RIO DE JANEIRO — The president of the International Olympic Committee had a message of peace and inclusion last ngiht at the opening ceremonies for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.The festive and colourful ceremony capped off a relay that began with a ceremonial lighting in Ancient Olympia, Greece, in April and ended in Rio’s Flamingo district yesterday afternoon.
The flame was set to be used to light the cauldron in the Maracana Stadium in laast night’s opening ceremony.
The ceremony at the Maracana Stadium featured a colourful parade of nations which, as always, Greece led off. Two-time Olympic sailing medalist Sofia Bekatorou was the flagbearer.
American Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history, carried the flag for the U.S. team after 18 gold medals and 22 medals overall.

Later when Brazil entered the opening ceremony for the Rio Games, its team was welcomed with long and loud cheers. The host nation always enters last, and the Brazilians were immediately preceded by another crowd favourite — the 10-person Refugee Team, which is competing under the Olympic flag.

The President of the International Olympic Committee said afterward at the ceremony that the Rio Games will promote peace.
Thomas Bach spoke not long after the parade of athletes into the stadium was completed last night. Bach says all Brazilians “can be very proud tonight,” then went on to talk about the importance of the Olympics.
Bach said, “We are living in a world of crises, mistrust and uncertainty. Here is our Olympic answer: The 10,000 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.”

Bach added that in this Olympic world, “we are all equal” — words that were met with applause.
He went on to ask the athletes to “respect yourself, respect each other, respect the Olympic Values which make the Olympic Games unique for you and for the entire world.”

Bach concluded his remarks by presenting the Olympic Laurel to Kipchoge Keino, a two-time gold medalist from Kenya who went on to open an orphanage in his homeland.

Bach’s speech was preceded by one from Rio Organising Committee President Carlos Nuzman, who said “a new world is born today.’
Brazil’s long, proud musical history was also on full display during the ceremony.
The unofficial anthem of Rio de Janeiro was later featured prominently as the opening ceremony got underway. The song “Aquele Abraco” — which translates to “That Hug” — by Grammy winner Gilberto Gil played a role in both the closing ceremony of the London Games four years ago and in Brazil’s bid for these Rio Games.
The first line of the song: “Rio de Janeiro is still beautiful.”
Everything from funk to samba to hip-hop was featured during the opening before the parade of nations began.
Among the featured artists: Ludmilla, Cristian Do Passinho, Lelezinha, Elza Soares, Marcelo D2 and Karol Conka
Since the event wasn’t able to avoid the issues that are gripping Brazil — a president facing impeachment, a deep recession and environmental threats — organizers made sure that global warming and the environment, especially the country’s magnificent Amazon rainforest, were selected as important parts of the Olympic opening ceremony.

“The world is very tense and so is Brazil. We are also willing to tell the world to stop attacking our home. The world is threatened because of global warming. We are calling for action,” said Fernando Meirelles, one of the directors of the show.

The climax of the show, the lighting of the cauldron, depends on whether Brazil’s most famous athlete — soccer star Pele — appears. He said this week he was invited to take part, but business deals were stopping him from doing it.

The cauldron was designed by American sculptor Anthony Howe, who told The Associated Press he was inspired by life in the tropics. There will be two cauldrons in Rio, one at the Maracana soccer stadium that is hosting the opening ceremony and another open to the public in downtown Rio.

In all, 4,800 performers and volunteers were involved in the show, which is built on three basic pillars of life in Brazil. Those are sustainability, particularly re-forestation; finding joy in life and in being Brazilian; and the idea of “gambiarra,” the quirky Brazilian art of improvising repairs using whatever parts are available.

“Smile is the approach the Brazilians have toward life,” said Marco Balich, the executive producer. “Brazil is not a grand nation. They’re saying in this ceremony, we are who we are, with a lot of social problems, a lot of crises in the political system, etc.”
Space limitations in the Maracana also curbed the creative possibilities for the show. The stadium does not have typical Olympic dimensions — there is no track. The only Olympic events it is hosting are soccer matches.
NBC broadcast the opening ceremony on a one-hour tape delay because it wanted the entertainment spectacle to be shown completely in U.S. prime time. Rio is one hour later than Eastern time.
Unpopular interim Brazilian President Michel Temer attended the opening ceremony. He will be replacing his ally-turned-enemy, suspended President Dilma Rousseff.
Fewer heads of state had been expected than usual last night because of Brazil’s current political crisis. Rousseff’s impeachment trial is expected to end after the Olympics ends on Aug. 21, which leaves the country with two presidents until then.