Olympics under way

[TB4000]

Athens' bumpy ride to the Olympics ends with lavish welcome ceremony

By BRIAN MURPHY, Associated Press Writer


ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- With the five Olympic rings ablaze in the middle of a manmade sea, the Summer Games returned to their birthplace Friday in an epic homecoming that joined the gods of ancient Greece and modern sport.

The biggest parade of nations in the games' history began with an announcer's cry of ``Welcome back to Greece!'' and culminated with a Greek windsurfing champion lighting the Olympic cauldron, which rose slowly at the end of a slender 102-foot arm to burn brightly above the stadium.

It was a moment many doubted Greek organizers could pull off, after years of worrisome delays and constant pressure to bolster the most expensive security network ever at the games.

The opening ceremony also closed an important circle in sports, from the Olympics' innocent rebirth in 1896 to the latest gathering of the world's greatest athletes under 202 flags in an age beset by fears of terrorism and instability.

``Greece is standing before you. We are ready. ... We have waited long for this moment,'' said the games' chief organizer, Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, standing under a model of an olive tree in Olympic Stadium.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge urged athletes to ``show us that sport unites by overriding national, political, religious and language barriers.''

``We need peace, we need tolerance, we need brotherhood,'' he said.

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At dusk, a countdown video filled the screen at the stadium -- whose new weblike canopy was bolted into place only last month. The numbers clicked down from 28: one second for each of the games scheduled since the first modern Olympiad in an all-marble arena in central Athens. Each tick of the clock was accompanied by the amplified sound of a human heartbeat.

Then, with a blast of fireworks ringing the stadium roof, the ceremony was fully under way. Minutes later, the five Olympic rings, representing the five continents of the world, were ablaze.

``We did it! We did it!'' chanted a group of flag-waving Greeks in the stands.

A round-the-clock work blitz -- under broiling sun and blinding spotlights -- managed to pull together the vast network of venues, transport links, villages and security needed for the athletes and heads of state at the first Summer Games since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

A sign of the security measures floated overhead -- a blimp with supersensitive spyware. Outside the stadium sat symbols of the delays -- dirt expanses instead of landscaped paths, idle cranes and trees planted just last week.

Earlier, an IOC member who helped oversee the preparations noted how much was at stake if the Greeks failed. ``I think you have saved Greece and saved the IOC from great humiliation,'' Alex Gilady told Athens organizers.

The spectacle of the opening ceremony -- tradition mixed with Las Vegas-style fanfare -- celebrated Greek history, culture and civilization.

After the burning Olympic flames subsided, a boy on a replica of a ship sailed into the arena, waving a small Greek flag. Then a centaur -- the mythological half-man, half-horse -- waded into the water and tossed a spear of light representing a javelin. From the center of the stadium rose a statue representing an ancient form from Greece's Cyclades islands. The form broke apart to reveal other figures from Greek history.


The ancient god of love, Eros, flew above two lovers dancing and playing in the water. Then Eros hovered over a procession of figures from Greek history -- from ancient vase paintings to a tribute to the Greek shepherd, Spiros Louis, who won the first Olympic marathon.

``The great moment has come!'' cried the announcer. Moments later, the parade of nations began with the appearance of Greek weightlifter Pyrros Dimas, who is seeking his fourth consecutive gold medal at the games.

Behind him more than 10,500 athletes streamed into the stadium.

There was huge applause for Afghanistan on its return to Olympic competition after an eight-year absence and with its first female athletes.

The entrance of the more than 500-member U.S. team -- led by basketball guard Dawn Staley -- drew cheers. But some people also stood and put their thumbs down in an apparent show of displeasure for the war in Iraq. Moments later, the Iraqis entered to a roaring ovation.
The Chinese team was led by 7-foot-6 Yao Ming, who towered over even other basketball giants in the main stadium field. And Paraguay carried a banner that read ``From Horror to Hope'' in apparent reference to the supermarket fire that killed nearly 400 people earlier this month.

For nearly two hours, the teams filed along a black walkway into the stadium: Russians in '20s-style white outfits, first-time Olympians from the tiny Pacific nation of Kiribati in woven grass costumes, Tajik female athletes in gold headdresses, women from Moldova in hot pink pantsuits, and men from Burundi dancing with spears.

Greece, because of its links to the ancient games, entered first, as usual. But, as the host nation, the more than 440 Greek athletes also were the last into the stadium -- walking single file as the crowd chanted ``Hellas, Hellas,'' as the country is called in Greek.
But the Greek team had two glaring holes. A doping scandal threatens the country's biggest track stars -- 200-meter champion Kostas Kenteris and 100-meter silver medalist Katerina Thanou.
Kenteris had been considered the favorite to light the Olympic cauldron. Instead, he and Thanou were hospitalized with minor injuries following a motorcycle wreck. The accident came after the two were accused of evading a drug test, and they might miss the games.

But instead the honor went to Nikolaos Kaklamanakis, the champion from the centennial games that Greece wanted but Atlanta won. For Greeks, it was a poignant choice.

[mr. x]

i hear tiesto played for like 2 hours, id like to see/hear that, was it even on or was it one of those things nbc figures us ADD afflicted americans cant handle?

[ism]

Originally Posted by mr. x

i hear tiesto played for like 2 hours, id like to see/hear that, was it even on or was it one of those things nbc figures us ADD afflicted americans cant handle?

I heard Lethal Industry playing during the procession... around when NBC was showing Greece's team. It was kept pretty low, as the commentators' voiceover almost obscured it. Wasn't really watching so I donno if he was playing live or if they showed him, or it was just recorded music. My ears caught it and I was like "cool they're playing trance AT THE MUHFUCKING OLYMPICS." It's kinda weird when I hear trance in non-trance venues, especially at a corrupted event like the Olympics. Went to a Chicago concert once and they arrived on stage to Chicane. That was odd. But cool. I can't explain it.

[xdlin22]

i cracked up when i saw the koreas holding hands lol

[hooligan]

Originally Posted by xdlin22

i cracked up when i saw the koreas holding hands lol

You're just jealous you couldn't join them. : P :)

[nola]

It was pretty boring esp the parade of nations but Go Bjork!!!!

On a completely different note I was flipping around. Why is the new Road Rules Challenge ALL WHITE PEOPLE?????????

[hooligan]

Originally Posted by nola

It was pretty boring esp the parade of nations but Go Bjork!!!!

On a completely different note I was flipping around. Why is the new Road Rules Challenge ALL WHITE PEOPLE?????????

Where are the crazy minorities!? I'm not so hot on this Olympic stuff. I guess I'll watch something interesting. I was watching some women's gymnastics highlights. The chinese acrobats were actually kind of cute (although they did look kind of young.) This isn't pedophillic is it?

[Faithless]

What was with the lady walking around all glowing and preggers?

[mr. x]

Originally Posted by hooligan

Where are the crazy minorities!? I'm not so hot on this Olympic stuff. I guess I'll watch something interesting. I was watching some women's gymnastics highlights. The chinese acrobats were actually kind of cute (although they did look kind of young.) This isn't pedophillic is it?

its asiaphilic

[younggiftedandblack]

Chinese shooter takes Games' first gold medal



Li Du of China scored 10.6 points on her final attempt Saturday, jumping ahead of Russia’s Lioubov Galkina to win the women’s 10-meter air rifle.

Li finished with an Olympic record 502 points, a half-point ahead of Galkina. The Russian had led throughout, but got only a 9.7 on her final shot — her lowest mark.

Katerina Kurkova, the 2002 world champion from the Czech Republic, won the bronze.

Li shot after Galkina on their 10th and final attempts. When her winning score was posted, the crowd broke into a loud cheer.

[VV o n g B a]

after the first day, china has 6 medals. 4 of them gold. not too shabby.

[moJo]

i watched all afternoon, cuz all the good stuff was happening - beach vball, diving, indoor vball, gymnastics....

i found myself rooting for the chinese team in diving, and REALLY rooting for them in volleyball - against the USA team. huh.

[Craig]

Official Website of the Chinese Olympic Committee :

http://en.olympic.cn/

[seanp]

Originally Posted by moJo

i watched all afternoon, cuz all the good stuff was happening - beach vball, diving, indoor vball, gymnastics....

i found myself rooting for the chinese team in diving, and REALLY rooting for them in volleyball - against the USA team. huh.

me too
I feel like a traitor somehow

[hooligan]

That's an awesome rifle.