 THE opening ceremony for the most expensive Olympic Games in history started on an embarrassing note. The opening ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics did not get off to the best of starts [REUTERS]The apparent failure meant the ring could not be illuminated by fireworks as had happened during rehearsals. Meanwhile, a flight from Ukraine had to make an emergency landing after a passenger tried to hijack it and divert it to Sochi. Officials said the passenger tried to unsuccessfully gain access to the cockpit and a fighter jet was deployed to force the Boeing 737-800 to land. Security agents are now searching for a suspected bomb which may be onboard the plane. Fireworks at the start of Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony [REUTERS]
Russian pop duo Tatu performed while the Russian police choir surprised everyone with a rendition of dancefloor hit Get Lucky by Daft Punk beforehand. It culminated in the lighting of the Olympic flame, with the Olympic torch delivered in turns by former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova, pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, wrestler Aleksandr Karelin and gymnast Alina Kabaeva. They passed it on to figure skater Irina Rodnina and Olympic ice hockey legend Vladislav Tretiak who went on to light the Olympic flame. The pair lit the wick outside, and the flame swirled up to the top of the stadium where the cauldron sat. Then started a spectacular fireworks display to the soundtrack of classical music.  The Olympic Cauldron is lit during the Sochi 2014 opening ceremony [AP]The event, which will welcome 2,900 athletes, has cost Russia £30 billion - more than the cost of all the previous Winter Olympics combined. The ceremony began with a clip mentioning major Russian figures and words associated with Winter Olympics for each letter of the 31 Cyrillic alphabet. It then showed an 11-year-old performer who flew through the skies as she viewed the Winter Olympics from her own magical and fantastical perspective. She flew through nine different landscapes which floated in the arena suspended by 2.85 miles of chains to represent Russia's different landscapes. It was followed by the traditional singing of the host nation's national anthem, which featured a light show of the flag's colours. Around 240 figures also dressed up in the flag's colours in outfits that illuminated in the stadium. Before the athletes came out bearing flags a map of the world was projected onto the floor showing all the participating nations.  Maria Sharapova carries the Olympic torch during the Sochi 2014 opening ceremony [AP]Speed skater Jon Eley, a 29-year-old from Solihull, was chosen as the British flag bearer for the opening ceremony. Speaking before the event, Mr Eley said it was "an amazing privilege" to lead Team GB out during the Winter Olympics opening ceremony. Team GB have assembled a group of 56 athletes to compete at the 22nd Winter Olympics and will be hoping for a better showing than the previous Games.  Around 240 performers sang the Russian national anthem in the Fisht Olympic Stadium [REUTERS]Team GB are tipped to claim the top spot on the podium in a number of events, including the Skeleton with Shelley Rudman and with the women's curling team. Among the other teams that were led out during the opening ceremony were Thailand, who have professional violinist Vanessa-Mae representing them. After the procession of competing teams a video was shown in the style of a historical epic depicting Russia through the ages.  Jon Eley leads out Team GB at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony [AP]Alongside it was a colourful dance performance that showed a medieval Russian city depicted by giant puppets. The floor of the stadium was then transformed into a raging sea depicting the reign of former emperor Peter the Great during the era of Imperial Russia. It featured performers dressed as sailors dancing on a black and white ship that moved alongside the floor of the stadium.  The ceremony started with a young girl flying through the stage representing Russia's landscape [REUTERS]It featured an exquisite ballet performance from Russian's top dancers depicting characters from the novel set in the Napoleonic War. It moved onto a bright and vibrant segment about the era of Soviet Russia, the space race and Russia's generation of baby boomers. After the ceremony, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach addressed the crowds and hinted at the controversy about Russia's gay propaganda law which has overshadowed the build up.  A light show depicting the fabled Russian Troika [AP]"This is the Olympic message - yes, it is possible to strive even for the greatest victory with the dignity of your competitors. "Yes, even as competitors you can live under the same roof with tolerance and without any form of discrimination for whatever reason. "Yes, it is possible even as competitors to listen, to understand and give an example to a peaceful society. Olympic Games are always about building bridges to bring people together. "Olympic Games are never about erecting walls to keep people apart. Olympic Games are a sports festival embracing sporting diversity in great unity."  Performers with giant puppets depict Medieval Russia [AP]The law, which was passed last June, fines people for providing information on homosexuality to people under 18. The ruling was blasted by gay rights campaigners and celebrities like Stephen Fry who have asked nations to boycott the Sochi Winter Olympics.  Around 40,000 people were packed into the Fisht Olympic Stadium to watch the opening ceremony [AP]President Vladimir Putin made clear today that he did not believe Sochi 2014 was the place to debate Russia's treatment of homosexuals. He said: "I know you always give much attention to humanitarian issues and adherence to human rights. "We are always open to discussion."  Sochi 2014 is the most expensive Winter or Summer Olympics [AP]Alexei Sorokin, director general of Basya Services, said his firm had been hired to "catch and dispose" of dogs. Mr Sorokin said he was shocked when a stray dog last week walked in on a rehearsal for the Winter Olympics opening ceremony. He said: "A dog ran into the Fisht Stadium, we took it away. "God forbid something like this happens at the actual opening ceremony. This will be a disgrace for the whole country."  Russian president Vladimir Putin watches the Sochi 2014 opening ceremony [EPA]On the eve of the Sochi Winter Olympics Austrian competitors Bernadette Schild and Janine Flock received kidnap threats. It was not know who made the threats but Islamist militants had warned of attacks in the run up. Elsewhere journalists arriving at accommodation outside the Olympic Village revealed terrible living conditions including yellow water and no flushing toilets. | |
| Bobsleigh racer Alexander Zubkov of the Russia Olympic team carries his country's flag during the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Fisht Olympic Stadium. Photo Ryan Pierse/Getty Images | |
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By Maria Pia Beltran, AIPS Young Reporter - Italy
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SOCHI, February 7, 2014 - Athletes were literally put in the "center" of the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games held tonight at the Fisht Olympic Stadium.
The national teams entered the stadium early in the program; and the athletes emerged as if from underground, instead of from side entrances as is usually done during the Parade of Nations. A projection on the stadium floor showed the planet at night with each country illuminated as delegations appeared before the audience. The athletes marched to dance music and took their seats just behind the stage in the tribunes opposite the Olympic family.The show paid tribute to Russia's many artistic achievements, including contributions to music, art, dance, and literature. Aerial elements were represented by a 3.8 kilometer track in the roof, used to fly more than 80 large scenic elements. 3000 young artists were chosen to perform in the ceremony, including circus performers, and 132 projectors were used for the show. Powerful choreography was reached in the middle of the celebration with "Time Forward! Suprematic Ballet": representing the Russian Revolution of 1917 with a gigantic train suspended in the air, surrounded by numerous individual scenic pieces, symbolizing the core concept of Russian Avant-Garde art. Cast members, giant tractors and cogs created an enormous human sculpture of a fervent industrial machine on the ground. Dmitry Chernyshenko, president of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee, welcomed the world to "a unique city, a unique country as Russia, the largest in the world where Europe meets Asia, a country of great achievements and victories." Chernyshenko thanked the volunteers and IOC, promising that the Games are going to be "hot, because of the heat of our hearts; cool, with new modern sports, new heroes, new icons; and 'yours', because when we come together in all our diversity, it is the Olympic Games that unite us". Thomas Bach, acting in his first Olympic Games as IOC president, showed his charisma on the international stage, addressing the public in the Russian version of "Good Evening" and immediately winning over the crowd. "Tonight, we are writing a new page in Olympic history," he said. "We have come here with great respect for the rich and varied history of Russia. "What took decades in other parts of the world, has been achieved here in just seven years. That is a remarkable achievement." The president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, then declared open the XXII Winter Olympic Games. Tennis player Maria Sharapova then entered the Olympic Stadium as the first torch bearer in the final part of the brilliant Opening Ceremony. She was followed by Yelena Isinbaeva, two-time Olympic medalist in pole vault; Alexandre Karelin, triple Olympic champion in wrestling; and gymnast Alina Kabaeva, two-time Olympic medalist. The last two torch bearers, after running around three quarters of the stadium, were Irina Rodnina, three-time Olympic gold medallist in figure skating, and hockey player Vladislav Tretyak, three-time Olympic medalist. The duo then took the flame outside where they lit the cauldron, setting off a dazzling display of fireworks that concluded the Opening Ceremony and officially kicked off 16 days of competition. BBC blasted for 'wasting licence fee' over amount of staff being sent to Sochi 2014THE BBC have been criticised for "wasting the licence fee" after the amount of staff they are sending to the Sochi Winter Olympics emerged today. The BBC have been criticsed over the amount of people they're sending to Sochi 2014 [BBC]The amount of BBC workers is double the number of people competing for Team GB and 21 more than the Beeb sent to the 2010 Vancouver Games. Jonathan Isaby, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said the BBC consistently send "too many staff" to big events.  The amount of BBC workers is double the number of people competing for Team GB at Sochi [EPA]
"The Beeb consistently sends too many staff to the big events. With this many staff at the games, each athlete will probably have their own personal correspondent." The BBC defended the decision saying that their coverage of the 16 day event will have 200 hours of programming and be 20 per cent longer than before. Sochi 2014 will begin on Friday and the organisers will be hoping the event avoids the controversy that has surrounded it in its build-up.  The Sochi Winter Olympics has been plagued in the run up by controversy and security fears [EPA]The law, which was passed last June, fines people for providing information on homosexuality to people under 18. The ruling was blasted by gay rights campaigners and celebrities like Stephen Fry have asked nations to boycott the Sochi Winter Olympics. Many foreign leaders like Prime Minister David Cameron and US President Barack Obama will not be going. Security fears have also surrounded the event with Chechen rebels threatening suicide bombings during the event. |
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