RIO DE JANEIRO From the beaches to the rainforest, from the prettiest Girl From Ipanema you’ve ever seen to the infectious Samba music, the 2016 Summer Olympics rang in on Friday with a stylish tribute to the host country.
So now it’s time to let the Games begin and see if Brazil can really pull this off.
A strong military and security presence seemed to protect the evening’s events despite noisy, anti-Olympic protests throughout the city of 6.2 million.
The opening ceremony was simple and effective with an upbeat emphasis on colour, dance and the Rio party flair. Punctuated by fireworks at the start and finish, the many worries were put on hold during four hours or so.
But now the real show begins and mere hours after the flame was lit, Brazil’s ability to smoothly host a Summer Games will be put to the test.
It was a gamble from the start for the International Olympic Committee, one motivated as always by politics and money. We were here back in 2007 at the Pan Am Games, which Brazilian officials hoped would be convincing enough to one day land a Summer Olympics.
It didn’t hurt that the country had a captive audience at the IOC, which has long wanted to place a Games in South America. And on a much smaller scale — and with great indifference from many in this bustling metropolis — it was mostly a smooth, dry run.
That was then. Nine years later, here we are with a much more troubled nation — financially and otherwise — staging a vastly larger event that has the best athletes in the world, collectively holding its breath and hoping nothing goes horribly wrong.
Some of the venues we will see over the next 17 days are spartan, some will seem to be in the middle of nowhere, but that won’t matter.
Competitors and fans getting to their venues safely and on time is the next major challenge, however, one that will start bright and early Saturday morning when a number of competitions throughout the host city begin.
The hunch (and the hope) here is that Rio will do just fine. It’s the athletes’ time to shine now. Let them have the chance to do so.
DO THE MARACANA
The Maracana Stadium in which the spectacle unfolded on Friday night has had a couple of makeovers in the past half-century, but it remains one of the most iconic sports stadiums in the world.
Featuring a pitch in which every major world-class Brazilian soccer player has performed, it is most notable for the final game of the 1950 World Cup, when a crowd of 199,854 (some believe it was north of 200,000) crammed in to see the host nation in a dramatic upset loss to Uruguay.
The latest reno — completed in time for the 2014 World Cup — reduced capacity to 78,838. The stadium’s official website describes the beloved home to Brazilian football as a “temple of emotions and many joys.” It was mostly that on Friday.
HEAVY MEDAL
With the most decorated athlete in Olympic history leading the way and waving the flag, Team USA marched into the Maracana with the confidence of a nation that has topped the gold-medal table in four of the past five Games.
Now with a combined 978 gold from summer and winter Games, the Americans have a strong chance to become the first country to reach 1,000.
Flag-bearer Michael Phelps, by the way, marched in the opening ceremony for the first time in this his fifth Olympics. The reason he passed in the past was because the 400-metre individual medley, one of his most gruelling events, is traditionally contested on the first weekend of the Games.
Phelps — who wore a huge smile as he entered the stadium waving the Stars and Stripes — was reportedly planning to leave the ceremony early, however, being helped away by NBC officials. His coach, Bob Bowman, was concerned about the 31-year-old being on his feet for too long and with as many as five events — the first on Sunday afternoon — rest was fairly deemed more important.
It is believed that Phelps would become the first flag bearer for the U.S. to duck out of the opening ceremony early.
WHERE’S TOM?
While her hubby, New England quarterback Tom Brady, was busy at Patriots training camp, celebrity fashion model and world-famous Brazilian Gisele Bundchen was one of the stars of the show at the opening ceremony
Playing the role of the Girl From Ipanema in Brazil’s most famous song, Bundchen was stunning as she entered the stadium to a huge roar. Earlier, she announced that it will be her last catwalk, which would officially mark the end of her modelling career.
“I am so happy to be a part of the opening ceremony in my homeland and to celebrate these bright stars from around the globe,” Bundchen wrote on her official Twitter account. “As I walk down tonight on the longest runway I have ever been on, I will be sending out all my love and positivity.”
As for The Girl From Ipanema? Brazilian organizers claim it to be the second-most known song in the world.
WHERE’S THE PARTY?
There were rumblings throughout the city on Friday there would be a massive opening ceremony bash on Copacabana Beach, complete with big screens to watch the proceedings.
According to our men Ed and Ted on the scene, the lack of atmosphere was stunning. Remember, this is a beach that brims with as many as two million people on New Year’s Eve.
Perhaps the locals were over-served earlier in the day, declared a national holiday in honour of the opening. It wasn’t even noon and the Chopp (draft beer) and Caipirinha (the cane-liquor cocktail that is Brazil’s national drink) were on free flow. And here’s hoping the next couple weeks aren’t marked by indifference.
FINISH LINES
Nice touch up the road in Sao Paulo, where the Canadian women’s soccer team did their own march — complete with the flag, of course. On Saturday, it’s back to business with a game against Zimbabwe following Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Australia … Judging by Twitter, anyway, the athletes have plenty of love for Bundchen, who was stunning as she marched the full length of the famed stadium of her homeland. Our fave tweet on the subject came from Canadian Olympic paddler (and four-time medallist) Adam van Koeverden: “Gisele just walked like half the 50km race walk course in 5″ stilettos.” … Some perspective on just how big the Summer Games are in terms of participants: the parade of athletes on Friday was scheduled to take an hour and 50 minutes … The only Canadian tennis player not on the march was doubles participant Daniel Nestor. Of course these are his sixth Games, so he was probably due to take a pass … Nestor would feel particularly old if he was advised of this: these will be the first Games to include athletes born in the 21st century, including four on Team Canada born in 2000 … As has been the case at each opening ceremony we’ve had the good fortune to attend, Canada received one of the more boisterous welcomes as it entered the stadium with trampolinist Rosie MacLennan in charge of the flag. And as a Canadian, it gets you every time.
rlongley@postmedia.com
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