympic legend Michael Phelps.
And Tongan taekwondo star Pita Taufatofua set Twitter alight when he walked into the arena, oiled up and shirtless. Russian sports writer Slava Malamud quipped: “The sound you hear is your wife running away with the Tongan flagbearer.” Brazilian marathon runner Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima – who took bronze despite being hit by a spectator at Athens 2004 – stepped in for Pele to light the Olympic cauldron. The first Olympic Games in South America had begun. More than 80,000 police and security staff were in the city on Friday to tackle protests before the ceremony. But, by midnight, many were joining fans taking photos of the spectacular firework display as – for a few moments at least – Brazil forgot about terror, the Zika virus and the country’s political crisis.