(ATR) A spectacular opening ceremony gets the 15th Pan American Games off to a good start in Rio de Janeiro, in a style mirroring the opening of an Olympic Games.
More than 80,000 spectators filled the seats at for the three-hour show at Maracana, Brazil’s most famous stadium,
Along with entertainment, the program followed closely the pattern for the Olympics, right down to the raising of the Olympic flag and the playing of the Olympic anthem.The Olympic look and feel is no surprise as theceremony marks the launch of a real-life Olympics audition forRio de Janeiro, which hopes to win the 2016 Olympics.
Taking it all in were a couple of dozen IOC members from around the world, including President Jacques Rogge and his predecessor Juan Antonio Samaranch. Sitting next to them was Brazil President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva.
Leaders of three other bids for 2016, Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo were also in the audience, sizing up what could be a formidable competitor in the race.
The ceremony was produced by a crew with deep experience The Olympic flag is carried into Maracana Stadium. (ATR)from Olympic Games in Atlanta, Sydney and Salt Lake City.
The vividly costumed cast of 4,500 told a choreographed story of Brazil’s people and nature, complete with a giant crocodile. Music came from the country’s cultural giants such as Heitor Villa Lobos and Tom Jobim.
The team from Brazil captured the loudest round of cheers as Brazil President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva with PASO President Rama, (l) and IOC President Rogge. (ATR)the last delegation to parade into Maracana, taking five minutes for the 700-member squad to circle the field.
The Panama delegation entered the stadium under their national flag, made possible after a last-minute agreement between the President of Panama, Martin Torrijos and Pan American Sports Organization President Mario Vazquez Rana.
Panama had been stripped of its standing with the IOC and PASO over a schism in the Panama Olympic Committee. Until Rana and Torrijos came to terms Friday morning, the Panama delegation was to have paraded under the PASO flag.
Competition, the acid test for Rio 2007 and the 2016 Olympics bid, begins in earnest Saturday morning. The first medals of the Games will be awarded on Copacabana for the winners of the 10k swimming marathon. Gymnastics medals are also on tap Saturday.
The Rio Pan Am Games have drawn more than 5,600 athletes, the biggest field ever, competing in 34 sports. Competition runs until July 29.
On the scene coverage of the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro continues throughout the month at www.aroundtherings.com.
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