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Turin throws big party to start Olympics
www.chinanews.cn 2006-02-11 16:14:09
(Source: Agencies)
Fireworks light up the Olympic rings during the opening ceremony of the
2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, Friday, Feb. 10, 2006.
Fireworks go off during the opening ceremony for the 2006 Winter Olympics
in Turin, Italy, on Friday, Feb. 10, 2006.
Feb. 11 - Mix in some song, dance and a squealing Ferrari, and cap it off
with some opera. That's amore �� for the Turin Olympics.
It was a mutual love affair between the Italian hosts �� known for their
flair for the dramatic �� and their visitors from around the world at
Friday's opening ceremony.
It started the moment the Olympic torch arrived, carried by skiing hero
Alberto "La Bomba" Tomba, who ran up the stage steps and handed it off to
a succession of Italian medal winners.
Ultimately it was Stefania Belmondo, a two-time gold medal winner in
cross-country skiing, who touched the flame to a wire that ignited
fireworks and lit the Olympic caldron in what was a spectacular eruption.
The cheering crowd screamed its delight �� just one of the many times it
did so throughout the three-hour show, though perhaps never more than
when a fire-engine red Ferrari spun in furious doughnuts, sending smoke
wafting through the air and leaving a streak of black rubber in a jumble
of circles.
But it wasn't truly over until the big man sang.
Luciano Pavarotti performed "Nessun Dorma," ("Let No One Sleep"), from
Puccini's "Turandot," an aria that the tenor has turned into a signature
piece.
While that closing number sent spectators home happy, it was the parade
of nations that really got the party going.
More than 2,500 athletes arrived to the accompaniment of chest-thumping
disco ranging from "YMCA" by the Village People to "I Will Survive," by
Gloria Gaynor.
Italy, as host country, entered last and brought down the house. Dressed
in fur-trimmed coats, against the pulsating, popular Italian pop song
"Una Donna Per Amico" ("A Woman For a Friend"), the crowd jumped to its
feet, and shouted while ringing souvenir cow bells provided by show
organizers.
"Hopefully after such a show Turin will no longer be seen as a drab city,
where you only go to sleep early and go to work in the morning," said
entrepreneur Domenica Devietti Goggia. "We also know how to have fun."
Second only to the audience's reaction to Italy was the roaring welcome
given to the Americans. Around the packed stadium, fans stood and clapped
as "Daddy Cool" blared through loudspeakers.
More than 200 U.S. athletes, wearing white coats and hats of blue and
red, waved and blew kisses. Giant video screens showed a smiling first
lady Laura Bush.
In an unusual security move, three plain-clothed guards followed the
Danish team as it marched through �� a precaution that responded to
recent violence by Muslims enraged at derogatory cartoons of the Prophet
Muhammad published in Danish newspapers.
Security was also tight for the arrival of the first lady and Cherie
Blair, wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
"Rhythm, Passion and Speed," promised the show's producers, and those
watching �� an estimated 35,000 at the Olympic Stadium and 2 billion
tuning in �� got all of that.
The program opened with Yuri Chechi, one of Italy's most famous gymnasts,
swinging a mighty hammer onto a giant anvil that sparked tall flames.
Rollerbladers in red body suits zoomed across the stage, two-foot flames
shooting out the back of their heads.
Next came a tribute to the seven countries abutting the majestic Alps ��
including Austria, Germany and France. Dancers wearing green sheaths
pranced near brightly painted fake cows pulled on rollers. It was a
homage to mountain life and livestock, and to cheer both, the stadium
audience was supplied with the cow bells.
More modern-day were the Federico Fellini-inspired clowns, acrobats and
high-wire acts.
In what executive producer Marco Balich described as an "iconic moment,"
silver-clad dancers appeared with big, white bubbles stuck to their
heads. Balich, who has staged concert shows for U2 and the Rolling
Stones, said the balls signified snow, of which there is none in Turin.
This northwest city, home to both Fiat and Savoy-era mansions, has
exhibited a certain ambivalence to the Winter Games, largely because of
an ever-changing pattern of traffic detours and street closures. The
weather, hovering in the high 30s and low 40s this week, melted more than
a foot and a half of recent snow and prompted officials in the mountain
venues to churn out the man-made kind.
For the first time, eight women carried the Olympic flag: Italian actress
Sophia Loren, Chilean writer Isabel Allende, American actress Susan
Sarandon, Nobel Peace-prize winner Wangari Maathai of Kenya, and three
Olympic medal winners. They were Nawal El Moutawakel of Morocco, Manuela
Di Centa of Italy, and Maria Mutola of Mozambique. The eighth was
Cambodian human rights activist Somaly Mam.
Behind the scenes, 6,100 volunteers helped stage the event, for which
they had practiced an estimated 10,000 hours.
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