Opening Ceremony

0:00:29 > 0:00:40This programme contains scenes of Repetitive Flashing Images.

0:00:41 > 0:00:42It's called Cristo Redentor - Christ the Redeemer -

0:00:43 > 0:00:44and it's one of the most iconic and recognisable

0:00:45 > 0:00:49The statue looks over Rio de Janeiro - a city home to six million people,

0:00:50 > 0:00:52and over the next 16 days it's a city which is home to the 31st

0:00:53 > 0:00:56The Olympic movement - and the values of fair play

0:00:57 > 0:00:58and sportsmanship - have never been under as much

0:00:59 > 0:01:02The time has now come for Rio to welcome the world

0:01:03 > 0:01:08and show itself off, as over 10,000 athletes -

0:01:09 > 0:01:10in the values of the Olympic spirit -

0:01:11 > 0:02:01strive to go faster, higher and stronger.

0:02:02 > 0:02:08For the first time in the 120 year history of the modern Olympics, a

0:02:09 > 0:02:13South American country hosts the Games and we are proud on the BBC to

0:02:14 > 0:02:17be here in Brazil, ready to bring you 16 days of exceptional and

0:02:18 > 0:02:22varied sport. There's nothing like the Olympic Games. And very shortly,

0:02:23 > 0:02:26in the famous Maracana Stadium, which has seen the likes of Pele,

0:02:27 > 0:02:32Renaldo and Neymar all play the Opening Ceremony will begin, the

0:02:33 > 0:02:41sporting spectacular described by many as the greatest show on earth.

0:02:42 > 0:02:45Earlier today, the torch made its way up there to Christ the Redeemer,

0:02:46 > 0:02:51the former Brazilian volleyball player providing an image that was

0:02:52 > 0:02:56sent around the world and that will definitely enter the archives of

0:02:57 > 0:03:01Olympic history. It was lit, that torch, 106 days ago in Greece and

0:03:02 > 0:03:06now, 22,000 miles later, the journey is almost over. But hearing Brazil,

0:03:07 > 0:03:11the big question remains, who will light the cauldron because News has

0:03:12 > 0:03:14it that Pele will not be attending the Opening Ceremony. Michael

0:03:15 > 0:03:16Johnson and Sir Steve Redgrave alongside me, undoubtedly the

0:03:17 > 0:03:21biggest name in Brazilian sport and it's not going to be him. Quite

0:03:22 > 0:03:28amazing, really, if it's not going to be him. I think throwing the

0:03:29 > 0:03:33bookies, I do believe, we will see how it will be. There is word, all

0:03:34 > 0:03:38these rumours and things, it might be Gustavo Kuerten, former world one

0:03:39 > 0:03:44in tennis, the French Open winner. It's a big deal, Muhammad Ali did it

0:03:45 > 0:03:47for Atlanta. It's a very big deal, and over the years every Opening

0:03:48 > 0:03:54Ceremony has taken pride in keeping this amazing secret and speculation

0:03:55 > 0:04:00by everyone as to who it might be, and I think that Pele would be an

0:04:01 > 0:04:05obvious choice here and I think he is certainly revered around the

0:04:06 > 0:04:10world. Gustavo Kuerten, that would be some big shoes for him to fill. I

0:04:11 > 0:04:15would think someone like Emerson would be a bigger star but they may

0:04:16 > 0:04:19be throwing as off, who knows! Everyone likes to keep this a

0:04:20 > 0:04:25secret. We've seen over the years and all of the speculation, so it

0:04:26 > 0:04:29will be interesting to see. One of the most impressive smoke screens

0:04:30 > 0:04:32ever, if Pele suddenly appears to do it, everyone will say wow he wasn't

0:04:33 > 0:04:36coming! For the athletes themselves and you have been there, Steve, you

0:04:37 > 0:04:40have carried the flag-macro, is it a wonderful thing to be part of an

0:04:41 > 0:04:44Opening Ceremony or is it the last thing you need just before the

0:04:45 > 0:04:51biggest competition of your life? Yes. Yes to which? Yes to both of

0:04:52 > 0:04:54them, it's amazing to be part of it, in the introductions it's the

0:04:55 > 0:04:59biggest show on Earth, it is, it is amazing to be part of the whole

0:05:00 > 0:05:03thing. To be part of the team coming in and marching around is a big

0:05:04 > 0:05:08thrill. But within hours there will be people who will be eliminated

0:05:09 > 0:05:12from the Games. The four years of work, if not more going in, to beat

0:05:13 > 0:05:17a few hours after the Opening Ceremony that your event could be

0:05:18 > 0:05:22over. So it's quite tough to make that decision, do I go? I put all

0:05:23 > 0:05:26this sacrificing, but do I go to the Opening Ceremony? It's a balancing

0:05:27 > 0:05:29act and I very much think it should be an individual choice if you

0:05:30 > 0:05:34should be there or not. Some coaches and teams will make the decision on

0:05:35 > 0:05:39behalf of those athletes and say you are not going, but track and field,

0:05:40 > 0:05:43athletics doesn't start until a week later so there's a full week,

0:05:44 > 0:05:47athletics will start next Friday, most of the track and field athletes

0:05:48 > 0:05:51will always take part and I can remember the first time I took part

0:05:52 > 0:05:58in the Opening Ceremony was in 1992, my first Games in Barcelona, I have

0:05:59 > 0:06:02made the team a month before, over a month before, but that was the first

0:06:03 > 0:06:08time it really sort of dawned on me that I'm an Olympian. When I walked

0:06:09 > 0:06:12into that stadium with the US team, as I -- as our delegation walked in

0:06:13 > 0:06:15and we were announced, it was an amazing feeling, the realisation

0:06:16 > 0:06:20that I was an Olympic athlete. I have the opportunity to do it again

0:06:21 > 0:06:27in 1996 and it was amazing, watching Muhammad Ali light the cauldron. But

0:06:28 > 0:06:32it's also the only time during the Olympics for someone at the level

0:06:33 > 0:06:35who was competing and there to win gold, to win a medal, it's the only

0:06:36 > 0:06:42time you can really soak up the atmosphere because from that point

0:06:43 > 0:06:46from that point, the next day at his game on, back to preparation, focus

0:06:47 > 0:06:49and all the precautions that you need to go through to make sure you

0:06:50 > 0:06:53don't get injured and make sure that nothing happens and you are ready to

0:06:54 > 0:06:56go when the event starts. That's what makes it difficult for those

0:06:57 > 0:07:00athletes who are swimmers and who have to start the next day. It makes

0:07:01 > 0:07:03it very tough to make that decision because you are here to compete.

0:07:04 > 0:07:08That's why it's such a big decision for Michael Phelps to say yes to the

0:07:09 > 0:07:11honour of carrying the flag 14 USA because he will be in the pool in

0:07:12 > 0:07:16the middle of the afternoon here tomorrow, their sessions on middle

0:07:17 > 0:07:21of the afternoon rather than early morning. It will be a sensational

0:07:22 > 0:07:26ceremony. The whole build-up to this has been negative, whether it

0:07:27 > 0:07:29stories of pollution in the water, the Zika virus, safety concerns or

0:07:30 > 0:07:34state-sponsored doping by Russian athletes, it's had a lot to contend

0:07:35 > 0:07:38with. It tries to rise above sport. There's always a wonderful

0:07:39 > 0:07:42idealistic dream that somehow the Olympics is not political, but to be

0:07:43 > 0:07:49honest, when you look at the history only a fool would believe that.

0:07:50 > 0:07:57The timeless glamour of the human competitive spirit or the excesses

0:07:58 > 0:08:05of a will to win bong wild, what do we expect of the Olympic Games? --

0:08:06 > 0:08:09the will to win bong wild. They were designed for well-heeled amateur

0:08:10 > 0:08:14men, they were deliberately far from universally inclusive but they did

0:08:15 > 0:08:18change and the deeds of Jesse Owens confounded the racial designs of the

0:08:19 > 0:08:22ultimate supremacist. I'm very glad to have run a 100 metres in the

0:08:23 > 0:08:27Olympic Games here in Berlin. A very beautiful place and a very beautiful

0:08:28 > 0:08:34city. On the other hand a simple gesture just over 30 years later

0:08:35 > 0:08:36apparently contravenes the Olympic spirit, so said the fifth president

0:08:37 > 0:08:40of the International Olympic Committee, and an Olympic ideal and

0:08:41 > 0:08:47reality can remain stubbornly far apart. The Games for example were

0:08:48 > 0:08:52conceived at the promotion of peaceful cooperation between

0:08:53 > 0:08:57nations, an ideal damaged, and ideal shattered. The Olympics were to be

0:08:58 > 0:09:05free of commercial exploitation and get they bankrupted a city. What do

0:09:06 > 0:09:11you think of the stadium? It's like emptying my pockets, you could say.

0:09:12 > 0:09:16The Games were saved by commercial intervention and are now a slave to

0:09:17 > 0:09:24economic reality. The Olympics extol the virtues of fair play, and other

0:09:25 > 0:09:31ideal compromised, flagrantly abused and on the state-sponsored scale

0:09:32 > 0:09:38even to this day, ideas and reality. And yet the world watches by the

0:09:39 > 0:09:43billion. Just over 30 years after the Black Power salute, amid -- and

0:09:44 > 0:09:47indigenous Australian took her marks. On her arm, a tattooed,

0:09:48 > 0:09:53because I'm free. COMMENTATOR:

0:09:54 > 0:09:59The crowd roaring freeman on, gold for Freeman. Emancipation through

0:10:00 > 0:10:03sport, this is a woman's world as much as a man's. The search by so

0:10:04 > 0:10:11many for the single figure that will rise to the moment. The Dutch

0:10:12 > 0:10:16champion wins in 11.2 seconds, a new Olympic and world record. The world

0:10:17 > 0:10:23watching, on the lookout for the underdog. Redmond has broken down. A

0:10:24 > 0:10:29story of courage. Or sometimes they watched the rock busting big

0:10:30 > 0:10:33picture, the superhero that delivers -- blockbusting.

0:10:34 > 0:10:38COMMENTATOR: Mo Farah, its gold! The Olympics,

0:10:39 > 0:10:44excessive, of course, but out of adversity the Olympics have

0:10:45 > 0:10:45delivered before. They can inspire, they can be irresistible. It is that

0:10:46 > 0:10:55time again. There is so much to get excited

0:10:56 > 0:10:58about while being realistic about the negative stories that without a

0:10:59 > 0:11:04shadow of a doubt will continue over 16 days because that is the nature

0:11:05 > 0:11:07of life today. We discovered that a Greek athlete, unnamed and we don't

0:11:08 > 0:11:11know the sport either, has been expelled from the village, having

0:11:12 > 0:11:13tested positive for a banned substance and an unnamed Irish boxer

0:11:14 > 0:11:18in the run-up to the games has reportedly failed a test as well. It

0:11:19 > 0:11:23is a problem, Michael, that is with us, constantly going to be with us,

0:11:24 > 0:11:27isn't it? It always has been with us and this is not about whether an

0:11:28 > 0:11:32athlete dopes. Athletes have cheated and they will always cheat. People

0:11:33 > 0:11:35in life cheat and sport is just a microcosm of society. You have

0:11:36 > 0:11:39people do the right thing -- who do the right thing, most of us by and

0:11:40 > 0:11:42large abide by the laws of society every day and then you will have

0:11:43 > 0:11:45people who cheat and rob banks and sell drugs and do other things we

0:11:46 > 0:11:49should not be doing. That is why we have law enforcement. The same thing

0:11:50 > 0:11:52happens in sport. By and large, most people abide by the rules but a few

0:11:53 > 0:11:59will always cheat and that will always be the case. This is more

0:12:00 > 0:12:02about whether or not the IOC, IAAF, Wada and all of the associations of

0:12:03 > 0:12:07sport federations will do the right thing when something goes wrong. So

0:12:08 > 0:12:10that people can trust that the cheats, who will always be the

0:12:11 > 0:12:15cheats, whether or not they are going to be dealt with appropriately

0:12:16 > 0:12:18and that the ongoing effort is going to continue to stay one step ahead

0:12:19 > 0:12:21of the cheats and deal with them appropriately when they do cheat.

0:12:22 > 0:12:25Eddie Butler, in that wonderful piece with the way he has and the

0:12:26 > 0:12:30way he writes, summing up the conflict which will always be here,

0:12:31 > 0:12:34Steve, as it is with human nature. The Olympics are so big so that if

0:12:35 > 0:12:38there is a cause or a statement that you want to make, it is made around

0:12:39 > 0:12:45the build-up to the Games because that is when you will get the

0:12:46 > 0:12:48coverage. The doping scandals, it is taking it to a new level of what we

0:12:49 > 0:12:54have been hearing over the last few months and year. The IOC have to

0:12:55 > 0:12:57step up to the mark. They have to make decisions. We want clean

0:12:58 > 0:13:03athletes to be able to compete and drug cheats not, simple as that. And

0:13:04 > 0:13:09everyone has to be able to trust the system and trust it is in place how

0:13:10 > 0:13:15it should be. Moving on to the ceremony had, and moving on to Team

0:13:16 > 0:13:18GB, a team of 366 athlete, the biggest the 24 years, carrying the

0:13:19 > 0:13:21flag will be Andy Murray, Wimbledon champion, defending Olympic champion

0:13:22 > 0:13:28in tennis and he has been speaking about the honour to Dan Walker.

0:13:29 > 0:13:32Thank you for talking to us. We've got Wimbledon champion, reigning

0:13:33 > 0:13:36Olympic champion and now Team GB flag bearer. Let's get to the base

0:13:37 > 0:13:43of the story. Is it true about the pants? Did you find out in your

0:13:44 > 0:13:47pants? I was not actually in my pants. I was just about to go to

0:13:48 > 0:13:53bed. I had just finished brushing my teeth. The team leader came and said

0:13:54 > 0:14:02the chef commission would like to speak to me. I was not expecting it

0:14:03 > 0:14:04will stop -- chef de mission. I did not sleep particularly well the

0:14:05 > 0:14:08night I was told because it does not get much bigger than the chance to

0:14:09 > 0:14:14lead out your country in an Olympic Games. Where does it rank in your

0:14:15 > 0:14:17career? Number one. Above everything else? For sure, it is bigger than

0:14:18 > 0:14:21winning a tournament. I've never felt like that before. I'm looking

0:14:22 > 0:14:25forward to it and I'm sure it will be a night I will never forget. I

0:14:26 > 0:14:34can't wait. We need to talk about the photocall. Orange Grove do we?

0:14:35 > 0:14:37You can't jabber loyalty with a flight. We were in the darkness and

0:14:38 > 0:14:40there were 20 photographers shouting directions and they told me to tip

0:14:41 > 0:14:44the flight to the site and then I was covering Brezovan's face and I

0:14:45 > 0:14:49was like I'm so sorry, I'm blaming the photographers. It was not my

0:14:50 > 0:14:52fault! Steve Redgrave, Matthew Pinsent and Chris Hoy have all been

0:14:53 > 0:14:56flag-bearers in the past and their message is, ignore the holster, you

0:14:57 > 0:15:04have to go straight arm and one hand. Going for it? I'm going to

0:15:05 > 0:15:07try. I looked at some of the photos last night and it looks a lot better

0:15:08 > 0:15:11than having it in the holster, so I will give it a go. I think that is

0:15:12 > 0:15:16such a bad idea, I'm afraid I'd you started this, Steve, it's your

0:15:17 > 0:15:22fault. No, it's not. He's a tennis player, he's got to use a hand. And

0:15:23 > 0:15:26we don't use our arms in rowing? But you have both of them. This is you,

0:15:27 > 0:15:33the big man, one had come up there, not using the holster. Did it last

0:15:34 > 0:15:38the whole way? All the way around. I did it four years earlier than that

0:15:39 > 0:15:45with the other arm. It all dates back to when I watched the Moscow

0:15:46 > 0:15:48games, the Russian weightlifter did it one-handed. And I thought if I

0:15:49 > 0:15:52ever got the opportunity, and Matthew and I spoke about it at

0:15:53 > 0:15:57various times on training camps, in the build-up, if we ever got it, we

0:15:58 > 0:16:02would give it a go. The difference was, the polls in 1980 were made of

0:16:03 > 0:16:08steel and now they are aluminium. And steel ones are heavier? Much

0:16:09 > 0:16:11heavier, and in Barcelona, it was quite easy, going around the stadium

0:16:12 > 0:16:15and then when you cut in across to the grass, the wind picked up and

0:16:16 > 0:16:20when the wind was in the flag, your arm was shaking a bit. My gosh. I

0:16:21 > 0:16:25like the fact your shirt would go with the shorts you wore them. Did

0:16:26 > 0:16:37you see that, Michael? I don't like that! I don't like the shorts. I was

0:16:38 > 0:16:40like, "What is that?" But I like this shirt. Thank you. Good to know,

0:16:41 > 0:16:43both looking good in check. What a fantastic studio this is. You will

0:16:44 > 0:16:45see a lot of it in the next 16 days, Hazel will be here and Dan as well

0:16:46 > 0:16:51add Copacabana beach right behind us, where there are still people,

0:16:52 > 0:16:54not in the moonlight because it is the beginnings of a new moon,

0:16:55 > 0:17:03kicking a ball and it looks amazing and that the Maracanazo, the

0:17:04 > 0:17:05lighting is sensational. -- Maracana Stadium, the lighting is

0:17:06 > 0:17:08sensational. The images this will produce will be unlike any other.

0:17:09 > 0:17:12That stadium in the distance will be the setting for the opening

0:17:13 > 0:17:18ceremony. They say it is going to cost 12 times less than London did,

0:17:19 > 0:17:2020 times less than Beijing. They are very deliberately making this a

0:17:21 > 0:17:25sustainable, affordable opening ceremony. But it will set the mood

0:17:26 > 0:17:33for the games as opening ceremonies have done in the last few decades.

0:17:34 > 0:18:56That wonderful cauldron that opened the Games in London 2012, we wait to

0:18:57 > 0:19:01see how Brazil will open their Games. The first time, an initiative

0:19:02 > 0:19:05of the IOC, there will be a Refugee Olympic Team with ten competitors.

0:19:06 > 0:19:08They will march under the Olympic flag and the Olympic Anthem will be

0:19:09 > 0:19:12there and then in the event of a medal ceremony. Steve, that seems to

0:19:13 > 0:19:18me a really good idea. Definitely, we want to be more inclusive and get

0:19:19 > 0:19:21more people competing. People of the right standard and being able to

0:19:22 > 0:19:26have that opportunity. Michael, I know it may be a cliche but we are

0:19:27 > 0:19:30expecting a carnival atmosphere, aren't we? We are and that is one of

0:19:31 > 0:19:33the things about Rio that is so amazing, the festive atmosphere that

0:19:34 > 0:19:38always exists, here. I'm sure they will want to have it on full display

0:19:39 > 0:19:43this evening, showing just sort of how Rio welcomes people to this

0:19:44 > 0:19:46country. Thank you so much to Steve and Michael, we will hear more from

0:19:47 > 0:19:49them at the end of the opening ceremony but the time has come and

0:19:50 > 0:19:52just to warn you that the ceremony will contain some scenes of

0:19:53 > 0:19:56repetitive flashing images. We hope you all enjoy it. Let's join our

0:19:57 > 0:19:59commentary team, Andrew Cotter and Hazel Irvine.

0:20:00 > 0:20:07COMMENTATOR:, welcome, to paraphrase Charles Dickens, it's the best of

0:20:08 > 0:20:11times and worst of times in Brazil, the economy tanking, the political

0:20:12 > 0:20:16establishment in turmoil, health crisis across the region -- across

0:20:17 > 0:20:20the region, and not an easy time for the icy in our faith in fair play

0:20:21 > 0:20:23and yet here we are, 14,500 athletes about to share the biggest, the best

0:20:24 > 0:20:26and most significant celebration on the planet. Perhaps we need sport at

0:20:27 > 0:20:29the Olympics to remind us of how brilliant we can be and how joyous

0:20:30 > 0:20:33it is to share something good with the rest of the world in times of

0:20:34 > 0:20:42crisis. Against that backdrop, what will Rio give us tonight? The

0:20:43 > 0:20:44opening ceremony, rightly or wrongly, helps to define the games.

0:20:45 > 0:20:47The great sporting moments sear themselves into our memories but so,

0:20:48 > 0:20:52too, we remember spectacular, clever moments, the arch in Barcelona, jet

0:20:53 > 0:20:56Pac man in Los Angeles, 2008, dramas in Beijing or anyone of so many from

0:20:57 > 0:21:02London, getting the Games off to a good start goes a long way to its

0:21:03 > 0:21:06success. But this ceremony is not expensive by recent standards, one

0:21:07 > 0:21:11of the main directors, the film director Fernando Mirallas has said

0:21:12 > 0:21:15that in these times, how can you spend fortunes of this? He said

0:21:16 > 0:21:19Athens was classical, Beijing was grandiose, London was smart and this

0:21:20 > 0:21:24is going to be cool. Time for you to judge for yourselves and enjoyed it.

0:21:25 > 0:21:30Welcome to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. For the very

0:21:31 > 0:21:31first time, South America welcomes the world for the 28th summer

0:21:32 > 0:21:54Olympic Games. # Al, torcida do Flamengo -

0:21:55 > 0:22:22aquele abrao! # Chacrinha continua

0:22:23 > 0:22:28balanando a pana # E buzinando a moa

0:22:29 > 0:22:34e comandando a massa # E continua dando

0:22:35 > 0:22:38as ordens no terreiro # Al, al, seu Chacrinha -

0:22:39 > 0:22:41velho guerreiro # Al, al, seu Chacrinha -

0:22:42 > 0:22:46velho palhao # Todo mundo da Portela -

0:22:47 > 0:23:01aquele abrao! # Todo ms de fevereiro -

0:23:02 > 0:23:07aquele passo! # Al, Banda de Ipanema -

0:23:08 > 0:23:12aquele abrao! # Meu caminho pelo

0:23:13 > 0:23:20mundo eu mesmo trao # Pra voc que meu

0:23:21 > 0:23:36esqueceu - aquele abrao! # Todo o povo brasileiro -

0:23:37 > 0:23:58aquele abrao!# The views from above the city of Rio

0:23:59 > 0:24:01de Janeiro show that sport is a key part of lively and also that in this

0:24:02 > 0:24:09city, nature and the urban live side-by-side. Aquele Abraco means

0:24:10 > 0:24:14that hard and we are about to join a welcome embrace from the people of

0:24:15 > 0:24:16Brazil. One of the repairing beams of the ceremony will be gambiarra,

0:24:17 > 0:24:21the Brazilian talent for making something wonderful out of almost

0:24:22 > 0:24:24nothing. So first, we look down on simple sheets of metallic paper but

0:24:25 > 0:24:28they will recreate a pattern from the artist Athos Bulcao, whose

0:24:29 > 0:25:25murals can be seen throughout the city.

0:25:26 > 0:25:33The countdown now marks the beginning of this ceremony, raising

0:25:34 > 0:25:37and lowering the squares to become giant cushions and on zero, the

0:25:38 > 0:25:40volunteers will use them as drums, creating a powerful batucada, a

0:25:41 > 0:26:03samba beat. A Brazilian twist on Beijing's 2008

0:26:04 > 0:26:50drummers at their opening ceremony. And a silver vortexes created, and

0:26:51 > 0:27:06something special at the heart of it.

0:27:07 > 0:27:31The main themes of this ceremony summed up in three words,' rejoice,

0:27:32 > 0:27:36replant. -- reinvent. Time for the presentation of two key figures.

0:27:37 > 0:27:39Thomas Bach, the president of the IOC, a German, former Olympic

0:27:40 > 0:27:57gold-medallist in fencing in 1976. Ladies and gentlemen, please stand

0:27:58 > 0:28:18for the national anthem of Brazil. The Maracana Stadium opened in 1950

0:28:19 > 0:28:21for the World Cup. A few hundred thousand fans squeezed in here for

0:28:22 > 0:28:24the final. 75,000 here for the final between Germany and Argentina two

0:28:25 > 0:28:39years ago. # Ouviram do Ipiranga

0:28:40 > 0:28:42as margens placidas # De um povo heroico

0:28:43 > 0:28:46o brado retumbante # E o sol da Liberdade

0:28:47 > 0:28:50em raios fulgidos. # Brilhou no ceu da

0:28:51 > 0:28:55Patria nesse instante # Conseguimos conquistar

0:28:56 > 0:29:03com braco forte # Desafia o nosso

0:29:04 > 0:29:11peito a propria morte! # Brasil, um sonho

0:29:12 > 0:29:22intenso, um raio vivido # De amor e de

0:29:23 > 0:29:26esperanca a terra desce # Se em teu formoso

0:29:27 > 0:29:32ceu, risonho e limpido # Es belo, es forte,

0:29:33 > 0:29:46impavido colosso # E o teu futuro

0:29:47 > 0:30:21espelha essa grandeza Continuing with the theme, a simple

0:30:22 > 0:30:27yet beautiful rendition of the national anthem by the Brazilian

0:30:28 > 0:30:28composer. There was an elegance and simplicity in that rendition that

0:30:29 > 0:30:43says much about this ceremony. So now we go to the beginning.

0:30:44 > 0:30:50Before the European settlers in Brazil, before the indigenous

0:30:51 > 0:30:57people, we go back very noisily even further to the birth of life itself.

0:30:58 > 0:30:59Just add water, the beginnings of life appear. Represented by

0:31:00 > 0:31:15microorganisms dividing and multiplying on video.

0:31:16 > 0:31:25MUSIC The whole floor of the Maracana

0:31:26 > 0:31:31Stadium is being used as a giant video screen, with images being

0:31:32 > 0:31:32projected upon it. And here come some large sculptures of microbes

0:31:33 > 0:32:58crossing the stage. The noise and the visuals inside the

0:32:59 > 0:33:01Maracana are stunning and now we taken great leap forward, millions

0:33:02 > 0:33:08of years, to the birth of the forest.

0:33:09 > 0:33:21CHEERING 4 million indigenous people

0:33:22 > 0:33:23inhabited the territory now known as Brazil. The area was called

0:33:24 > 0:33:58Pindorama, land of the palm trees. The sounds of the fluttering wings

0:33:59 > 0:34:02now accompanied by a chorus of strange noises from the forest floor

0:34:03 > 0:34:07and the canopy, and by the flutes come at the percussive instruments

0:34:08 > 0:34:09and the songs of the native peoples, creating a serial noises and shapes

0:34:10 > 0:34:32on the floor of this virtual florist. Forest.

0:34:33 > 0:34:43The people of the forest represented here by dancers from Amazonia. From

0:34:44 > 0:34:48Parintins. 60% of the Amazonian rainforest is within Brazil's

0:34:49 > 0:34:54borders and as recently as 2011, an indigenous tribe of 200 people who

0:34:55 > 0:34:56had not had contact with the outside world were discovered there and it's

0:34:57 > 0:35:20believed there are still others. The arrival of the Europeans which

0:35:21 > 0:35:23we will see more of in a moment, is a fairly recent phenomenon in the

0:35:24 > 0:35:27history of this part of the world. There were around 1 million to be

0:35:28 > 0:35:35people spread along what is now the coast of Brazil the Europeans

0:35:36 > 0:35:39arrived. Indeed, 270 different languages are spoken in Brazil, and

0:35:40 > 0:35:4713% of its territory occupied by the indigenous peoples of the forest.

0:35:48 > 0:35:52It's an enormous elastic band being stretched to recreate indigenous

0:35:53 > 0:36:27art. And finally they come together to

0:36:28 > 0:36:54create three huge Ocas, or native huts.

0:36:55 > 0:37:00And now, with a clap of thunder, the creation of the modern-day Brazilian

0:37:01 > 0:37:04people with the arrival of Europeans, Africans, and those from

0:37:05 > 0:37:09Middle East and Asia. First to arrive, the Europeans, small

0:37:10 > 0:37:16Portuguese sailing ships with acrobats scintillating the movements

0:37:17 > 0:37:22of a ship in a storm. -- simulating. This is the journey of the

0:37:23 > 0:37:29Portuguese, a fleet led by Pedro Cabella is Cabral which landed in

0:37:30 > 0:37:321500. For the Portuguese this was the land where everything rose, that

0:37:33 > 0:37:38could be used and extracted. Indeed, the first tree, the Pau Brazil, was

0:37:39 > 0:37:39used to make red dye and this tree ended up naming this country,

0:37:40 > 0:38:50Brazil. CHEERING

0:38:51 > 0:38:54Then arrives the Africans, four groups represent the Africans who

0:38:55 > 0:38:58were brought to Brazil by force, the slave trade centred around Angola

0:38:59 > 0:39:04and the lower Congo River and lasted almost 400 years. The wheels and

0:39:05 > 0:39:50sticks represent ploughs and the weights on their feet are shackles.

0:39:51 > 0:39:54Is a clear message that African culture is that the heart of

0:39:55 > 0:40:01everything that is modern Brazil. And as they move their projected

0:40:02 > 0:40:06forest is replaced by patterns of sugar cane plantations. And this is

0:40:07 > 0:40:14a section that echoes some of the themes of turbulence text --

0:40:15 > 0:40:18turbulence change explored in London's Industrial Revolution, this

0:40:19 > 0:40:20is the cultural Revolution caused by migratory waves from every corner of

0:40:21 > 0:40:46the world, for over 600 years. This section is called

0:40:47 > 0:40:49Geometrization, as the more natural world and the flow we can see is

0:40:50 > 0:41:03replaced by the more structured shapes of agriculture.

0:41:04 > 0:41:10And finally we have two more groups representing immigration from the

0:41:11 > 0:41:11Middle East and Asia, Syrians and Lebanese and particular dominated

0:41:12 > 0:41:56trade here in the 19th century. And the red banners appear,

0:41:57 > 0:42:00signifying Japanese culture. Japanese immigrants started arriving

0:42:01 > 0:42:02in Brazil at the start of the 20th century and today, Brazil has the

0:42:03 > 0:42:08largest population of Japanese descendants in the world. Other

0:42:09 > 0:42:13communities came, too, further waves of German and Italian immigrants

0:42:14 > 0:42:16from the 1800 onwards, many of whom settled in the southern most states

0:42:17 > 0:42:47Brazil, fusing together Brazil's richly diverse society.

0:42:48 > 0:42:52Once more, the organic forms of nature are replaced with the

0:42:53 > 0:43:31geometry of agriculture, the defining of roads.

0:43:32 > 0:43:35So, the people have arrived, and now, now the great cities will

0:43:36 > 0:43:54appear. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

0:43:55 > 0:43:57The stadium building a brilliant video representation and projections

0:43:58 > 0:43:58on the floor, a theme that was carried through Beijing to

0:43:59 > 0:44:12Vancouver, London and Sochi. The building of modern-day Brazil,

0:44:13 > 0:44:17centred around densely populated megacities, in particular Rio de

0:44:18 > 0:44:22Janeiro and Sao Paulo, and a huge Brazilian Metropolis skyline

0:44:23 > 0:44:25emerges. These are very clever, very classy projections, I can assure you

0:44:26 > 0:44:26that the stadium floor remains totally flat, despite what you are

0:44:27 > 0:44:45seeing! Parkour, free running groups cross

0:44:46 > 0:44:46the buildings, and projection and choreography, working perfectly

0:44:47 > 0:45:21together. Then the construction, the

0:45:22 > 0:45:25contemporary cities revealed almost 100 buildings made of boxes on top

0:45:26 > 0:46:04of each other and acrobats, defying the height and scaling the facades.

0:46:05 > 0:46:10Perhaps a nod to the fact that sport climbing is one of the new sports

0:46:11 > 0:46:57that has just been accepted to the next Olympics in Tokyo, 2020.

0:46:58 > 0:47:07The music is a version of construcao, by Chico Buarque, a

0:47:08 > 0:47:14well-known piece of music in Brazil. J Dubois Kwai was exiled during the

0:47:15 > 0:47:18military dictatorship, for a time, from 1964 to 1985, and his songs are

0:47:19 > 0:47:21those of you but Gill, who we will hear later, were considered

0:47:22 > 0:47:25oppressive by the regime that suppressed and crackdown on

0:47:26 > 0:47:52democracy. Gilberto Gil came to London for a couple of years.

0:47:53 > 0:47:57So, the mega city has been reaching for the sky, something that one of

0:47:58 > 0:48:07Brazil's most famous inventors has also done.

0:48:08 > 0:48:12Yes, you might think that the Wright brothers managed the first

0:48:13 > 0:48:17successful powered flight in 1903 but in France and certainly in

0:48:18 > 0:48:31Brazil, they attribute it to Alberto Santos Dumont in 1906. This is his

0:48:32 > 0:48:38plane, the 14 BIS. And in it, he will make a flight across the

0:48:39 > 0:48:46Maracana and out into the night sky of Rio de Janeiro.

0:48:47 > 0:48:54We have taken a few liberties here, the 14 BIS only flew for about 60

0:48:55 > 0:49:01metres but hey, who cares? Admire the view. Americans are probably

0:49:02 > 0:49:08watching this, pointing out 1906 is later the 1903 but they go out over

0:49:09 > 0:49:11Rio, going over the Sugarloaf Mountain, the to do the national

0:49:12 > 0:49:13park, the aqueduct built in the middle of the 18th century to bring

0:49:14 > 0:49:39clean water from the Carioca River. Towards the 100 foot high statue of

0:49:40 > 0:49:48Christ the Redeemer which has overlooked the city for the past 80

0:49:49 > 0:50:01years. At all to the unmistakably cool harmonic composition of Tom

0:50:02 > 0:50:06Jobim. Towards the famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema and Tom Jobim

0:50:07 > 0:50:27composed the Girl From Ipanema which is a sign of things to come.

0:50:28 > 0:50:33# And when she passes, each one she passes

0:50:34 > 0:50:51And to ease the Girl From Ipanema, walking towards the statue of Tom

0:50:52 > 0:51:00Jobim? It is Gisele Bundchen. -- and who is. Daniel Jervis is the

0:51:01 > 0:51:11grandson of the composer, Tom Jobim. -- Daniel Jobim.

0:51:12 > 0:51:20The line she leaves on the floor, echoing the likes of Oscar Niemeyer,

0:51:21 > 0:51:23who designed many of the buildings Brasilia, the modern-day capital of

0:51:24 > 0:51:32Brazil and indeed, the United Nations building in New York. Gisele

0:51:33 > 0:51:36's forefathers came to Brazil in that wave of immigration from

0:51:37 > 0:51:37Germany in the 1800 and this is our last catwalk. Not a bad way to

0:51:38 > 0:52:08sashay out. Now far above Ipanema, a pulsating

0:52:09 > 0:52:25energy rises, the voice of the Fran Velez.

0:52:26 > 0:52:33passinho, a dance style that was created in the favelas, mixing

0:52:34 > 0:52:36various dance styles. Rio was still very much a divided city between

0:52:37 > 0:52:42rich and poor neighbourhoods but this kite of culture and creativity

0:52:43 > 0:52:45it showcases highlighted in the talents of the many people who live

0:52:46 > 0:52:48there, who have so often been stigmatised because of the crime and

0:52:49 > 0:52:56violence levels associated with those areas. And the passinho is a

0:52:57 > 0:52:57dance that appeared in the favelas, its move is widely shared on

0:52:58 > 0:53:14YouTube. Said that was the sound of Ludmila

0:53:15 > 0:53:23and the Happiness Rap, and also the sound of a middle-aged commentator

0:53:24 > 0:53:29trying to sound with it! And now we hear Elsa Suarez. Never mind

0:53:30 > 0:54:1140-something, she is 70 something! She was voted best thing of the

0:54:12 > 0:54:12millennium in 2000 by the BBC, she was married to the great football,

0:54:13 > 0:55:23Berenger. Showing the diversity of Carioca and

0:55:24 > 0:55:56Rio pop music, here, Marcelo D2 and Zeca Pagodinho.

0:55:57 > 0:56:02Challenges issued between groups on one side to the other. Marcelo D2

0:56:03 > 0:56:25was the one on the right, by the way.

0:56:26 > 0:57:01They are friends after all. And now with a mixture of breakdowns and

0:57:02 > 0:57:06capoeira performed at the centre of the stadium, busy tribute to the

0:57:07 > 0:57:13contribution of black people took Brazilian culture. Karol Conka and

0:57:14 > 0:57:47MC Soffia singing. THEY RAP IN PORTUGUESE capoeira, the

0:57:48 > 0:57:56Brazilian mixture of dams and martial arts with its roots in West

0:57:57 > 0:57:59Africa. -- dance. Caballero was actually recognised by UNESCO two

0:58:00 > 0:58:05years ago as intangible heritage, not so much a world Heritage site as

0:58:06 > 0:58:08a world Heritage phenomenon and -- capoeira. Another comment on that

0:58:09 > 0:58:53tensions and disputes. Fire dancing in so many forms of

0:58:54 > 0:58:58dams and expression each variation we are seeing on the stadium floor

0:58:59 > 0:59:01reminds us of how diverse Brazilian culture really is, it's not just

0:59:02 > 0:59:06Samba and Bossa Nova, those so much more besides -- forms of dance and

0:59:07 > 0:59:22expression. Yes, the dancers here, a folk dance

0:59:23 > 0:59:28from a state and butter colas dancers, carnival dancers from the

0:59:29 > 0:59:29outskirts of Rio, and from the state of Bahia. So many regional

0:59:30 > 1:00:26variations on show here tonight. Alter the sound of the beads created

1:00:27 > 1:00:43by Gang Do Eletro, a mass dance off. It's so exciting to be here.

1:00:44 > 1:00:49This is Regina Case, actress, presenter, all-round good sort,

1:00:50 > 1:01:06urging everyone to get along. Urging everyone to dance around the

1:01:07 > 1:01:10stadium to the sound of Pais Tropical, tropical country. And live

1:01:11 > 1:01:13in a tropical country blessed by God, beautiful by nature and

1:01:14 > 1:01:22everyone in here knows every line. # Moro num pais tropical,

1:01:23 > 1:01:24abencoado por Deus # E bonito por natureza,

1:01:25 > 1:01:45mas que beleza They are joining in, like a giant

1:01:46 > 1:01:48irregular line dance only much more cool, with a soul.

1:01:49 > 1:01:54# Sou um menino de mentalidade mediana

1:01:55 > 1:02:07# Moro num pais tropical, abencoado por Deus

1:02:08 > 1:02:09# E bonito por natureza, mas que beleza

1:02:10 > 1:02:33# Todos meus amigos, meus camaradinhas me

1:02:34 > 1:02:46# Do poder, do algo mais e da alegria

1:02:47 > 1:03:11The stadium now resembles a lava lamp!

1:03:12 > 1:03:37Some of these mighty wigs, you will no one of the most famous Brazil pop

1:03:38 > 1:03:43songs if you look it up. Dance parties like this one actually take

1:03:44 > 1:03:44place every Saturday night under the viaduct in one of the northern

1:03:45 > 1:04:16cities. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

1:04:17 > 1:04:20Another wonderful ring of fireworks above the Ara Cana, but now they

1:04:21 > 1:04:25will be asking everyone to join in and carry on around the stadium --

1:04:26 > 1:04:27above the Maracana. We were all joining in, by which I mean all the

1:04:28 > 1:04:59people were. CROWD SINGS But eventually the party

1:05:00 > 1:05:03will end and we will have our more serious rather sombre look to the

1:05:04 > 1:05:09future, not just for Rio, Brazil, but for the planet as a whole. What

1:05:10 > 1:06:05a great party. Yes. It collected in the atmosphere.

1:06:06 > 1:06:06The temperature rises. Watch the temperature on earth in the last

1:06:07 > 1:06:28century. The heat is melting the ice. Yes,

1:06:29 > 1:06:37look at Greenland. It is disappearing very quickly.

1:06:38 > 1:06:47When the ice melts, the level of the sea rises. What a challenge for the

1:06:48 > 1:07:52coastal cities. So bearing in mind the problems,

1:07:53 > 1:07:53what then can be done? The boy captivated by the sight of the

1:07:54 > 1:08:24seedling emerging from the concrete. A flower has sprouted in the street.

1:08:25 > 1:08:36Buses, Street cars, a steel stream of traffic. Steer clear. A flower,

1:08:37 > 1:08:55still pale, has called the police. It's breaking through the asphalt.

1:08:56 > 1:09:13Lets have some signs, hold whole business. I swear that a flower has

1:09:14 > 1:09:16been born. Its colour is uncertain, it's not showing its petals, its

1:09:17 > 1:09:26name isn't in the books. It's ugly, but it really is a flower.

1:09:27 > 1:09:40I sit down on the ground of the nation's capital and follow with my

1:09:41 > 1:09:49fingers this precarious form. It's ugly. But it's a flower. Broke

1:09:50 > 1:10:00through the asphalt. Te disgust and... -- tedium, disgust and...

1:10:01 > 1:10:48The poem read by Fernanda Montenegro and by Dame Judi Dench. As they

1:10:49 > 1:10:53enter, each athlete, 11,000 seedlings will be blunted. The

1:10:54 > 1:10:59Athletes' Forest will be the legacy for Rio de Janeiro. Yes, the

1:11:00 > 1:11:04athletes of the world will become The Planters Of The World. They've

1:11:05 > 1:11:13each been given a seed and it will be blunted into a giant 11,500

1:11:14 > 1:11:16strong forest in the Deodoro Radical Park, when we've all left this

1:11:17 > 1:11:22beautiful city. That will be part of the legacy of these Olympic Games.

1:11:23 > 1:11:25Brazilians know there's a real contradiction in the States it aims

1:11:26 > 1:11:31of carbon reduction, deforestation, and the reality of life here. Let's

1:11:32 > 1:11:35not be naive, given that polluted super bacteria Guanabara Bay wet

1:11:36 > 1:11:40tonnes and tonnes of rubbish has been fished out, there's still much

1:11:41 > 1:11:47to be not just by Brazil but by everyone. That is the point they

1:11:48 > 1:11:53want to ram home to us tonight. Now it's time, time for those who will

1:11:54 > 1:11:55compete here in Rio de Janeiro. It's time for the athletes of the 2016

1:11:56 > 1:12:10Olympic Games. Yes, the Planters of the World, the

1:12:11 > 1:12:12youth of the world. Please welcome the athletes of the games of the

1:12:13 > 1:12:37XXXI Olympiad! And we will start, as we have done

1:12:38 > 1:12:47since the 1928 games in Amsterdam, with Greece. The country where it

1:12:48 > 1:12:53all began at Olympia. Greece held the first of the modern Olympic

1:12:54 > 1:13:00Games in 1896, led by a colourful scooter. The bridge vendor bicycles

1:13:01 > 1:13:04are a bit of fun again, but another carbon neutral touch from the

1:13:05 > 1:13:10organisers. This is a sailor who won gold and bronze. She competes and

1:13:11 > 1:13:15becomes the first woman in Olympic history to carry the Greek flag,

1:13:16 > 1:13:19leading a 90 strong team that despite the six-year Greek debt

1:13:20 > 1:13:26crisis has affected her sport, but she says, I am sure we will all do

1:13:27 > 1:13:36our best. What also for the pole vaulter. She won World Championship

1:13:37 > 1:13:39bronze last year. The Brazilian Portuguese alphabet is being used

1:13:40 > 1:13:46for this parade, and it does throw up a few surprises along the way,

1:13:47 > 1:13:51but not here. Aid for Afghanistan. A team of only three representing a

1:13:52 > 1:13:59nation of 32 million in Afghanistan. They first appeared at the Berlin

1:14:00 > 1:14:02games in 1936. There is vast amount, going for an Olympic hat-trick of

1:14:03 > 1:14:13three medals in three games. South Africa take their first leap up the

1:14:14 > 1:14:21alphabet. They have the first man to go below ten seconds for the 144 for

1:14:22 > 1:14:27the 400. And of course, fast as well in that team is Caster Semenya, one

1:14:28 > 1:14:33of the favourites for gold. You have Chad Le Clos, a star named, and he

1:14:34 > 1:14:37is defending his 200 flight title. Sadly, his good old dad Bert and his

1:14:38 > 1:14:43mum have not been well recently. They are both here and we wish them

1:14:44 > 1:14:51well. Albania. Their flag bearer goes in the 1500 steeplechase. They

1:14:52 > 1:14:57did not compete in the Olympics until the Munich games of 1972. And

1:14:58 > 1:15:08a spirited performance from their team. Land of the eagles. Two years

1:15:09 > 1:15:19ago, they became a candidate to join the European Union. Another shift in

1:15:20 > 1:15:24the alphabet from the English. Germany, in with a team of 422. The

1:15:25 > 1:15:27last time a major German sporting team was in Brazil, they did

1:15:28 > 1:15:35something rather unspeakable to the hosts. It was not in the Maracana.

1:15:36 > 1:15:41Indeed! Those seven goals should not be mentioned in the Maracana. That

1:15:42 > 1:15:48is Timo Boll, that is terrible -- table tennis player who is that flag

1:15:49 > 1:15:52bearer. Their men's and women's football teams are in action,

1:15:53 > 1:16:02chasing a gold -- golden couple. Expect a real tussle. And the

1:16:03 > 1:16:08three-day eventing team are ready to go for an Olympic hat-trick. They

1:16:09 > 1:16:14start tomorrow morning. We always keep an eye on the outfits as well.

1:16:15 > 1:16:19Germany look quite smart. We have seen Thomas Bach, the IOC president,

1:16:20 > 1:16:25a fellow German, waving them in. Do you remember the discus hurler's

1:16:26 > 1:16:31happy hurling celebration last time? He is back. Looks like something the

1:16:32 > 1:16:39cat in the hat might write to work, if he went to work. Andorra, the

1:16:40 > 1:16:42tiny principality tucked between France and Spain, highest life

1:16:43 > 1:16:46expectancy in Europe at 81. They recently announced it is organising

1:16:47 > 1:16:50its first sports games for the elderly. Events will include golf,

1:16:51 > 1:16:53orienteering and archery as well as Domino's, cards and dancing when

1:16:54 > 1:17:01everyone is a wee bit tired in the afternoon. Angola, vast country in

1:17:02 > 1:17:06the south-west of Africa with enormous reserves of minerals.

1:17:07 > 1:17:11Again, we have talked about the slave trade between West Africa and

1:17:12 > 1:17:17Brazil. It was chiefly from the country that is now Angola. That is

1:17:18 > 1:17:20Luisa Kiala leading out the delegation for the women's handball

1:17:21 > 1:17:25team for the third time. They meet next Friday in Rio's answer to

1:17:26 > 1:17:35Copper Box, the Future Arena. That will be used to build four schools,

1:17:36 > 1:17:44dismantled to recycle and reuse. This is their selfie capital of the

1:17:45 > 1:17:48world. Antigua and Barbuda, the two Islands which make up a very

1:17:49 > 1:17:57prosperous Caribbean nation. Discovered by Christopher Columbus

1:17:58 > 1:18:01in 1493. That is Daniel Bailey, who carried flags in London, Beijing,

1:18:02 > 1:18:10Athens and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Antigua means ancient and

1:18:11 > 1:18:19Barbuda means bearded in Spanish. So welcome to the ancient and bearded

1:18:20 > 1:18:22ones from Antigua and Barbuda. Saudi Arabia, a country whose wealth has

1:18:23 > 1:18:27been transformed since the production of oil began in the late

1:18:28 > 1:18:321930s. It was only in 2012 that Saudi Arabia first allowed women to

1:18:33 > 1:18:39compete at the Olympic Games. Two them, four now. Their sprinter is

1:18:40 > 1:18:44back to tackle the marathon. She is joined by a female judoka, events a

1:18:45 > 1:18:56sprinter in their 13 strong Saudi team. Now we move on to Algeria,

1:18:57 > 1:19:02Africa's largest country in terms of land area. But 80% of it is taken up

1:19:03 > 1:19:07by part of the Sahara desert. Judoka Sonia Asselah makes the flag bearing

1:19:08 > 1:19:15look easy. They also have a weightlifter who marches tonight.

1:19:16 > 1:19:21She is 15 and turns 16 tomorrow. Aim a string of cheers inside the

1:19:22 > 1:19:25Maracana for the announcement of Argentina. Near neighbours, the

1:19:26 > 1:19:29second largest country in South America after the host nation. They

1:19:30 > 1:19:34are rivals in football, but it is hockey that delivers the most

1:19:35 > 1:19:41consistent Olympic success. Argentina has an affinity with big

1:19:42 > 1:19:45cats when it comes to sport. They have the lionesses and the Panthers

1:19:46 > 1:19:49and all of these teams will be playing here in Rio. But the

1:19:50 > 1:19:53football team was a bit of a to-do. They very nearly didn't make it.

1:19:54 > 1:19:59Argentine football is in total meltdown at the moment. They still

1:20:00 > 1:20:10seem happy. I couldn't read that! We are still at the A, but we are

1:20:11 > 1:20:14welcome to -- ready to welcome Armenia. It lies just to the east of

1:20:15 > 1:20:19Turkey. It is an ancient nation going back to the fourth century BC,

1:20:20 > 1:20:24but more recently it was part of the Soviet Union. Its first Olympic

1:20:25 > 1:20:28Games was not to Atlanta in 1996. Yes, the smallest of the former

1:20:29 > 1:20:45Soviet republics. Out front for them is a 19-year-old freestyle swimmer.

1:20:46 > 1:20:54Happy dance tonight for this team. And for the team from Aruba,

1:20:55 > 1:21:00Caribbean island. Its people are technically Dutch. Aruba is part of

1:21:01 > 1:21:07the kingdom of the Netherlands, as are other Dutch Caribbean islands. I

1:21:08 > 1:21:10am loving the hat! One of the most colourful ones. Nicole van der

1:21:11 > 1:21:19Velden has qualified in the new mixed sailing event. She is at the

1:21:20 > 1:21:24helm. Sailing in one by Rabe welcomes the race is back -- in

1:21:25 > 1:21:28Guanabara Bay. These are the independent Olympic athletes, those

1:21:29 > 1:21:31who do not have a nation to represent all committee to

1:21:32 > 1:21:36represent. All of these athletes come from Kuwait, is correct is

1:21:37 > 1:21:39currently suspended by the IOC and federations such as Fifa over

1:21:40 > 1:21:45government interference in sport. And then strong team features eight

1:21:46 > 1:21:53and one woman, Fay Hussain. Last-minute efforts to reinstate

1:21:54 > 1:21:57them failed. Here, Australia, 421 of them, a continent in itself and one

1:21:58 > 1:22:05that has such a proud history in the Olympic Games. And a real legend

1:22:06 > 1:22:09carrying their flag today, Anna Meares. Two golds, one silver and

1:22:10 > 1:22:15two bronze at the Olympics, her fourth games, defending sprint

1:22:16 > 1:22:21champion in the velodrome. She is a class act. Their swimmers are trying

1:22:22 > 1:22:26to bounce back after a poor showing in the pool in London four years

1:22:27 > 1:22:34ago. They have young stars like Cameron McEvoy and the Campbell

1:22:35 > 1:22:45sisters. And they are also great talents in sailing.

1:22:46 > 1:22:50Austria has competed in every summer Olympic Games except 1920 in

1:22:51 > 1:22:55Antwerp, when it was barred after the First World War. No medals at

1:22:56 > 1:22:59the London Olympics. They are used to bagging medals in the Winter

1:23:00 > 1:23:03Olympics, but it was only the second time in their history that they felt

1:23:04 > 1:23:07the bag any in London. The parade outfits usually feature a dash of

1:23:08 > 1:23:12traditional lederhosen and they do again, in the shorts for the

1:23:13 > 1:23:20gentleman and indeed for the girls as well. Very natty. It is Jia Liu

1:23:21 > 1:23:24leading them out, a Chinese-born table tennis player. We move on to

1:23:25 > 1:23:28Azerbaijan, lying just on the east of Armenia on the shores of the

1:23:29 > 1:23:34Caspian sea, another former Soviet state that did not complete until

1:23:35 > 1:23:37Atlanta 1996. Baku was one of the seven cities short listed to host

1:23:38 > 1:23:41these games, interestingly. They didn't get them, but they did get

1:23:42 > 1:23:51the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest. That is something. Is it

1:23:52 > 1:23:55compensation? I'm not sure. Teymur Mammadov, the boxer, is their flag

1:23:56 > 1:23:59bearer. There we see the athletes who have made their way in from

1:24:00 > 1:24:08Germany, planting seeds. 11,000 seeds will be planted in total. And

1:24:09 > 1:24:16the Bahamas. They are led by Shaune Miller. Around 700 islands

1:24:17 > 1:24:21stretching from Cuba to Florida. Amazing medals to population ratio

1:24:22 > 1:24:26of success for the Bahamas. They have got 12 medals, five of them

1:24:27 > 1:24:31gold, most spectacularly in London. They stunned the US to win the men's

1:24:32 > 1:24:374 x 400m, the first ever US defeat in that event. What a night that

1:24:38 > 1:24:41was. And the introduction for Bangladesh, one of the world's most

1:24:42 > 1:24:45densely populated countries, 169 million living in the fertile but

1:24:46 > 1:24:52often flooded land around the deltas of the great rivers. And that is the

1:24:53 > 1:24:56golfer, their first golfer to carry the standard at the opening ceremony

1:24:57 > 1:25:00as golf is reintroduced to the Olympic programme after 112 years.

1:25:01 > 1:25:05They call him the Tiger Woods of Bengal. Bangladesh is the world's

1:25:06 > 1:25:09most populous country never to have won an Olympic medal, so they will

1:25:10 > 1:25:17be hoping. Barbados lies in the south-eastern extreme of the

1:25:18 > 1:25:22Caribbean. There are flag represents the sky, the golden beaches and the

1:25:23 > 1:25:32sea. There is a Trident in that flag as well representing the break from

1:25:33 > 1:25:36Britain with independence. The name Bahrain comes from the Arabic for

1:25:37 > 1:25:45two season. The main island lies just off the coast of Saudi Arabia

1:25:46 > 1:25:47in the Persian Gulf. And they have a record number of athletes here this

1:25:48 > 1:26:04time. And Belarus, meaning white Russia,

1:26:05 > 1:26:09landlocked country to the south of the Baltic nations, again a former

1:26:10 > 1:26:15Soviet state which has a certain autocratic nature. Their president

1:26:16 > 1:26:21has been in power since 1994. And this team features the remarkable

1:26:22 > 1:26:27Katharina custom, here for her seventh games at the age of 44. She

1:26:28 > 1:26:34is a sculler. Won the title 20 years ago in Sydney and she is a six time

1:26:35 > 1:26:44world champion as well. There look was smart casual. Time for Belgium.

1:26:45 > 1:26:50Their flag bearer is Olivia Borlee. That family almost deserve their own

1:26:51 > 1:26:55entry into the stadium. And they are trained by their dad, so it really

1:26:56 > 1:26:57is a family affair as shag rug looks on in great approval of the team of

1:26:58 > 1:27:10his birth. -- Jack Rob. There he is, the golfer, whose

1:27:11 > 1:27:15great-grandfather competed in those Games. Now Belize, on the eastern

1:27:16 > 1:27:19side of Central America, coastline on the Caribbean Sea. A member of

1:27:20 > 1:27:29the Commonwealth. That's Brandon Jones, with the flag. A maiden

1:27:30 > 1:27:32Britain Belize resident comes from Ipswich, her dad is coming from

1:27:33 > 1:27:37Belize to see her compete against Jessica Ennis-Hill and the rest.

1:27:38 > 1:27:40Benning, the West African country with a slender bit of coastline on

1:27:41 > 1:27:44the Atlantic and Gulf of Guinea, first competed in the Munich

1:27:45 > 1:27:50Olympics in 1972 under its former name. That's Yemi Apithy, who works

1:27:51 > 1:27:56as a podium Tristan Dijon in France. He is trained at a club there for

1:27:57 > 1:28:04three years. He's as -- V a sensor, where slashing, not just jabbing is

1:28:05 > 1:28:12allowed. Wearing Bermuda shorts, still a British Overseas

1:28:13 > 1:28:18Territory,... Is Honour tailored shorts version, not to be confused

1:28:19 > 1:28:23with capri pants or cargo shorts. Which do you prefer? I don't know, I

1:28:24 > 1:28:27don't go for knee-length socks. Bolivia, which has if you take a

1:28:28 > 1:28:32seat of government in La Paz, the highest capital in the world, shares

1:28:33 > 1:28:36a border with Brazil and the western part is high in the Andes. And our

1:28:37 > 1:28:42first quiz question of the night, what is the name of the capital? It

1:28:43 > 1:28:53is... It's Sue Gray. La Paz is the seat of government, Sucre gets you

1:28:54 > 1:29:00the point. This is Amel Tuka, who leads out Bosnia and Herzegovina.

1:29:01 > 1:29:04The Balkan state. Its capital Sarajevo hope is -- hosted the

1:29:05 > 1:29:12Winter Olympics when the country was part of Yugoslavia. Bosnian athletes

1:29:13 > 1:29:17helped to win five golds for Yugoslavia, they are awaiting a

1:29:18 > 1:29:26podium breakthrough. Herzegovina translates as the Dukes' Land.

1:29:27 > 1:29:33Botswana, one of Africa, most -- one of Africa's most stable countries.

1:29:34 > 1:29:38Nigel Amos is their flag bearer. Can he land Botswana's first gold? He

1:29:39 > 1:29:45was second-best to David Rudisha in London, but celebrated as Botswana's

1:29:46 > 1:29:48first time on an Olympic podium. A brilliant sprint finish in Glasgow

1:29:49 > 1:29:55for Commonwealth gold. Will it be his time? Darussalam, a small but

1:29:56 > 1:30:02will the country on the northern edge of Borneo. Brunei has the same

1:30:03 > 1:30:08origin as Borneo, it means Seafarers. 2012 was the first

1:30:09 > 1:30:14Olympics in which all countries sent female athletes. They have another

1:30:15 > 1:30:23trailblazer in the Brunei ranks, only 70 as well. A sprinter from

1:30:24 > 1:30:31Bulgaria, a strong pedigree in the canoe sprint. Miroslav Kirchhoff is

1:30:32 > 1:30:39perhaps the best chance of the medal here. Men men's and women's

1:30:40 > 1:30:48wrestling, 11th total, their entire weightlifting team was not allowed

1:30:49 > 1:30:53to come here. Burkina Faso, a French speaking landlocked country in West

1:30:54 > 1:30:59Africa. It was renamed in 1984. Rather unstable in recent years. An

1:31:00 > 1:31:05article in the Railway Gazette said they were upgrading the rolling

1:31:06 > 1:31:13stock on the main line from Burkina Faso to Ivory Coast, ?300 million

1:31:14 > 1:31:21investment,... Thank you very much indeed. The Railway Gazette. It's a

1:31:22 > 1:31:25good magazine. Every week, every week! Burundi, the central African

1:31:26 > 1:31:30country, one of the world's poorest nations wants a German and Belgian

1:31:31 > 1:31:35money, independent since 1962 but plagued by tensions between the

1:31:36 > 1:31:43Tutsi and Hutu. They should win a medal. Burundi is only one of three

1:31:44 > 1:31:55countries whose sole Olympic medal with gold. It includes the United

1:31:56 > 1:32:00elaborate -- United Arab Emirates. Olivier Irabaruta is leading them

1:32:01 > 1:32:03out. I'm looking for the different styles of holding the flag, Andy

1:32:04 > 1:32:09Murray is going to do it one-handed in impressive fashion. Boom town,

1:32:10 > 1:32:20tucked between India, China and Bangladesh -- Bhutan. Our best

1:32:21 > 1:32:25wishes to their handful of competitors tonight. It's known as

1:32:26 > 1:32:32the world's happiest place. Did you know that? No, but I want to be

1:32:33 > 1:32:37known as the Thunder Dragon King from now on. It absorbs more CO2

1:32:38 > 1:32:43than it gives out. The organisers will be happy. Cabo Verde, volcanic

1:32:44 > 1:32:48islands off the coast of West Africa, a former Portuguese colony

1:32:49 > 1:32:53which thrived with the slave trade. Rated as one of the safest places in

1:32:54 > 1:33:01the world to take a holiday. There are direct flights from Britain, a

1:33:02 > 1:33:08non-EU option. The flag of Cameroon. In Southeast Asia. First competed in

1:33:09 > 1:33:14Melbourne in 1956, after gaining independence from France three years

1:33:15 > 1:33:20earlier. The indoor women's volleyball team have qualified for

1:33:21 > 1:33:22the first time against Brazil, in the little Maracana, and that venue

1:33:23 > 1:33:28will be jumping right through the games. It's right alongside the big

1:33:29 > 1:33:32version we are sitting in now. I think I might have gone earlier,

1:33:33 > 1:33:41Cameroon have the best outfits so far. The Brazilian Portuguese

1:33:42 > 1:33:48alphabet really is tricky! This flag depicts the fabulous Angkor Wat

1:33:49 > 1:33:55temple, built in the 13th century, now UN heritage site. It's the nice

1:33:56 > 1:33:58-- ninth time they have been in the Games. We are still waiting to hear

1:33:59 > 1:34:05that anthem played and I will not attempt to translate it. They have a

1:34:06 > 1:34:10Japanese born comedian, who settled in 2012 and that's no laughing

1:34:11 > 1:34:14matter. At is Rosie MacLennan, a trampoline list, leading out Canada,

1:34:15 > 1:34:23the second largest country by area after Russia. It hosted in 1976, it

1:34:24 > 1:34:29left Montreal paying off the debt three decades later and it failed to

1:34:30 > 1:34:33win a gold medal. It was Rosie who did the honours, as we continue the

1:34:34 > 1:34:37tree-planting exercise. We will be seeing a fair bit of these Canadian

1:34:38 > 1:34:45athletes, who are marching right now. Rhiannon Tyson, one of Jessica

1:34:46 > 1:34:49Ennis-Hill's main rivals. They have Brooke Henderson McKenzie, an

1:34:50 > 1:34:5318-year-old who beat the world 11 in golf to win a first major earlier

1:34:54 > 1:35:03this year, what a phenomenal talent she is. Qatar, the country that will

1:35:04 > 1:35:11host the World Cup in 2022, and bid for the Olympics this year and 2020,

1:35:12 > 1:35:15but fails to become a candidate. In handball, they were accused to

1:35:16 > 1:35:19spending their way to wait world silver last year. Their athletes

1:35:20 > 1:35:23were drafted in from other nations. They were not complaining and they

1:35:24 > 1:35:30are not now either. A strong contender in the high jump, who won

1:35:31 > 1:35:36bronze in London and has cleared 2.40 this year. Kazakhstan,

1:35:37 > 1:35:41officially the world's biggest landlocked country. Enormous mineral

1:35:42 > 1:36:04and oil reserves. The word Cadillac is the same origin as Cossack --

1:36:05 > 1:36:08Kazakh. They have failed some drugs tests, perhaps this athlete will

1:36:09 > 1:36:17give them something to cheer about. The Cayman Islands, a British

1:36:18 > 1:36:20Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. If international banking were an

1:36:21 > 1:36:25Olympic sport, they would be in the mix for medals. They have a sailor

1:36:26 > 1:36:33in their ranks for the first time since Sydney in 2000. Florence Allan

1:36:34 > 1:36:39competes against Alison Young. Most are going with two hams on the flag

1:36:40 > 1:36:45so far. Ndi has a lot to think about. The Central African Republic,

1:36:46 > 1:36:49a country currently going through deeply troubled times, political

1:36:50 > 1:36:55instability and violence is sadly commonplace. The UN peacekeepers are

1:36:56 > 1:37:00on the ground. Dire humanitarian crisis unfolding. There are six

1:37:01 > 1:37:05person team has income -- overcome immensely difficult problems to

1:37:06 > 1:37:16compete for the nation pride. Charged, led out behind the wacky

1:37:17 > 1:37:21bike -- Chad. Just to the north of the Central African Republic, it has

1:37:22 > 1:37:25huge potential in terms of natural resources but also considerable

1:37:26 > 1:37:30poverty and unrest. A population of 12 million people. More than 100

1:37:31 > 1:37:38different languages spoken in Chad. A few athletes here.

1:37:39 > 1:37:45Chile gets a warm reception as well. The long thin strip of a country on

1:37:46 > 1:37:49the western edge of this continent. Now one of South America's leading

1:37:50 > 1:37:54lights in terms of economic growth and stability. Competed at the first

1:37:55 > 1:38:02modern games. Erika Olivera, a redoubtable competitor, and she

1:38:03 > 1:38:11could join another competitor as the only woman to complete five Olympic

1:38:12 > 1:38:15marathons. She is 40 years of age. She incidentally won the Copa

1:38:16 > 1:38:23America this summer but they haven't qualified to play in the Olympic

1:38:24 > 1:38:27tournament in South America. The athletes not doing an entire lap,

1:38:28 > 1:38:32they are splitting off at the end of the field of play. A reasonably

1:38:33 > 1:38:41sized country to the north of Bhutan. 408, their team, and the

1:38:42 > 1:38:46Olympic Games so important to the world's most populous country. It's

1:38:47 > 1:38:50quite a complicated relationship, they first competed in 1930 21 Los

1:38:51 > 1:38:54Angeles as the Republic of China, that flag and identity subsequently

1:38:55 > 1:38:59went to the country now known as Chinese Taipei. Legislation at the

1:39:00 > 1:39:03front, very tall but for the first time since 1984 a basketball layer

1:39:04 > 1:39:11does not carry the Chinese flag, this fella with a fencer who won

1:39:12 > 1:39:15gold in London -- Sheng Lei. They will have a tussle with the United

1:39:16 > 1:39:20States for the top of the medal table. The USA returned to the top

1:39:21 > 1:39:27in London. Their biggest overseas team ever. You can expect lots of

1:39:28 > 1:39:31medals in Babington, they have the superstar in diving, they have won

1:39:32 > 1:39:3630 of the 40 gold medal since 1992, table tennis, they are threatening a

1:39:37 > 1:39:39third consecutive clean sweep of the golds as well, plenty of

1:39:40 > 1:39:52opportunities for this 396 strong team. Happy to be here. The most

1:39:53 > 1:39:59successful Olympian had five gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Games.

1:40:00 > 1:40:04We've move on to Cyprus, the birthplace of Aphrodite. An island

1:40:05 > 1:40:09divided into Turkish Cyprus to the north and the Greek Cyprus to the

1:40:10 > 1:40:13south. It's about 6am in Cyprus, I am sure many holiday-makers will be

1:40:14 > 1:40:24stumbling into a bar or club in Limassol, good morning. Their flag

1:40:25 > 1:40:32Berra, a sailor, Pavlos Kontides. He made history, winning Cyprus's

1:40:33 > 1:40:35first-ever Olympic medal in windsurfing. Big support for

1:40:36 > 1:40:41Colombia, which shares a border with Brazil. It has a Pacific and

1:40:42 > 1:40:46Atlantic coastline, with Central America and Panama comes to meet it

1:40:47 > 1:40:52in the middle. MEng's and women's football teams have qualified they

1:40:53 > 1:40:55had brilliant Games in London, eight medals, their best Games, the

1:40:56 > 1:41:00loudest cheers were for their BMX superstar. She took Colombia's

1:41:01 > 1:41:06second gold ever and she returns to Rio to defend it. She carried the

1:41:07 > 1:41:13flag in London. The planting goes on and stand back. 11,000 trees will

1:41:14 > 1:41:24eventually grow elsewhere in the city. Kamara us, and Archipelago off

1:41:25 > 1:41:30the east coast of Africa. Gained independence from France in 1975.

1:41:31 > 1:41:39The first Games was Atlanta in 1996. Can you tell me the name of their

1:41:40 > 1:41:44capital city? Moroni. Very good. I'm disappointed I didn't know that!

1:41:45 > 1:41:50They've never sent a team with more than four athletes. Maximum noise in

1:41:51 > 1:41:54here. Congo, not to be confused with the Democratic Republic of Congo,

1:41:55 > 1:41:58both countries named after the mighty river. Congo is one of

1:41:59 > 1:42:02sub-Saharan Africa's main oil producers. Speaking of mighty,

1:42:03 > 1:42:06that's the table tennis player who makes his third appearance at the

1:42:07 > 1:42:11Games. He is 40 and booked one of only two spots in the African

1:42:12 > 1:42:13qualifying competition in table tennis after a marathon match

1:42:14 > 1:42:25against a disappointed Tunisian. Here is the Democratic Republic of

1:42:26 > 1:42:35the Congo, a huge country, formerly known as Zaire. That was a

1:42:36 > 1:42:41Portuguese name. No medals in any of the national incarnations of the

1:42:42 > 1:42:48Democratic Republic of Congo. It has previously appeared as Qin Chasseur

1:42:49 > 1:42:57or Zaire. On to the Cook Islands. Only a population of 10,000, spread

1:42:58 > 1:43:06over 800,000 square miles of the South Pacific. All cook Island are

1:43:07 > 1:43:12also New Zealanders. They are. They always have a magnificently turned

1:43:13 > 1:43:19out team. They always look stunning. And after the Cook Islands comes

1:43:20 > 1:43:29Korea, beginning with a C in Portuguese. They are a 1200 strong

1:43:30 > 1:43:35team, which is adopting a safety first approach. Their uniforms have

1:43:36 > 1:43:40mosquito repellent woven into the fabric to stop Zika. They have the

1:43:41 > 1:43:49biggest team of four in any nation full. There was an almighty scrap to

1:43:50 > 1:44:07get into the team. They are aiming for a minimum of ten golds. The

1:44:08 > 1:44:11Ivory Coast. That was the double world silver medallist in 2013. She

1:44:12 > 1:44:19will go in the 100 and 200 year. Ivory Coast is on the West Coast of

1:44:20 > 1:44:23Africa, similar colours to Ireland. Their men's football team is called

1:44:24 > 1:44:26the Young elephants. They are not here this time. The world's leading

1:44:27 > 1:44:42cocoa producer. And Costa Rica, the rich coast,

1:44:43 > 1:44:47proud as its status of one of the greenest countries in the world.

1:44:48 > 1:44:50Plans to become carbon neutral by 2021. A tropical paradise for many

1:44:51 > 1:45:13holiday-makers. 5 million people. And Croatia, for a country of its

1:45:14 > 1:45:17size, really does enjoy great sporting success. It is most widely

1:45:18 > 1:45:24known for tennis and football, but plenty of other sports as well.

1:45:25 > 1:45:30Croatia are led out by a water polo playing player, the 2012 world

1:45:31 > 1:45:42Player of the Year and London Olympic gold medallist. They have

1:45:43 > 1:45:49also got a pair of brothers who are lawyers. Now, Cuba. There has been a

1:45:50 > 1:45:52noticeable thawing in the relationship with the United States

1:45:53 > 1:46:03recently. Freedom of movement for Cubans has become considerably

1:46:04 > 1:46:07easier. The big man at the front is Mijain Nunez Lopez. He is going for

1:46:08 > 1:46:11a third gold in the row and would be the only third wrestler in history

1:46:12 > 1:46:16to do it. He has two gold teeth that he had put into matches medals.

1:46:17 > 1:46:26Another trip to the dentist this time? It has always been a hugely

1:46:27 > 1:46:30successful Olympic nation. And Caroline Wozniacki turns up, wearing

1:46:31 > 1:46:34the flag of Denmark, the former world number one tennis player.

1:46:35 > 1:46:39Denmark was part of the first modern games in Athens in 1896 and had a

1:46:40 > 1:46:43very good games in London four years ago. Caroline nearly didn't make it.

1:46:44 > 1:46:48She nearly lost the position after failing to meet the Federation cup

1:46:49 > 1:46:51requirements for playing. He argued that injuries had prevented her from

1:46:52 > 1:46:58playing the required number of matches, and happily, she is here.

1:46:59 > 1:47:02They also have the sailor who took silver behind Big Ben Ainslie. He is

1:47:03 > 1:47:06the man who made him angry. He is back for his fourth games. I have

1:47:07 > 1:47:16lost track of who has the West outfit. There are some crackers to

1:47:17 > 1:47:23come. Smart casual. Djibouti are introduced. We have seen him before!

1:47:24 > 1:47:26Small country in the Horn of Africa, tucked in beside Ethiopia by the Red

1:47:27 > 1:47:31Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Strategically very important. And it

1:47:32 > 1:47:36is the location of the United States' largest military base in

1:47:37 > 1:47:41Africa. They have sent seven athletes and their flag's colours

1:47:42 > 1:47:49are the green of the Earth, the blue of the sky and in the centre, the

1:47:50 > 1:47:52red star of blood. Dominic is a small, mountainous island, part of

1:47:53 > 1:47:55the Windward Islands in the south-east Caribbean. The name is

1:47:56 > 1:47:59from the Latin word for Sunday, which was the day of the week it was

1:48:00 > 1:48:04spotted by Christopher Columbus, a busy man. They have amazing

1:48:05 > 1:48:08geothermal hot springs that, black sands and the boiling lake which is

1:48:09 > 1:48:16perpetually on a rolling boil. It is a kind of Iceland in the sun.

1:48:17 > 1:48:23Yordanys Duranona, the triple jumper, joins them out. Dominica is

1:48:24 > 1:48:32not to be confused with the Dominican Republic. They have a

1:48:33 > 1:48:38population which makes them the second Caribbean island after Cuba.

1:48:39 > 1:48:48The Dominican Republic produced the flashing wristband wearing champion

1:48:49 > 1:48:53Felix Sanchez, remember him? The red, white and blue. I am sure there

1:48:54 > 1:49:02will be more of that later. Many of these athletes train on the Island's

1:49:03 > 1:49:07Felix Sanchez stadium. Such was their pride that they build the

1:49:08 > 1:49:14stadium named after him. Egypt enters the Maracana. They have a

1:49:15 > 1:49:17population of 89 million officially. They are officially the Arab

1:49:18 > 1:49:27Republic of Egypt and the largest Arab nation in the world. It is a

1:49:28 > 1:49:29sizeable team of 120. Traditionally, wrestling and weightlifting have

1:49:30 > 1:49:35been the source of medals for Egypt but this time, they have some teams

1:49:36 > 1:49:38as well. That is their handball player, Ahmad Elahmar, who is

1:49:39 > 1:49:46leading them out. They have a good javelin thrower as well. Five of

1:49:47 > 1:49:59seven gold medals for Egypt have come in weightlifting. The Egyptians

1:50:00 > 1:50:04have men's volleyball and handball and women's beach volleyball as well

1:50:05 > 1:50:10for the first time. The centre of the Maracana slowly fills up with

1:50:11 > 1:50:15athletes. El Salvador, the saviour, the most densely populated country

1:50:16 > 1:50:19in Central America with 6.4 million people. But those millions have not

1:50:20 > 1:50:26yet managed to deliver an Olympic medal. That is Lilian Castro, the

1:50:27 > 1:50:32first shooter to take part for El Salvador. She won a popular vote to

1:50:33 > 1:50:42carry their flag, so she is well respected. Sharp and elegant. Those

1:50:43 > 1:50:51are there officials. No knowledge of who they are! United Arab emirates.

1:50:52 > 1:50:53Seven states make up this country of the Persian Gulf which contains

1:50:54 > 1:51:05enormous oil reserves. The best-known of them is Abu Dhabi and

1:51:06 > 1:51:16of course Dubai. Swimmer Nada Albedwawi breaks new ground as she

1:51:17 > 1:51:22carries their flag. Ecuador lies on the Pacific coast and as you might

1:51:23 > 1:51:25guess, on the equator. It also includes the Galapagos Islands. A

1:51:26 > 1:51:31long history with the Olympic Games going back to Paris in 1924, but not

1:51:32 > 1:51:51a particularly successful one. Ecuador's only two medals.

1:51:52 > 1:51:59Eritrea is on the Horn of Africa in the east, with a long coastline on

1:52:00 > 1:52:10the Red Sea. Quite a secretive, one-party state. Slovakia was part

1:52:11 > 1:52:16of Czechoslovakia until the velvet divorce, and are Michael Bolton

1:52:17 > 1:52:31separation in 1993. -- until an amicable separation in 1993.

1:52:32 > 1:52:42Their cyclist is competing in the mountain biking as he decided the

1:52:43 > 1:52:46other event was too hilly. Slovenia joined in 1992 after separating from

1:52:47 > 1:52:51Yugoslavia the year before. Webster and that the Slovenian Olympic

1:52:52 > 1:52:53Committee has hired a planeload of Slovenian supporters that brought

1:52:54 > 1:52:59them here to support their athletes. Many will be heading to watch the

1:53:00 > 1:53:14sailing. And they do love a bit of Whitewater action. Selfie stick!

1:53:15 > 1:53:20Now, who is waving the flag for Spain? It is Rafa Nadal. This is the

1:53:21 > 1:53:24moment he wanted. He was supposed to carry the flag in London, but had a

1:53:25 > 1:53:32knee injury. He is still struggling with his wrist injury, but he says

1:53:33 > 1:53:35it is the Olympics. He says, I have missed grand slams and Davis cups in

1:53:36 > 1:53:40my career, but the toughest thing was to miss the 2012 games. As you

1:53:41 > 1:53:48say, he was desperate to be here, so welcome back, Rafa. You also have

1:53:49 > 1:53:55golfer Sergio Garcia and of course, Sergio Garcia has been trying for

1:53:56 > 1:54:01almost 20 years to win a medal. Javier Gomez is not here, the great

1:54:02 > 1:54:09rival to Jonathan and Alistair Brownlee. Spain's basketball team

1:54:10 > 1:54:15may be the biggest threat to the USA in Rio to stop them winning a third

1:54:16 > 1:54:19straight gold. They have Alexander Val 30 in the men's road race

1:54:20 > 1:54:29tomorrow as well. A big Spanish team, 309 strong. And every camera

1:54:30 > 1:54:41is a stop. Spain are taking their time.

1:54:42 > 1:54:49It's great to see the smiles. This is such a joyous occasion. Quite a

1:54:50 > 1:54:51lot of countries have a lot of athletes, but only a fraction of

1:54:52 > 1:54:58them come to the opening ceremony. Great Britain and Northern Ireland

1:54:59 > 1:55:09fall into that group. But quite a big turnout for Spain. The Federated

1:55:10 > 1:55:13States of Micronesia are 600 islands spread over 1 million miles. The

1:55:14 > 1:55:18United Kingdom is about 93,000 square miles, to give you an idea.

1:55:19 > 1:55:29First competed in Sydney in 2000. Yes, followed by the United States

1:55:30 > 1:55:36of America. I think that is then making the noise. There is a huge

1:55:37 > 1:55:39number of United States supporters in the crowd, who are about to make

1:55:40 > 1:55:44themselves heard. This must be the earliest they have ever come to an

1:55:45 > 1:55:48Olympic opening ceremony. There was all sorts of talk about changing the

1:55:49 > 1:55:51alphabet! If it was in English, they would have been much later and then

1:55:52 > 1:56:02you get issues of when it is going to happen in the United States. And

1:56:03 > 1:56:07the man carrying the flag is Michael Phelps. The greatest Olympian of all

1:56:08 > 1:56:12time. If he were a country, he would come 43rd in the all-time medal

1:56:13 > 1:56:18table on his own. Would he be ahead of Yorkshire? Just ahead of Jamaica,

1:56:19 > 1:56:28actually. He says it is his final Games. John Kerry, taking a photo.

1:56:29 > 1:56:34They are wearing jackets that light up, we are told. They are flashy,

1:56:35 > 1:56:40literally. A country that has hosted the games more than any other, four

1:56:41 > 1:56:50times for the Summer Olympics. Los Angeles twice, and they are bidding

1:56:51 > 1:56:56for it again. Indeed. Also in their ranks are 560 athletes, the biggest

1:56:57 > 1:57:01by miles here. Ryan Lochte, Missy Franklin are back. Their shining

1:57:02 > 1:57:05star is expected to be people like Katie Ledecky, who won a goal that

1:57:06 > 1:57:10only 15. She is expected to win maybe up to four gold medals here in

1:57:11 > 1:57:15Rio. And you have Serena and Venus Williams, the track heroine Allyson

1:57:16 > 1:57:20Felix. She is trying to become the first woman to win five Olympic

1:57:21 > 1:57:25titles in athletics. So many chances here.

1:57:26 > 1:57:33Rickie Fowler in the Gulf. Most Americans won't be watching, the

1:57:34 > 1:57:37main broadcaster shows it between an hour and four hours later depending

1:57:38 > 1:57:43on where you live in the USA. It starts at 8pm in prime time. Serena

1:57:44 > 1:57:47and Venus Williams. Indeed, yes. Look out in gymnastics, wait until

1:57:48 > 1:57:51you see the wonderful Simone Biles. Her debut Olympics. She's a ten

1:57:52 > 1:57:58times world champion. She will take the sport to new heights. Mark my

1:57:59 > 1:58:04words. Karl-Martin Rammo is is not going to be overshadowed by the

1:58:05 > 1:58:08United States, leading in Estonia. Competed in the Games from 1920-1936

1:58:09 > 1:58:13and was subsumed into the Soviet Union, before returning in

1:58:14 > 1:58:18Barcelona. There's only one team from Tallinn, as variation on an old

1:58:19 > 1:58:26Scottish football song. They hosted the sailing events in 1980. For the

1:58:27 > 1:58:28first time in Olympic history, Leila, Liina and Lily Luik, the

1:58:29 > 1:58:37first triplets to compete in the marathon. Ethiopian, leading by a

1:58:38 > 1:58:46cyclist. Tsgabu Gebremaryam Grmay, Africa's oldest independent country,

1:58:47 > 1:58:50the second largest behind... A superpower in distance running.

1:58:51 > 1:58:57Tirunesh Dibaba going for a third gold, her sister is the world 1500

1:58:58 > 1:59:01metre champion. Kenenisa Bekele was left out of the marathon,

1:59:02 > 1:59:09controversially. The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Landlocked

1:59:10 > 1:59:13country, to the north of Greece. The Kosovo war meant a huge number of

1:59:14 > 1:59:18ethnic Albanians took refuge in the country. The flag with the eighth

1:59:19 > 1:59:26grade son representing the new son of liberty, then used and some. I

1:59:27 > 1:59:33love that flag. Fiji have great hopes in the rugby sevens. They do,

1:59:34 > 1:59:37they come here ranked as world number one. Fiji has never won a

1:59:38 > 1:59:42medal in any thing at the Olympic Games and they could very well be

1:59:43 > 1:59:45gold here for them and perhaps men's football is being here might be too

1:59:46 > 1:59:52much excitement in famously laid-back Fiji! There's a wonderful

1:59:53 > 1:59:56story about the rugby sevens team, by the way. A flight last year, a

1:59:57 > 2:00:01woman fell seriously ill and the cabin crew had been serving lunch,

2:00:02 > 2:00:04rushed to her aid, as did the Vergini and Doctor, physio and coach

2:00:05 > 2:00:10and the players took over the meal service. Go Fiji, I say. I want to

2:00:11 > 2:00:18know who John Kerry was text dingbat, perhaps I don't. The

2:00:19 > 2:00:27Philippines, over 7500 islands make up the Philippines. They took part

2:00:28 > 2:00:30in Paris in 1924. Bangladesh, the Philippines, the second most

2:00:31 > 2:00:39populous nation not yet to have won an Olympic medal. Finland, one of

2:00:40 > 2:00:42the most sparsely populated countries in Europe, 5.5 million

2:00:43 > 2:00:49people in a land which is two thirds forest and has around 180,000 lakes.

2:00:50 > 2:00:54The Scandinavian nation that gave us Olympic distance legend Lasse Viren

2:00:55 > 2:00:59who won the 5000 and 10,000 metres double at back-to-back Olympics,

2:01:00 > 2:01:04something Mo Farah will try to emulate. A proud history in javelin,

2:01:05 > 2:01:13almost a national sport. A big cheer for France. Our French neighbours

2:01:14 > 2:01:19won 11 golds and finished seventh overall in London, headlined by a

2:01:20 > 2:01:23stunning, the president here, a stunning performance in the pools

2:01:24 > 2:01:26with four golds equalling their top number in previous Olympics. Florent

2:01:27 > 2:01:37Manaudou, the quickest swimmer is back. The pole vault will defend his

2:01:38 > 2:01:48title as well. The big man at the front, towering over everyone, that

2:01:49 > 2:01:56is judoka Teddy Riner, big Ted, defends his heavyweight title, still

2:01:57 > 2:02:00only 27. 27 stone! They actually won medal at cricket in the 1900 games

2:02:01 > 2:02:04in Paris, the only time the sport has been included. Great Britain

2:02:05 > 2:02:10bowled them out for 26 to win gold. It wasn't all good. Is worrying. The

2:02:11 > 2:02:18famous five who has completed at every single Games since 1886.

2:02:19 > 2:02:33Gabon, oil-rich West African country. The name comes from the

2:02:34 > 2:02:37Portuguese for Cloak. I see that the athlete who got to the semis of the

2:02:38 > 2:02:43100 metres in London is back. Gabon will stage the football finals next

2:02:44 > 2:02:47year. They have elections planned for August. The Gambia, a small,

2:02:48 > 2:02:51narrow country in West Africa which sits around the Gambia River. In

2:02:52 > 2:02:57English, the Gambia I think is one of only two countries whose names

2:02:58 > 2:03:08begin with the word there. From its capital come two athletes, Jean

2:03:09 > 2:03:16Abbasi is carrying the flag. Garner as one of the stronger economies in

2:03:17 > 2:03:25South Africa -- in Africa. They reportedly were not sending a team

2:03:26 > 2:03:29due to financial problems. Two of the youngest competitors of the

2:03:30 > 2:03:33Games will swim for Garner, a 16-year-old in the men's event and a

2:03:34 > 2:03:4114-year-old in the women's freestyle event. She lives in Malaga in Spain

2:03:42 > 2:03:46and is the Ghanaian record-holder in the 1500 free event. Georgia come

2:03:47 > 2:03:55into the Maracana, on the eastern shores of the Black Sea. It was a

2:03:56 > 2:04:07state in modern-day Georgia, Jason and the Argonauts there. They could

2:04:08 > 2:04:12get to grips with a few more here,. They are a commentator's nightmare

2:04:13 > 2:04:17in all sports, Georgia. Here he is, in red shoes, holding in his left

2:04:18 > 2:04:24arm which is sensible, Andy Murray leads out Great Britain and Northern

2:04:25 > 2:04:27Ireland. What a figurehead for a 366 strong team, said Craig Reidy and

2:04:28 > 2:04:33his wife Rosemary cheering them on. This is, Andy says, the proudest

2:04:34 > 2:04:36moment of his career. He will try to emulate Sir Chris Hoy and others in

2:04:37 > 2:04:42London and carry it all the way around one-handed. The men's singles

2:04:43 > 2:04:47is missing Federer, Wawrinka, verdict, Andy Murray plays Viktor

2:04:48 > 2:04:52Troicki in the first round on Sunday. He is also playing in the

2:04:53 > 2:04:56doubles with Jamie on Sunday. Astonishing 29 gold medals in London

2:04:57 > 2:05:01and so many golden opportunities in Rio, returning champions Jessica

2:05:02 > 2:05:03Ennis-Hill, Mo Farah, Greg Rutherford, Nicola Adams, Laura

2:05:04 > 2:05:10Trott, Charlotte Dujardin, the list goes on and on. Fingers crossed.

2:05:11 > 2:05:14Just pause for a moment! We must move on. The main island of Grenada

2:05:15 > 2:05:21lies towards the southern end of the Caribbean. They have a very good

2:05:22 > 2:05:27400-metre runner but their main man is... Kirani James, we got a flash

2:05:28 > 2:05:31of him there. Now to Guam. And unincorporated territory of the

2:05:32 > 2:05:36United States. An island in the western Pacific, like Puerto Rico,

2:05:37 > 2:05:48also unincorporated. That's Benjamin Schulte is, only 16, open water. He

2:05:49 > 2:05:54was 13 metres behind another competitor in the ten K. A

2:05:55 > 2:05:58stunningly beautiful country on the Mexican southern border, first

2:05:59 > 2:06:04competed in the Olympics in 1952 in Helsinki. Their history maker Eric

2:06:05 > 2:06:09Marange oh is back, he won Guatemala's first-ever medal, he was

2:06:10 > 2:06:19given an open top homecoming cars open top bus homecoming. Diane

2:06:20 > 2:06:28Abbott, they won the 3000 steeplechase in 1956. -- Galliano.

2:06:29 > 2:06:36One of Brazil's best neighbours, the land of many waters they call it.

2:06:37 > 2:06:40Guinea, whose economy depends largely on mineral production. The

2:06:41 > 2:06:44world's second largest producer of bauxite, the main source of

2:06:45 > 2:06:50aluminium. Only four athletes taking part in London. Five has come from

2:06:51 > 2:06:55their capital, Conakry, this time. It used to be known as Guinea,

2:06:56 > 2:07:05great, a different entry from Guinea-Bissau. Equatorial Guinea, a

2:07:06 > 2:07:10major oil producer. The country that gave us Eric the Eel, the country

2:07:11 > 2:07:14has been awarded the all African games in 2019. There was no swimming

2:07:15 > 2:07:18pool when he was competing and they are going to build one now because

2:07:19 > 2:07:26of these Games. That's a legacy of Eric the Eel! Here is Guinea-Bissau,

2:07:27 > 2:07:29the other Team GB lies next to Guinea-Bissau, the name of the

2:07:30 > 2:07:35capital city, became independent from Portugal in 74. 96 was their

2:07:36 > 2:07:39first Games. They haven't appeared in too many sports. Wrestling and

2:07:40 > 2:07:44athletics in their history. The official languages Portuguese, just

2:07:45 > 2:07:48like Brazil. This small five strong team should feel at home. Haiti,

2:07:49 > 2:07:53another country discovered by Christopher Columbus on his maiden

2:07:54 > 2:07:57voyage across the Atlantic in 1492. It lies in the eastern half of the

2:07:58 > 2:08:01island of his granular and struggling to recover from the

2:08:02 > 2:08:07devastation of the earthquake six years ago. That's the wrestler, the

2:08:08 > 2:08:10first Haitian wrestler at the Games, serving in the US military. He has

2:08:11 > 2:08:15helped to bring sport to Haiti. He moved to the country from New Jersey

2:08:16 > 2:08:28when he was eight. Determined to give something back. Honduras, led

2:08:29 > 2:08:34out by Russell. They first competed in the Olympics in 1968. The capital

2:08:35 > 2:08:44of Honduras? They give the culpa. I knew it began with the T. A bright

2:08:45 > 2:08:51and breezy outfit for Honduras. For the third Olympics, the Honduras

2:08:52 > 2:08:58men's Olympic team. Hong Kong China to give its full title. Officially

2:08:59 > 2:09:03Hong Kong special administrative region of the People's Republic of

2:09:04 > 2:09:12China. Swimmer Stephanie or back for her third Games, competing in eight

2:09:13 > 2:09:19sports, once Brad -- won bronze last time in the velodrome. The 2012 flag

2:09:20 > 2:09:28bearer was the only medal winner. Almost 20 years ago. Hungary,

2:09:29 > 2:09:35competed in the first Olympics of the modern era in 1886. The current

2:09:36 > 2:09:39borders of Hungary work established after the First World War, which

2:09:40 > 2:09:43reduced in size by about one third. It's all about the water, on it and

2:09:44 > 2:09:53in it, for many of the medal hopefuls. Their athlete won the ten

2:09:54 > 2:10:01K open water swim in Hyde Park. It will take courage to dive into these

2:10:02 > 2:10:08waters here. They have another swimmer who has five Olympic medals.

2:10:09 > 2:10:12It's a watery tradition for Hungary. Yemen is at the southern end of the

2:10:13 > 2:10:16Arabian Peninsula. It's in a state of political crisis. The official

2:10:17 > 2:10:25capital has been under Shia rebel control. It used to compete as North

2:10:26 > 2:10:29and South Yemen. Four Gehman is representing the people who call it

2:10:30 > 2:10:34home. There are some batteries being worn out. India, relatively speaking

2:10:35 > 2:10:39by size of population, 1.25 billion, not a hugely successful Olympic

2:10:40 > 2:10:43nation. Much debate about why, but obviously economic scams into it and

2:10:44 > 2:10:48for the vast majority of that population, a variety of sports may

2:10:49 > 2:10:54not be readily accessible. The Indian team, -- includes men's

2:10:55 > 2:10:57hockey, who played Ireland tomorrow. Eight of their nine goals have come

2:10:58 > 2:11:07in hockey. For the first time, there is over 100 strong, so a significant

2:11:08 > 2:11:11Games for India. The men's team in hockey were unbeaten between 1928

2:11:12 > 2:11:16and 1960, but in London they finished 12 out of 12, much

2:11:17 > 2:11:21soul-searching after that. Leander Paes, Indian tennis player, his

2:11:22 > 2:11:30seventh Games, competing in the doubles. They could come up against

2:11:31 > 2:11:34the Murray brothers. From the second most populated country to the

2:11:35 > 2:11:39fourth, Indonesia, 256 million people spread across more than

2:11:40 > 2:11:4613,000 islands in Southeast Asia. The first Olympics for Indonesia was

2:11:47 > 2:11:50in 1952, Helsinki. Their flag bearer is Maria Londa, an Asian Games

2:11:51 > 2:11:55champion who has trained on the beautiful beaches of Bali. Everyone

2:11:56 > 2:11:59else lies about on them. Badminton has been one of their most

2:12:00 > 2:12:03successful sports but in 2012 eight doubles player was disqualified for

2:12:04 > 2:12:07not trying. One of those returns, I'm sure she will try harder now.

2:12:08 > 2:12:20Absolutely glorious, glorious outfits.

2:12:21 > 2:12:30Bringing a further splash of colour to the Maracana. Iran's flag bearer

2:12:31 > 2:12:34is Zahra Nemati, who qualified to compete in both the Olympics and

2:12:35 > 2:12:39Paralympics in Rio. She is an arch now but was once an expert taekwondo

2:12:40 > 2:12:44fighter before she was injured and lost the use of her legs during an

2:12:45 > 2:12:47earthquake in 2003. She went on to win gold and bronze in London's

2:12:48 > 2:12:53Paralympics and is the first Iranian woman to win a Olympic or Paralympic

2:12:54 > 2:13:01title. What a wonderful figurehead for this team. Other sports that

2:13:02 > 2:13:06brings success to Iran are wrestling and weightlifting. 54 of their 60

2:13:07 > 2:13:09Olympic medals have been won in I think the noes have it. The noes

2:13:10 > 2:13:18have it. Two sports. And from Iran to Iraq. -- they have been won in

2:13:19 > 2:13:21those two sports. One of the most positive Olympic stories of recent

2:13:22 > 2:13:25years was the Iraqi football team's after the semis in 2004 at the

2:13:26 > 2:13:28height of the conflict in the country. And tragically, while the

2:13:29 > 2:13:35conflict continues around Baghdad and beyond, the men's team have

2:13:36 > 2:13:40qualified once more after a 12 year wait. Here comes Ireland, led out by

2:13:41 > 2:13:55Paddy Barnes, the boxer from Belfast. Both bronze and the light

2:13:56 > 2:14:05flyweight is. He would love an upgrade. They have had a few

2:14:06 > 2:14:10problems in the build-up. But as always, we wish our Irish friends

2:14:11 > 2:14:14the best in the coming days. Iceland have already achieved something in

2:14:15 > 2:14:17sport this summer through their football team's efforts in France in

2:14:18 > 2:14:22the European Championships. Their handball team had made the greatest

2:14:23 > 2:14:29impact on the world stage at the last Olympics. With apologies to Roy

2:14:30 > 2:14:35Hodgson and England boys, wouldn't we like to hear that Icelandic cry

2:14:36 > 2:14:42again? One of the spine tingling moments. London 2012 was not great

2:14:43 > 2:14:55for Israel. They have a strong windsurfing pedigree. Leticia Beck

2:14:56 > 2:15:00will tee up a in the second week on the Olympic golf course. It is on

2:15:01 > 2:15:12the water that Israelis have had most success. Italy enter the

2:15:13 > 2:15:18stadium, almost ever present at the Olympic Games. The only ones they

2:15:19 > 2:15:23missed were the games of St Louis in 1904. One of the most decorated

2:15:24 > 2:15:27swimmers of all time, Federica Pellegrini, at the head of this team

2:15:28 > 2:15:32that hopes its efforts will boost Italy's bid for the 2024 games in

2:15:33 > 2:15:35Rome. She turned down the chance to carry the tricolour in London to

2:15:36 > 2:15:42save her efforts for the next morning, but she gets another chance

2:15:43 > 2:15:47on her 28th birthday. The other countries bidding for the 2024 games

2:15:48 > 2:16:00that you mentioned are Paris, Budapest and Los Angeles.

2:16:01 > 2:16:08Jamaica are bringing their colour to the stadium. They are read out by

2:16:09 > 2:16:17the other great sprinter of Jamaica, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Can she

2:16:18 > 2:16:24beat the big man, Usain Bolt, to be the first to win three 100 metres

2:16:25 > 2:16:28titles in succession? She gets the chance first next Saturday night in

2:16:29 > 2:16:34the final, she helps. She has struggled a bit with a toe injury

2:16:35 > 2:16:37this season. Jamaica got 67 Olympic medals, going back to their first

2:16:38 > 2:16:43games in 1948. All but one of them have come in athletics, with the

2:16:44 > 2:16:51exception of a cycling bronze in 1980. Japan, with a population of

2:16:52 > 2:16:56127 million, still the world's third largest economy. Expectations are

2:16:57 > 2:17:00high for the next host country in Tokyo, 2020. This is a stepping

2:17:01 > 2:17:05stone and they are targeting at least 14 golds here, double their

2:17:06 > 2:17:13Golden Hall from London. And from Kiesuke Ushiro to Yoshida am the

2:17:14 > 2:17:21first female team captain. She is going for her fourth consecutive

2:17:22 > 2:17:26gold medal. There is some way still for her to match Japan's most

2:17:27 > 2:17:33successful Olympian, who won eight golds in gymnastics between 1968 and

2:17:34 > 2:17:431976. It is their decathlete Kiesuke Ushiro who leads out the delegation

2:17:44 > 2:17:45tonight. To Jordan, the small but politically very important Middle

2:17:46 > 2:17:50Eastern country between Israel and Saudi Arabia. First competed at the

2:17:51 > 2:18:03games in Moscow in 1980. The Kingdom's eight athletes feature a

2:18:04 > 2:18:08pair of siblings, a swimmer and her brother, who is an Olympics blush in

2:18:09 > 2:18:20the pool as well. And personal of mine, David Katoatau of Kiribati. It

2:18:21 > 2:18:24is a tiny island nation. They used to be known as the Gilbert Islands.

2:18:25 > 2:18:34His English wasn't great, but he sang about his love for his country.

2:18:35 > 2:18:39Not a dry eye. The first Olympic Games for Kosovo, recognised by the

2:18:40 > 2:18:46IOC at the end of 2014. Declared independence from Serbia in 2008 but

2:18:47 > 2:18:49still disputed independence. And their flag bearer, Majlinda

2:18:50 > 2:18:59Kelmendi. She had to compete for Albania in 2002 and has since won

2:19:00 > 2:19:03two world judo titles. Laos, one of East Asia's poorest countries, one

2:19:04 > 2:19:09of the few remaining communist states in the world. They have sent

2:19:10 > 2:19:16a fairly large team of 19 to Moscow in 1980, but fewer since then. Their

2:19:17 > 2:19:23flag is set to show the moon shining over the blue strip of the Mekong

2:19:24 > 2:19:30River. The mountainous kingdom of Lesotho, which is surrounded by

2:19:31 > 2:19:34South Africa. Athletics has mainly made up past teams from Lesotho.

2:19:35 > 2:19:48Another fine collection of traditional headgear. Great training

2:19:49 > 2:19:57for marathon runners over there. Mosito Lehata is their flag bearer.

2:19:58 > 2:20:04Maris Strombergs is a genuine cycling superstar in the two wheeled

2:20:05 > 2:20:08anarchy that is BMX racing. He is largely a's first champion. No one

2:20:09 > 2:20:13else has had a look in since the sport came into the games. The final

2:20:14 > 2:20:25is two weeks today. Latvia's other Olympic gold medal came in

2:20:26 > 2:20:31gymnastics in Sydney in 2000. Lebanon has a Brisley unborn

2:20:32 > 2:20:37naturalised judoka -- a Brazilian born judoka. He was already

2:20:38 > 2:20:42decorated champion for Brazil, but he made the tough choice three years

2:20:43 > 2:20:49ago and makes his Olympic debut at home for his adoptive country. Much

2:20:50 > 2:20:53was made of Lebanese emigration to the country, and there is the link

2:20:54 > 2:20:59between the two. Lebanon have not won an Olympic medal since 1980.

2:21:00 > 2:21:04Liberia is Africa's oldest republic. Their flag was modelled on that of

2:21:05 > 2:21:09the United States because the country was founded by freed African

2:21:10 > 2:21:17and Caribbean slaves, hence the name of the country. That is a bold

2:21:18 > 2:21:20outfit. One of Liberia's most famous sons is an ex-Chelsea footballer who

2:21:21 > 2:21:28will be standing for Liberia President. Libya, seven athletes in

2:21:29 > 2:21:35total including one woman swimmer, only the eighth woman to represent

2:21:36 > 2:21:39Libya. Military action right now in the north of the country. This is

2:21:40 > 2:21:42the second Games since the uprising in Libya five years ago. The unrest

2:21:43 > 2:21:46continues there. They have seven athletes. The tiny principality of

2:21:47 > 2:21:54Liechtenstein between Switzerland and Austria. They have the same tune

2:21:55 > 2:21:59for their anthem as God Save The Queen, but we are unlikely to hear

2:22:00 > 2:22:06it in Rio. They have never won a medal. 81 years, the longest wait of

2:22:07 > 2:22:09any association. Two swimmers during a tennis player. All of them believe

2:22:10 > 2:22:18good things come to those who wait. They did win a Winter Olympic gold

2:22:19 > 2:22:26in 1980. Lithuania is the largest and most southerly of the three

2:22:27 > 2:22:31Baltic states. There is Gintare Scheidt. Commentators have been

2:22:32 > 2:22:43taking great care for five games now over that name. Lithuania's swimming

2:22:44 > 2:22:48medallist is now the world record-holder. She starts on Sunday

2:22:49 > 2:22:56in the 100 metre breaststroke heats. Good luck to her. Gilles Muller

2:22:57 > 2:23:09leads out Luxembourg, tucked between Belgium, Germany and France. They

2:23:10 > 2:23:18have had Winter Olympic success. An incredible island, Madagascar,

2:23:19 > 2:23:21without a 5% of all the species on Earth and a 24 million human

2:23:22 > 2:23:24population represented by six athletes in Rio. But probably best

2:23:25 > 2:23:36known now for some cartoon animals in the film. They have never won an

2:23:37 > 2:23:50Olympic medal. Eliane Saholinirina was there like bearer. -- flag

2:23:51 > 2:23:56bearer. Leading Malaysia out is Chong Wei Lee. Expect another

2:23:57 > 2:23:59blockbuster against China in the men's singles. They can't meet in

2:24:00 > 2:24:02the final as they have in the last couple of Olympics because they have

2:24:03 > 2:24:14been drawn to meet in the semifinals this time. The vivid orange of

2:24:15 > 2:24:20Malaysia. Malawi are not too far to the west of Madagascar, one of the

2:24:21 > 2:24:25smallest countries in Africa. A third of its size is taken up by the

2:24:26 > 2:24:31enormous lake Malawi. Appropriately, they have two swimmers, including a

2:24:32 > 2:24:3820-year-old sprinter whose Facebook page and read simply, just swim and

2:24:39 > 2:24:42get your life right. The Maldives are also led out by a swimmer in

2:24:43 > 2:24:48Aminath Shajan. Made up of around 1200 islands and 26 atolls, which

2:24:49 > 2:24:52are coral reefs surrounding lagoon. It is the lowest country in the

2:24:53 > 2:24:57world, line 1.5 metres above sea level. Their flag bearer says she

2:24:58 > 2:25:00was astounded when she first flew into Rio and saw the mountains

2:25:01 > 2:25:05tumbling into the sea. She had never seen anything like it. Marley is a

2:25:06 > 2:25:15landlocked country in West Africa through which the River Niger flows.

2:25:16 > 2:25:27Timbuktu is in Mali. 17 million people are waiting to see if Mali

2:25:28 > 2:25:30can get their first gold medal. The flag of Malta has the St Georges

2:25:31 > 2:25:34cross in the corner, which was awarded to the people of Malta in

2:25:35 > 2:25:471942 by George VI for their efforts in the Second World War. Andrew

2:25:48 > 2:25:58Chetcuti carried the flag, bury that Maltese Cross. The Pacific Islands,

2:25:59 > 2:26:02named after John Charles Marshall with Tom Gilbert, he of Gilbert

2:26:03 > 2:26:08Islands fame. They only made their Olympic debut in Beijing in 2008.

2:26:09 > 2:26:13That standard beachwear favourite, the bikini, was invented by a

2:26:14 > 2:26:17Frenchman and named after one of the Marshall Islands, the bikini atoll,

2:26:18 > 2:26:25the site of the nuclear test in the 1940s. Morocco, the north African

2:26:26 > 2:26:30country, home to 34 million people, represented by 51 here. They have

2:26:31 > 2:26:31had great success in athletics. Hicham El Guerrouj did the double in

2:26:32 > 2:26:48Athens. Distance running is a speciality for

2:26:49 > 2:26:53Morocco, middle-distance running in particular.

2:26:54 > 2:26:59Behind them comes Mauritius, to the east of Madagascar in the Indian

2:27:00 > 2:27:07Ocean. The last sight of the dodo was in Mauritius. The last one was

2:27:08 > 2:27:12killed in 1681. I think the Portuguese again had something to do

2:27:13 > 2:27:15with that. They visited the island. Subsequent economised by the Dutch,

2:27:16 > 2:27:21French and British before independence in 1968 and their flag,

2:27:22 > 2:27:25known as the four banz, was first flown. Mauritania, and other West

2:27:26 > 2:27:31African country and another of Africa's big oil-producing

2:27:32 > 2:27:36countries. Under two person team, one man, one woman, Jidou El Moctar

2:27:37 > 2:27:40carrying the flag for a country bordering the western Sahara, where

2:27:41 > 2:27:44temperatures can reach 50 Celsius so I think 25 he will be a pleasant

2:27:45 > 2:27:52change. Mexico get perhaps the largest cheer of the evening so far.

2:27:53 > 2:27:53Representing a population of 122 million, the largest

2:27:54 > 2:27:59Spanish-speaking country in the world. Their most successful Games,

2:28:00 > 2:28:03as these things tend to go was when Mexico City hosted them in 1968. The

2:28:04 > 2:28:07big cheer, despite the fact the Mexican football has caused misery

2:28:08 > 2:28:11for Brazil, beating them in the football at Wembley 2-1, and they

2:28:12 > 2:28:16will defend their title here, the one Brazil grave so much as it is

2:28:17 > 2:28:20Brazil's bogeyman, Peralta, who scored both of Mexico's goals then

2:28:21 > 2:28:25and he is in the squad again so look out. Mozambique, which stretches up

2:28:26 > 2:28:30the Indian Ocean from South Africa to Tanzania, like Brazil, Portuguese

2:28:31 > 2:28:36speaking. For four surgeries, it was the Portuguese rule and their great

2:28:37 > 2:28:40sporting star was Maria Mutola. All the athletes have to live up to the

2:28:41 > 2:28:45exploits of that one eight from -- wonderful 800 metres champion, their

2:28:46 > 2:28:52only medallist. She won gold in Sydney, bronze in Atlanta, Maria

2:28:53 > 2:28:59Mutola. Slightly tart and, as we move onto Moldova. A country of just

2:29:00 > 2:29:083.5 million, located between Romania and Ukraine. A team of 23. In their

2:29:09 > 2:29:12ranks, Dorchester born Aaron Cook in tae kwon do, trying to win Moldova's

2:29:13 > 2:29:16first gold in any sport. The former Britain was overlooked for the 2012

2:29:17 > 2:29:23Games despite being number one and was approached by Moldova to compete

2:29:24 > 2:29:27for them last year. Interesting choice. Monaco, the second smallest

2:29:28 > 2:29:32independent state in the world after Vatican City and also the most

2:29:33 > 2:29:34densely populated. When you think of the number of high-level sportsmen

2:29:35 > 2:29:39and women who live there who could compete them, they -- compete for

2:29:40 > 2:29:44them, they could do OK. No medal so far. No nation has appeared in as

2:29:45 > 2:29:48many Olympics without winning a medal and they beat Lichtenstein to

2:29:49 > 2:29:53that dubious honour by 16 years but they have got medals from the Winter

2:29:54 > 2:30:02Games. Filling up inside the Maracana and we are deep into the M.

2:30:03 > 2:30:07A huge country between China and Russia, Mongolia but a population of

2:30:08 > 2:30:15under 3 million. Mongolia one of the new powers in judo and the judoka

2:30:16 > 2:30:21leads them out who has won gold and silver at the last two Games and the

2:30:22 > 2:30:28capital city but all comes from the Mongolian which means red hero.

2:30:29 > 2:30:34Island and Paddy Barnes doing their bit for the tree-planting. --

2:30:35 > 2:30:40Ireland and Paddy Barnes. Mongolia, perhaps the brightest so far this

2:30:41 > 2:30:49evening. Very sunny indeed. It gets very cold in Ulan Bator.

2:30:50 > 2:30:56A wonderful sight, 60,000 in here, slightly down on its usual capacity

2:30:57 > 2:31:03of 80,000, with one end of the stadium being used for the

2:31:04 > 2:31:07proceedings earlier. I say 60,000 in here, we are halfway through so

2:31:08 > 2:31:12there must be 5000 athletes in here as we welcome Montenegro. This is

2:31:13 > 2:31:19only the third Olympic Games for them after voting for independence

2:31:20 > 2:31:21from Serbia and Montenegro in 2006. Montenegrin's women's handball team

2:31:22 > 2:31:26are national heroine and they are trying to turn London silver into

2:31:27 > 2:31:31Rio gold, the first ever medal for the country. Their first match

2:31:32 > 2:31:34tomorrow is against Spain and their team talisman, Bojana Popovic

2:31:35 > 2:31:39carries the standard, giving it a good old wiggle. Good on you. Milos

2:31:40 > 2:31:43Raonic is originally from Montenegrin, the Canadian tennis

2:31:44 > 2:31:47player but he is not here in Rio, as mentioned. Myanmar, also known as

2:31:48 > 2:31:51Burma, in the south of China by the Bay of Bengal, quite a year

2:31:52 > 2:31:58politically as they have sworn in a civilian president in March, the

2:31:59 > 2:32:02first in over 50 years. Aung San Suu Kyi is now very high up in

2:32:03 > 2:32:07government there and their chief hope for the medal is a shooter, who

2:32:08 > 2:32:14honed his military skills when he was doing military service under the

2:32:15 > 2:32:17previous Gintare Scheidt. Named after the desert in what was known

2:32:18 > 2:32:21as the scrum for Africa, Germany took control of this part of the

2:32:22 > 2:32:28continent, which is to be known as German south-west Africa. I noticed

2:32:29 > 2:32:34that Namibia's talisman, Frankie Fredericks, the four time 200 metres

2:32:35 > 2:32:39silver medallist, the greatest in the country did 200 metres with the

2:32:40 > 2:32:43torch in Rio, just rotting. Namibia skated over by the director but now

2:32:44 > 2:32:46Nauru, formerly known as the pleasant Island, one of the fact is

2:32:47 > 2:32:51that it is officially the most overweight population in the world,

2:32:52 > 2:32:54over 40% of the people have type two diabetes and the average weight of

2:32:55 > 2:33:02an adult is 16 stone. It is extraordinary. Now, Nepal, which as

2:33:03 > 2:33:05the only non-4-macro sided flag in the world, and still recovering from

2:33:06 > 2:33:14the devastating earthquake of last year, really. -- the non-4 sided

2:33:15 > 2:33:21flag. That Lady's father was tragically killed on Everest last as

2:33:22 > 2:33:25well. She is a judoka. Nicaraguan, represented by five from a

2:33:26 > 2:33:30population of almost six million. And for those of you who are house

2:33:31 > 2:33:33of cards fans, I noticed that life mirrors art, the Nicaraguan

2:33:34 > 2:33:38president has named his wife as his running mate and candidate for vice

2:33:39 > 2:33:43president. Frank Underwood, eat your heart out! It is one of the poorest

2:33:44 > 2:33:49countries after many years of civil war in the 20th century. Niger, the

2:33:50 > 2:33:54largest country in West Africa, but 80% of its land is taken up by the

2:33:55 > 2:34:03Sahara. They first competed at the Olympics in Tokyo in 1964. The

2:34:04 > 2:34:07company that gave us the single skull Ravouvou learnt a row about 12

2:34:08 > 2:34:10weeks before the road at Eton Thornely and he will leave the

2:34:11 > 2:34:20limelight to his team-mates this time. In 19 72, they won their only

2:34:21 > 2:34:25medal. Nigeria very different, just to the south of Niger, Africa's most

2:34:26 > 2:34:31populous country with almost 182 million, and a significant world

2:34:32 > 2:34:37economy. A 40-year-old table tennis player, Oliver Gay Ocean appearing

2:34:38 > 2:34:40in this Games and significantly, another table tennis player will

2:34:41 > 2:34:46become the first African athlete to compete in seven Games in any sport.

2:34:47 > 2:34:50Congratulations to him. A bit of a racy number being worn by Norway as

2:34:51 > 2:34:55they come into the stadium. They have won more Winter Olympic medals

2:34:56 > 2:35:00than any other nation. And not too shabby in the summer because they

2:35:01 > 2:35:03welcome back the shining stars of the women's handball team going for

2:35:04 > 2:35:08a third straight Olympic gold and they have a role, 40 this year, back

2:35:09 > 2:35:13for a sixth Games and maybe a third gold. He's got a bit of help this

2:35:14 > 2:35:19time in the double sculls. There's a lot going on in that outfit! New

2:35:20 > 2:35:26Zealand, a great sporting nation with a population of only 4.5

2:35:27 > 2:35:30million but 207 athletes in Rio. The Kiwis had an awesome Games in

2:35:31 > 2:35:36London, with six golds. Expect more of the same, in men's rowing, the

2:35:37 > 2:35:41pair have not been beaten to six years. Skull rower Mike Drysdale was

2:35:42 > 2:35:44the first athlete to get into the Olympic Village. Val Adams wants to

2:35:45 > 2:35:49stand on the top tier of the shot put podium. Event Mark Todd at his

2:35:50 > 2:35:52eighth Games and look out for the black lycra of the Kiwis in the

2:35:53 > 2:35:59velodrome, in sailing and of course in Rugby sevens. Choice! Oman, on

2:36:00 > 2:36:02the south-eastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, the oldest

2:36:03 > 2:36:09independent state in the Arab world, first attended the Olympics in 1984

2:36:10 > 2:36:18in Los Angeles. Four of them have flown in from the capital Muscat to

2:36:19 > 2:36:21compete. The Netherlands, not Holland but simply one region in the

2:36:22 > 2:36:26west of the Netherlands. What the team this could be, six gold medals

2:36:27 > 2:36:31in London and in their ranks, Dafne Schippers, who powered to a world

2:36:32 > 2:36:35title over 200 metres last year, they have got Marianne Vos to beat

2:36:36 > 2:36:38Lizzie Armitstead to road race gold in London and the hockey champions

2:36:39 > 2:36:44are going for an unprecedented golden hat-trick and a word about

2:36:45 > 2:36:49the men's gymnastics competitor who won in spectacular style and we

2:36:50 > 2:36:53remember his coach, our much loved colleague Mitch Benn, who sadly

2:36:54 > 2:37:03passed away a few weeks ago. It will not be the same without him. -- much

2:37:04 > 2:37:06loved colleague Mitch. Around 250 islands in the western Pacific

2:37:07 > 2:37:13between Fijian Papua New Guinea, a population of just over 20 1000. In

2:37:14 > 2:37:19their ranks, Paulao's fastest man in the water. Palestine gets a cheer,

2:37:20 > 2:37:23six representatives in the team, not officially an independent state but

2:37:24 > 2:37:26has been recognised of the International Olympic Committee

2:37:27 > 2:37:33since 1995 and has competed since Atlanta, the year after. In their

2:37:34 > 2:37:40ranks, a swimmer who trains in a 25 metre pool at a YMCA in the occupied

2:37:41 > 2:37:45West Bank as the long-running Israeli Palestine conflict

2:37:46 > 2:37:48continues. The narrowest part of Central America and a significant

2:37:49 > 2:37:54part of its GDP comes from the toll for the vessels using the 48 mile

2:37:55 > 2:38:01Panama Canal. The flag bearer is a 26-year-old, Alonso Edward. Panama

2:38:02 > 2:38:06was only granted total control of the canal from the USA at the end of

2:38:07 > 2:38:141999. It was built by the USA. Papua New Guinea, the second largest

2:38:15 > 2:38:18island in the world after Greenland, occupying the eastern half of the

2:38:19 > 2:38:23island with the West being part of Indonesia. That man at the front is

2:38:24 > 2:38:27Ryan Pini, nicknamed Rowdy, the swimmer who returns for a fourth

2:38:28 > 2:38:30Games at the age of 44. He is six at five and is the first Papua New

2:38:31 > 2:38:35Guinea athlete to reach a final. He has a Commonwealth Games gold,

2:38:36 > 2:38:39though, there only one. Does not look that rowdy, causing some

2:38:40 > 2:38:42consternation in a country with a population of over 200 million,

2:38:43 > 2:38:46Pakistan, represented by only seven athletes in Rio. The men's hockey

2:38:47 > 2:38:49team, which has provided all three of their gold medals, failed to

2:38:50 > 2:38:55qualify. The first time they have never made it, so from 199 million

2:38:56 > 2:39:02people, just a handful making the trip from Islamabad, four men and

2:39:03 > 2:39:11three women. Paraguay, surrounded by Brazil, landlocked, also by

2:39:12 > 2:39:14Argentina and Bolivia. Julieta Granada at the front, the first

2:39:15 > 2:39:18woman golfer to carry a national flag at an Olympic opening ceremony,

2:39:19 > 2:39:21a win on the LPGA tour in America and she is hoping to birdie her way

2:39:22 > 2:39:26to only her country's second ever medal. The flag bearer in London

2:39:27 > 2:39:34compete again in the 100 freestyle for Paraguay which is the country of

2:39:35 > 2:39:37his birth. Peru lies on Brazil's western border, a stunning country

2:39:38 > 2:39:42of contrast from the Pacific Ocean to the Andes, which are over 22,000

2:39:43 > 2:39:48feet. Their flag bearer, Francisco Boza, is 51, won silvering

2:39:49 > 2:39:52trapshooting in the LA Games of 84 and competes for a record eighth

2:39:53 > 2:39:55time for Peru. He's a former president of the Peruvian Institute

2:39:56 > 2:40:01of sport and this 29 strong team is the largest they have mastered city

2:40:02 > 2:40:04won Silver. Back the future! The ancient home of the Inca empire,

2:40:05 > 2:40:10Peru have competed in the Olympic Games since Paris in 1900. And

2:40:11 > 2:40:14Poland, just as New Zealand's Valerie Adams is going for a third

2:40:15 > 2:40:19gold in the shot put, Tomasz Majewski is going for a third gold

2:40:20 > 2:40:24in the men's shot put. I note with interest that tennis player

2:40:25 > 2:40:28Agnieszka Radwanska travelled 14,000 miles from Canada to Europe and then

2:40:29 > 2:40:31to reopen after her plane was grounded in Montreal, due to a

2:40:32 > 2:40:36technical faults. That is commitment to be with us tonight. Poland's

2:40:37 > 2:40:39men's volleyball team will be strong contenders having won the world

2:40:40 > 2:40:42title on home soil two years ago but in that sport, Brazil are ranked

2:40:43 > 2:40:48number one in the world. It's fair to say that Poland are poles apart

2:40:49 > 2:40:55when it comes to throwing heavy things long distances, particularly

2:40:56 > 2:41:04in athletics! A huge team from Poland. They have also got a

2:41:05 > 2:41:08Paralympic table tennis player who has become the latest Paralympic

2:41:09 > 2:41:13athlete to secure a place at the Rio Olympics, joining Melissa Tapper

2:41:14 > 2:41:21from Australia, and the lady we met earlier, the archer, they have also

2:41:22 > 2:41:25qualified. The stadium gets more and more colourful, if that were

2:41:26 > 2:41:31possible, as every athlete from every nation on earth comes in, some

2:41:32 > 2:41:42in their national costumes, some in national outfits, just for Rio. And

2:41:43 > 2:41:53the beat goes on. Leaving a bit of a gap between Poland and Puerto Rico.

2:41:54 > 2:42:06Another of the USA's unincorporated territories.

2:42:07 > 2:42:12There was another referendum in 2012 on the question of becoming a full

2:42:13 > 2:42:21state of the USA and for the first time, it failed. Here is Portugal.

2:42:22 > 2:42:25The country that has indirectly played a large part in this

2:42:26 > 2:42:28ceremony, and rather fitting that it is a Portuguese sailor in Joao

2:42:29 > 2:42:33Rodrigues who carries the Portuguese flag. These nations have been so

2:42:34 > 2:42:39closely linked for hundreds of years. And fresh from a first major

2:42:40 > 2:42:48Euro football title. No Ronaldo here, but they do quite well without

2:42:49 > 2:42:53him these days. 93 strong team, which includes Nelson Iborra in the

2:42:54 > 2:42:59triple jump. Beijing was Kenya's most successful Olympics, with 14

2:43:00 > 2:43:02medals in total. It is on the track that they have most of their

2:43:03 > 2:43:13success, but they might get their first field medal.

2:43:14 > 2:43:30So many chances for the Kenyans. Many would love to see Vivian

2:43:31 > 2:43:35Cheruiyot win. And both the men's and women's teams have qualified for

2:43:36 > 2:43:39the rugby sevens. Kyrgyzstan first competed at the Winter Olympics

2:43:40 > 2:43:45Inlet hammer in Norway in 1994 and then went on to Atlanta in 1996.

2:43:46 > 2:43:53They hosted the world nomad games in 2014 for central Asian communities,

2:43:54 > 2:43:57which featured events such as sheep droppings, a board game, and a game

2:43:58 > 2:44:05where horse riders fight for goat carcasses, which has yet to make its

2:44:06 > 2:44:10Olympic debut. The Democratic peoples Republic of Korea, North

2:44:11 > 2:44:14Korea. In a population of 25 million, the rather secretive state

2:44:15 > 2:44:19has an army of over 1.2 million, the fourth-largest in world. They have

2:44:20 > 2:44:23kept their flag bearer's identity a secret until the last minute. I

2:44:24 > 2:44:31don't suppose that is surprising. Their star man is a weightlifter who

2:44:32 > 2:44:35is only five feet tall and can lift three times his own body weight. Go

2:44:36 > 2:44:45onto YouTube and check him out. He is extraordinary. Romania. In the

2:44:46 > 2:44:52country of the great Nadia Comaneci, something has gone remiss for them.

2:44:53 > 2:44:56They failed to qualify for gymnastics in the last ten Olympic

2:44:57 > 2:45:13Games. But they do have one of the most decorated athletes in their

2:45:14 > 2:45:19mixed gymnasts. Their only women's gymnast injured her hand in spring,

2:45:20 > 2:45:23giving the chance to Catalina Ponor. She is such an elegant gymnast. It

2:45:24 > 2:45:31has been a difficult build-up for them. This team of 96 can only hope

2:45:32 > 2:45:49things will get better. Adrien Niyonshuti has become one of

2:45:50 > 2:45:59the leading lights in cycling for Rwanda. He said he wanted to put

2:46:00 > 2:46:03Rwanda on the map as a nation of skilled cyclists, not just the

2:46:04 > 2:46:07country of genocide. And indeed, Moore have followed him here to the

2:46:08 > 2:46:13Games. There is another mountain bike going in the road race -- while

2:46:14 > 2:46:22he goes in the road race. So his influence has had real impact. A

2:46:23 > 2:46:29mixed reception for Russia, I have to say. Not much to talk about, move

2:46:30 > 2:46:37along. It is very complicated obviously. They have an athlete who

2:46:38 > 2:46:42was cleared to compete as a neutral athlete before the Russian team were

2:46:43 > 2:46:45given the go-ahead to compete. Such was the clamour for the Russian

2:46:46 > 2:46:50Federation to be banned completely after the findings about systematic

2:46:51 > 2:46:54doping in the country, but instead, over 100 athletes have been left at

2:46:55 > 2:46:58home, including all but one of their track and field competitors. We have

2:46:59 > 2:47:03a whistle-blower in newly as the palm of who was told to stay away in

2:47:04 > 2:47:06a series of hard decisions made by individual sports as to which

2:47:07 > 2:47:11athletes they believed were not tainted and good enough to be in

2:47:12 > 2:47:15Rio. So for many of these athletes, it is very sad, because I am sure

2:47:16 > 2:47:20there are many of them who are here and have done things clean. And we

2:47:21 > 2:47:24wish those of them who have, and I am sure there are many of them, we

2:47:25 > 2:47:29wish them well over the next few days. Yes, those who are here have

2:47:30 > 2:47:42gone through stringent background tests to be here. The Solomon

2:47:43 > 2:47:46Islands are to the east of Papua new Guinea. They have a population of

2:47:47 > 2:47:52600,000, but no medals since their first appearance at the Games in Los

2:47:53 > 2:48:04Angeles in 1984. They are preparing for their own games. Samoa's men's

2:48:05 > 2:48:14rugby sevens team lost to Spain in the repechage in June. The country

2:48:15 > 2:48:15has moved west of the international Dateline to move in line with

2:48:16 > 2:48:29trading partners like Australia. American Samoa is another

2:48:30 > 2:48:35unincorporated territory of the United States. It lies south-east of

2:48:36 > 2:48:40Samoa in the South Pacific and has long been a prominent US naval

2:48:41 > 2:48:51station in the area. I thought we were going to get their version of

2:48:52 > 2:48:55the haka there. Let's go Am Sam, as they say in American Samoa. San

2:48:56 > 2:48:56Marino is one of the world's smallest countries, said to be the

2:48:57 > 2:49:14oldest surviving republic. That is Arianna Perilli, carrying

2:49:15 > 2:49:18the flag. Her sister carried it in London. She finished an agonising

2:49:19 > 2:49:24fourth after a three-way play-off for bronze on her debut. Abraham

2:49:25 > 2:49:31Lincoln was an honorary citizen of San Marino. St Lucia is more

2:49:32 > 2:49:35mountainous than most Caribbean islands, a very popular holiday

2:49:36 > 2:49:45destination. 27 miles long and four miles wide. You have climbed one of

2:49:46 > 2:49:49the volcanic peaks, Andrew. Mmm. Levern Spencer was their flag bearer

2:49:50 > 2:49:58in Beijing and London, and she competes again here. The two island

2:49:59 > 2:50:05nation in the Caribbean, St Kitts and Nevis. Their famous sportsman is

2:50:06 > 2:50:10Kim Collins, a sprinter who is still going strong. He is the oldest

2:50:11 > 2:50:13sprinter in Rio and the oldest man to have competed at the world

2:50:14 > 2:50:30indoors in March and he made the final. Sad to me and princes -- Sao

2:50:31 > 2:50:47Tome and Principe. Like Brazil, a former Portuguese

2:50:48 > 2:50:50colony. This is St Vincent and the Grenadines, a chain of small islands

2:50:51 > 2:50:58to the south-east of the Caribbean sea. No medals. Their first games

2:50:59 > 2:51:03were in Seoul in 1988. The Seychelles, an archipelago in the

2:51:04 > 2:51:16Indian Ocean which leans on tourism heavily. Sailor Rodney Govinden has

2:51:17 > 2:51:19their flag. Senegal, in the westernmost part of Africa,

2:51:20 > 2:51:24surrounding the thin country that is the Gambia. This is their 14th

2:51:25 > 2:51:30games, allowing first competed in Tokyo in 1964. Huge excitement about

2:51:31 > 2:51:33the success of their women's basketball team. They reportedly

2:51:34 > 2:51:40earned a bonus of an apartment from the president after winning the

2:51:41 > 2:51:43qualifying event to be here. He has also announced he will build a new

2:51:44 > 2:51:56sports facility on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka, to honour their

2:51:57 > 2:52:07success. -- their capital, Dakar. The name Senegal means boat. Sierra

2:52:08 > 2:52:11Leone are team of four, still seeking their first medal. But the

2:52:12 > 2:52:15taking part is what counts. Sierra Leone was happily declared free of

2:52:16 > 2:52:22Ebola on the 17th of March this year after a terrible time for them. This

2:52:23 > 2:52:25quartet can help sport begin again, because the ban on public gatherings

2:52:26 > 2:52:31has been lifted and children can play again. Good luck to this

2:52:32 > 2:52:35quartet, who will be so influential. Serbia made its return to the

2:52:36 > 2:52:38Olympics as a stand-alone country in Beijing after 96 years following

2:52:39 > 2:52:45Montenegro's decision to separate. Before that, it had been part of

2:52:46 > 2:52:53Yugoslavia. One thing Novak Djokovic does not have is a gold medal. He

2:52:54 > 2:52:59lost to Andy Murray. Perhaps we will get the showdown we did not have at

2:53:00 > 2:53:04Wimbledon. He plays Juan Martin del Potro in the first round here.

2:53:05 > 2:53:09Interesting to hear his thoughts about the Olympics. He hasn't yet

2:53:10 > 2:53:13won the gold, and he says there is a different dimension to the Olympics,

2:53:14 > 2:53:18a dimension of pride and honour and passion. It certainly matters to

2:53:19 > 2:53:27him. Andy Murray is still standing somewhere down the. The tennis

2:53:28 > 2:53:35campaign gets under way soon. Andy Murray was very keen to be here.

2:53:36 > 2:53:41Singapore is one of the world's most prosperous nations, based around

2:53:42 > 2:53:50trade and finance. Their anthem has yet to be heard at the Olympics. How

2:53:51 > 2:53:55we hope the Olympic truce may bring some respite in the terrible events

2:53:56 > 2:54:01taking place in Syria. From Damascus have come seven Syrian athletes, but

2:54:02 > 2:54:06with warnings that many others are left behind in the war-torn areas.

2:54:07 > 2:54:09For the four men and three women from the government-controlled areas

2:54:10 > 2:54:16who will represent Syria, the journey has been particularly long

2:54:17 > 2:54:20and hazardous. Somalia occupies the coast on the Horn of Africa, a

2:54:21 > 2:54:24country which has been in turmoil since the overthrow of the president

2:54:25 > 2:54:34in 1991. Their team in Rio has just a couple of members. Two track

2:54:35 > 2:54:44athletes. But they remember a former athlete who ran in Beijing. When it

2:54:45 > 2:54:47became impossible for her to pursue her sport, she sought help in Europe

2:54:48 > 2:54:55and drowned in the Mediterranean three months before London's Games.

2:54:56 > 2:55:01Sri Lanka's Indrajith Cooray has been based in Britain for years.

2:55:02 > 2:55:07Yes, sponsored by a well-known bakery chain and claims to eat a

2:55:08 > 2:55:11Cornish pasty every day. The food of champions! Sri Lanka have won two

2:55:12 > 2:55:21Olympic medals. One was in 1940, and then in Sydney in 2000. Swaziland is

2:55:22 > 2:55:26one of the world's largest remaining absolute monarchies. Their king

2:55:27 > 2:55:32rules by decree. The kingdom has 17 nature reserves, home to the big

2:55:33 > 2:55:37five. Their best big two athletes are with us. Sudan is the third

2:55:38 > 2:55:42largest country in Africa, although slightly smaller after the split

2:55:43 > 2:55:45with South Sudan. Its capital Khartoum is located where the white

2:55:46 > 2:55:50and blue Nile rivers come together to form the Nile. They have a team

2:55:51 > 2:56:03of six travelling from Khartoum, three athletes, one judoka and two

2:56:04 > 2:56:08swimmers. Sudan are followed by the dancing team of South Sudan. Welcome

2:56:09 > 2:56:14to the Games for the first time to South Sudan a year after formal

2:56:15 > 2:56:18recognition from the IOC. Their marathon runner competed as an

2:56:19 > 2:56:24independent runner in London and is joined by his two team-mates, both

2:56:25 > 2:56:30runners as well. Sweden has competed in every Olympic Games apart from

2:56:31 > 2:56:37the St games in 1904, which a few countries gave a miss. Theresa al,

2:56:38 > 2:56:43is one of the few women to compete in a sixth Games. A swimmer, she is

2:56:44 > 2:56:4738 and she has her fellow swimmer also in the hunt for medals. The

2:56:48 > 2:56:51women's football team as a big match against Brazil tomorrow night and of

2:56:52 > 2:56:53course, in their team, the new open champion, Henrik Stenson and a

2:56:54 > 2:57:05fellow major winner Anna Nordqvist. Henrik Stenson one of the -- the

2:57:06 > 2:57:09highest ranked golfer to come to Rio. Ranked number five in the

2:57:10 > 2:57:14world. Fabian Cancellara won the cycling time trial in Beijing and

2:57:15 > 2:57:26one The Rd race. This is his final season. Julia battled powering the

2:57:27 > 2:57:29flag. Roger Federer's knee injury means he could not be here and then

2:57:30 > 2:57:33Stan Wawrinka had a dodgy knee as well so I'm not sure what they are

2:57:34 > 2:57:39going to do for the mixed doubles just yet. Swiss have their defending

2:57:40 > 2:57:45individual show-jumper back is also some very strong chances in their

2:57:46 > 2:57:49team. What time is it back in the UK? 2:30am. Thank you for staying

2:57:50 > 2:57:55with us but you might be watching it tomorrow morning. Yes, on repeat.

2:57:56 > 2:58:01Good morning. I'm slightly confused! Switzerland with a team of 104, the

2:58:02 > 2:58:06familiar white and red colours and then Surinam, the latest team to

2:58:07 > 2:58:09enter the stadium, one of the smaller countries of South America,

2:58:10 > 2:58:13on the northern border of Brazil, they have competed since 1968 but

2:58:14 > 2:58:19all of their Olympic medals have come from one man, swimmer Anthony

2:58:20 > 2:58:26Nestea who won gold in the 100 butterfly in Seoul and bronze in

2:58:27 > 2:58:29Barcelona. The capital, it takes nine and a half hours to get from

2:58:30 > 2:58:36there to Sao Paulo, for the team of six. Digidesign, the former Soviet

2:58:37 > 2:58:39republic to the north of Afghanistan, the mountain ranges of

2:58:40 > 2:58:47digit is done, outlying Himalayas, very popular with mountain climbers.

2:58:48 > 2:58:52-- of Tajikistan. Seven stars above the ground signifying their magic

2:58:53 > 2:58:56number seven, a number and a symbol of perfection and the embodiment of

2:58:57 > 2:59:10happiness. Team size, seven. I think it is going to be all right.

2:59:11 > 2:59:14Thailand... A significant day for them on Sunday with a vote to decide

2:59:15 > 2:59:19whether to give the army even greater powers. A team of 54

2:59:20 > 2:59:28representing a country of 68 million people. I'm looking, I'm not sure if

2:59:29 > 2:59:38she is here or not but golfer Ariya Jutanugarn, who won the women's

2:59:39 > 2:59:42British Open at the weekend is Thailand's first ever Olympic gold

2:59:43 > 2:59:45medal and she is aiming to emulate the woman with the longest name in

2:59:46 > 2:59:48Olympic history who caused commentators on the weightlifting

2:59:49 > 2:59:53many headaches, including you. I remember her but not quite fondly,

2:59:54 > 2:59:57Chinese Taipei, just off the mainland in the South China Sea,

2:59:58 > 3:00:01also called the republic of China, whereas China is the people's

3:00:02 > 3:00:06Republic of China but they agree the name Chinese Taipei for the Olympics

3:00:07 > 3:00:11and they have a special flag for the Olympics which includes the Olympic

3:00:12 > 3:00:14rings. The island's former name, foremost is the Portuguese word for

3:00:15 > 3:00:26beautiful and I'm sure it is very beautiful. -- name, formasa.

3:00:27 > 3:00:28Tanzania, talking about mountains, Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest

3:00:29 > 3:00:33mountain is in the north of the country. They are very keen, the

3:00:34 > 3:00:39first of the 207 to officially register their line-up for the Games

3:00:40 > 3:00:44in Rio on the 7th of July. I had so much more to say about Tanzania but

3:00:45 > 3:00:48moving on to the Czech Republic, competing in its former guise of

3:00:49 > 3:00:52Czechoslovakia from 1920 until 1992, three years after the Velvet

3:00:53 > 3:00:57Revolution and then the separation from Slovakia in 1993. I remember at

3:00:58 > 3:01:01the London Olympic parade, they had a laugh, wearing blue wellies with

3:01:02 > 3:01:05umbrellas as part of their official uniform. Some even wore them on the

3:01:06 > 3:01:09medal podium. Wellies essential in the British summer but I think they

3:01:10 > 3:01:14have chickened out on the Carnival forms, though. No Tomas Berdych in

3:01:15 > 3:01:23tennis, he decided not to come but what a great Olympic pedigree they

3:01:24 > 3:01:30have. They have the two time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova as

3:01:31 > 3:01:36one of their headliners. Timor-Leste East Timor, the eastern part of the

3:01:37 > 3:01:42island of Timor, with the rest of it occupied by Indonesia. But the word

3:01:43 > 3:01:48Timor at itself means east in Malay so it is called East. And the

3:01:49 > 3:01:55capital has a 27 metre tall crystal raid built on a point west of the

3:01:56 > 3:02:03capital, and Rio's Christ the Redeemer is only ten metres higher.

3:02:04 > 3:02:06Togo, relatively small but with a relatively high standard of living

3:02:07 > 3:02:14due to phosphate deposits on the export of coffee and cocoa. What a

3:02:15 > 3:02:19return for the swimming flag-bearers who made a debut in London at 13 is

3:02:20 > 3:02:23the youngest competitor, Adzo Rebecca Krossi, her goal was to beat

3:02:24 > 3:02:29her personal best in the 50 metres free then and she smashed it by

3:02:30 > 3:02:34seven seconds. Tonga, taekwondo gives us the flag bearer, Pita

3:02:35 > 3:02:39Nikolas Aufatofua were, the last Polynesian monarchy, keen to to

3:02:40 > 3:02:50taking the throne last year, the sixth. -- King Tupou VI.

3:02:51 > 3:03:00Any gold medallist will have to do is sing their national anthem, God

3:03:01 > 3:03:03save King Tupou. Trinidad Tobago, the large island of Trinidad and its

3:03:04 > 3:03:06smaller neighbour to the north, one of the wealthiest countries in the

3:03:07 > 3:03:11Caribbean thanks to sizeable reserves of oil and gas. That is

3:03:12 > 3:03:17Keshorn Walcott, only 19 at the time where he won the javelin title in

3:03:18 > 3:03:22London, the youngest ever javelin title. He's buoyed up ahead of his

3:03:23 > 3:03:26defence. I believe he won at the Diamond League meeting in Stratford

3:03:27 > 3:03:29a couple of weeks ago. Yes, and sprinter, at a bold and sprinter, at

3:03:30 > 3:03:33Boldon, in times past, won four sprint golds. Now Tunisia, between

3:03:34 > 3:03:38the huge countries of Algeria and Libya. As of June, Tunisia have two

3:03:39 > 3:03:42Olympic gold medals and the first one for a woman, Habiba Ghribi had a

3:03:43 > 3:03:46ceremony in June is for the 3000 metres steeplechase held in London

3:03:47 > 3:03:49four years ago after the Russian winner was found to have been

3:03:50 > 3:03:56doping. It must have been a close run thing as do carry their flag but

3:03:57 > 3:04:00Oussama Mellouli leading the 60 strong delegation, what a Games he

3:04:01 > 3:04:07had in London, ten kilometre open water medal and 1500 metres bronze

3:04:08 > 3:04:15in the pool as well. Three gold medals overall fortune is here.

3:04:16 > 3:04:17Turkmenistan -- for Tunisia. Turkmenistan, a largely desert

3:04:18 > 3:04:24country on the north of the Caspian Sea. That is a traditional

3:04:25 > 3:04:27headdress, usually large and black sheepskin but can be other colours,

3:04:28 > 3:04:31as we can see. I would have thought it was best to keep it for the

3:04:32 > 3:04:35Winter Olympics. They must be boiling! They have not won a medal

3:04:36 > 3:04:40since they first ended in 1996, although they had a shooting gold

3:04:41 > 3:04:45medal in Rome in 1960 when they were competing under the flag of the

3:04:46 > 3:04:49Soviet Union. Turkey, home to almost 80 million people, have been

3:04:50 > 3:04:54competing at the Olympics since Stockholm in 1912. Wrestling is very

3:04:55 > 3:04:59much their strongest sport but also weightlifting, winning gold in

3:05:00 > 3:05:03Seoul, Barcelona and Atlanta. Unsettling times in Ankara and

3:05:04 > 3:05:08Istanbul this summer, they're great hope again in a sporting sense is

3:05:09 > 3:05:15the man at the front, Riza Kayaalp, hugely popular in Turkey. He is a

3:05:16 > 3:05:18Greco-Roman wrestler and will be fighting with the Cuban we saw

3:05:19 > 3:05:35earlier. 103 athletes in 21 sports, Turkey.

3:05:36 > 3:05:40They have just on the tape over on the music and it goes on inside the

3:05:41 > 3:05:47Maracana. Astonishing that 11,000 athletes, if they all turn up, would

3:05:48 > 3:05:53be here to enter the Maracana. Only one nation has sent one competitor

3:05:54 > 3:05:57and it is do the loop, Etimoni Timuani, leading the smallest

3:05:58 > 3:06:00delegation in Rio. He's a 24-year-old professional footballer

3:06:01 > 3:06:03in the a division into the loop and has played professionally for the

3:06:04 > 3:06:08international team but he is going to run 100 metres here against Usain

3:06:09 > 3:06:13Bolt and the like if he gets through the qualifying round. He's pretty

3:06:14 > 3:06:16decent, 10.4, so he should get through qualifying but whether he

3:06:17 > 3:06:22goes any further, we shall see. Wonderful to see one man

3:06:23 > 3:06:28representing to. Ukraine, officially the largest country entirely in

3:06:29 > 3:06:32Europe. Perhaps their most famous athlete is Sergey Bubka, six times

3:06:33 > 3:06:38world champion, won Olympic gold in Seoul, he might have been having a

3:06:39 > 3:06:43major role tonight had he not lost out in the running to Thomas Bach

3:06:44 > 3:06:48for the IOC presidency. He's in the delegation, though. Making a

3:06:49 > 3:06:55comeback? Support capacity because the man at the front if the trap

3:06:56 > 3:06:59shooter, Mykola Milchev, won gold in Sydney 16 years ago with a perfect

3:07:00 > 3:07:03shot and he has three world titles as well. Ukraine has a few medal

3:07:04 > 3:07:10contenders here, in the sabre in fencing, a medallist from the past

3:07:11 > 3:07:13two Games and twice world champion. Might have happened since the last

3:07:14 > 3:07:17Winter Olympics in Sochi, in the conflict with the then Olympic host,

3:07:18 > 3:07:23Russia, which began shortly after the flame was extinguished by the

3:07:24 > 3:07:27Black Sea. Uganda, next to enter the stadium, one of the countries of the

3:07:28 > 3:07:37great Lakes region of Africa, to the east of Kenya. Has had 30 years of

3:07:38 > 3:07:42presidency by one man. Athletics has brought Uganda's only Olympic gold

3:07:43 > 3:07:46medals. Yes, over one lap hurdles and they have the defending marathon

3:07:47 > 3:07:49champion Stephen Kiprotich and Solomon Mutai, a bronze medallist

3:07:50 > 3:07:51from last year's World Championships. Uganda might have

3:07:52 > 3:07:58something else to celebrate in Rio, you think. I'm trying to drain the

3:07:59 > 3:08:02binoculars Andy Murray to see if he is still standing! Uruguay gets a

3:08:03 > 3:08:07very warm reception as well, a small country of only 3.3 million people,

3:08:08 > 3:08:11Sam Wood between Brazil and Argentina and also bordered to the

3:08:12 > 3:08:17south by the River Plate, the river silver, which is the massive estuary

3:08:18 > 3:08:19of the Uruguay and piranha rivers. Southern neighbours with whom they

3:08:20 > 3:08:23have had some great hostels on the verbal pitch. Diego Forlan and

3:08:24 > 3:08:30company did not qualify this time. The giant boxer, Bakhopir Jalolov,

3:08:31 > 3:08:33Leeds at Uzbekistan, the former central Soviet republic of Asia. One

3:08:34 > 3:08:37of two doubly landlocked countries in the world which means it is

3:08:38 > 3:08:42surrounded by countries which are also landlocked. It could not be

3:08:43 > 3:08:46more landlocked. They have a gymnast here for an unprecedented seventh

3:08:47 > 3:08:51Games at the age of 41. She took team gold in Barcelona in 92, and is

3:08:52 > 3:08:55at least double the age of many of the youngsters she will compete

3:08:56 > 3:09:04against, starting on Sunday in the qualifying round. It is landlocked

3:09:05 > 3:09:07but it used to be next to the Aral Sea which used to be the fourth

3:09:08 > 3:09:14largest in Lindsay and the earth but is renting quite rapidly. Vanuatu,

3:09:15 > 3:09:18some of the islands of one or two are active volcanoes. Four athletes

3:09:19 > 3:09:22from the so-called time the silence, about 80 of them and Time flies for

3:09:23 > 3:09:28the 23-year-old table tennis player, Yoshua Shing, who has featured in

3:09:29 > 3:09:34three Commonwealth Games in two Olympics. If you think he must have

3:09:35 > 3:09:38started to compete when he was 12, he did. Venezuelan shares the

3:09:39 > 3:09:41northern border of Brazil, a mixture of the Andes and the Amazonian

3:09:42 > 3:09:45jungle but also huge urban areas with a publisher 20 Mamdouh Abou

3:09:46 > 3:09:47Ebaid -- 29 million, a country in a state of economic collapse at the

3:09:48 > 3:09:56moment despite having the world's largest oil reserves. Ruben Limardo

3:09:57 > 3:09:59Gaston when he won his fencing gold four years ago, Venezuela's first in

3:10:00 > 3:10:02anything for 40 years, he hopped onto the DLR and started an

3:10:03 > 3:10:08impromptu party with stunned passengers that night. London loved

3:10:09 > 3:10:12him and I'm sure the carioca will know how to party with him if he

3:10:13 > 3:10:15gets it right. Yellow star on the red flag of Vietnam, one of

3:10:16 > 3:10:18Southeast Asia's fastest-growing economies, a country of 94 million

3:10:19 > 3:10:27people which has competed under various guises since hosting the

3:10:28 > 3:10:38Games of 1952. Hotfoot from Hanoi, 23 athletes. The US Virgin Islands

3:10:39 > 3:10:45who first competed in the Games of 1968 in Mexico and have won a medal

3:10:46 > 3:10:49in 1988 in the Finn class. Cy Thompson a laser class dinghy sailor

3:10:50 > 3:10:52at the front and another sailor, Christopher Columbus discovered

3:10:53 > 3:10:58these islands and named them in 1493, four Saint Ursula and her

3:10:59 > 3:11:02virgin followers. And here come the British Virgin Islands, the British

3:11:03 > 3:11:05Overseas Territory. Officially simply the Virgin Islands but given

3:11:06 > 3:11:09the prefix to distinguish it from the nearby US and Spanish Virgin

3:11:10 > 3:11:19Islands, which is now known as Puerto Rico. In this delegation,

3:11:20 > 3:11:2116-year-old Eleanor Philip, a schoolgirl from Hatfield,

3:11:22 > 3:11:27Hertfordshire, who becomes their youngest ever Olympian. Zambia,

3:11:28 > 3:11:31surrounded by seven other African states and has so much of its

3:11:32 > 3:11:34history managed to avoid the war and upheaval which has blighted others,

3:11:35 > 3:11:42although upcoming elections are not without a few problems. First

3:11:43 > 3:11:48competed in 1964 in Tokyo. The outstanding 400 metres hurdler was a

3:11:49 > 3:11:54world champion in 1991 and took Olympic silver in 1996. Zimbabwe,

3:11:55 > 3:11:58something of an Olympic institution now, Kirsty Coventry back for a

3:11:59 > 3:12:02fifth and last Games at 32, and carried their flag so well in London

3:12:03 > 3:12:06they have asked to do it again no wonder, she has won seven of their

3:12:07 > 3:12:09eight medals since independence in 1980. She has been described as a

3:12:10 > 3:12:16national treasure and she could become the first woman to win eight

3:12:17 > 3:12:18individual swimming medals. The women's double-team are not

3:12:19 > 3:12:21represented here, quite busy at the moment but they reached Rio by

3:12:22 > 3:12:24beating Cameroon in a two legged final round of qualifiers, becoming

3:12:25 > 3:12:36the first Zimbabwean team to qualify for a major global football event.

3:12:37 > 3:12:43The team of refugees, comprising ten athletes and 12 officials competing

3:12:44 > 3:12:48under the Olympic flag. IOC President Thomas Bach said, we want

3:12:49 > 3:12:53to send a message to the work that these refugee athletes, like all

3:12:54 > 3:12:56refugees, can be an enrichment. They are a fantastic expression of the

3:12:57 > 3:13:00Olympic spirit and it is hard to imagine how much these athletes have

3:13:01 > 3:13:06had to overcome to walk out here tonight. They have no flag, no team,

3:13:07 > 3:13:12no national anthem. This is to give them a hope in the Olympic village.

3:13:13 > 3:13:17One of them swam alongside a dinghy of refugees which was taking in

3:13:18 > 3:13:21water trying to reach Lesbos. These athletes represent the 65 million

3:13:22 > 3:13:27displaced people around the world from war-torn areas of crisis. They

3:13:28 > 3:13:32are very, very welcome indeed. And we give them their moment before the

3:13:33 > 3:13:35stadium erupts, which it will now, because into the Maracana, please

3:13:36 > 3:14:03welcome Brazil. The final team to enter the stadium.

3:14:04 > 3:14:10477 athletes. Just to stress again, this is Brazil! The first home team

3:14:11 > 3:14:18of the first Olympic Games in South America. Only the USA have a bigger

3:14:19 > 3:14:23team but almost each of them is here. Who would miss this moment?

3:14:24 > 3:14:28Four years ago, it was a golden tracksuited Sir Chris Hoy leading

3:14:29 > 3:14:41out to Britain's Heroes. Tonight, the honour goes to 32-year-old Jane

3:14:42 > 3:14:55-- Yane Marques who goes for Brazil at home. Their motto is order in

3:14:56 > 3:14:59progress. The flag flies proudly. The team's ambition is to double the

3:15:00 > 3:15:0817 medals they earned in London and make the top ten in the medal table.

3:15:09 > 3:15:14They were 22nd four years ago. There are many problems in Brazil, but

3:15:15 > 3:15:18there are moments that can bring a country together, even if that is

3:15:19 > 3:15:27just for a short time. They have individual stars like their gymnast,

3:15:28 > 3:15:34the Lord of The Rings. Also in sailing. But it is the team sports

3:15:35 > 3:15:39they care about most, beach volleyball, volleyball. Their women

3:15:40 > 3:15:45are going for a record equalling third straight gold. I can't tell if

3:15:46 > 3:15:49these are still members of the Brazilian team coming through! They

3:15:50 > 3:15:53may well be. But the roof of the Maracana has turned a vivid green,

3:15:54 > 3:15:58which has been a theme of this evening, and also echoes one of the

3:15:59 > 3:16:02colours of the Brazilian flag. I wonder if they will get that boost

3:16:03 > 3:16:06that host nations always get in terms of moving up the medal table

3:16:07 > 3:16:11and achieving record results. I am sure they will be inspired. In the

3:16:12 > 3:16:15Maracana Stadium, the home of Brazilian football, for a football

3:16:16 > 3:16:22mad nation, Brazil has amazingly never struck Olympic gold. Five-time

3:16:23 > 3:16:28World Cup winners, but five-time silver medallists. It has not been

3:16:29 > 3:16:33an easy build-up for the boys. And it has not gone to plan so far

3:16:34 > 3:16:37either for the men, who drew 0-0 with South Africa yesterday. But

3:16:38 > 3:16:42hopes are high for the two medals they covet more than most. An

3:16:43 > 3:16:46incredible sight and sound inside the Maracana late into the night

3:16:47 > 3:16:51here in Rio de Janeiro and even later at home in the UK. But I am

3:16:52 > 3:16:57sure you are enjoying the sights and sounds, as we are. 11,000 athletes

3:16:58 > 3:17:04competing in the Olympic Games, and this huge team from Brazil, enjoying

3:17:05 > 3:17:09their moment to enter the stadium. Exuberant expressions of total joy

3:17:10 > 3:17:12from this team, just as we remember from the Great Britain team in

3:17:13 > 3:17:28London four years ago. What a wonderful moment.

3:17:29 > 3:17:35In this incredible city, the sounds are drifting into the night air at

3:17:36 > 3:17:38high above the Maracana. Now, the mirrors, into which have been

3:17:39 > 3:17:57planted all those thousands of seeds, are moved centrestage.

3:17:58 > 3:18:02Incidentally, the flags of the countries that have entered the

3:18:03 > 3:18:08stadium are all planted around the stage. So Andy Murray is unburdened

3:18:09 > 3:18:12by a flag now. And all the athletes from all the countries are watching

3:18:13 > 3:18:13with the rest of us to see these mirrored cabinet is being brought

3:18:14 > 3:18:28into the centre of the stadium. Well, the trees that the athletes

3:18:29 > 3:18:32have been bringing in, the seeds will be planted shortly after the

3:18:33 > 3:18:36flame is extinguished in the radical part in Deodoro. That will become

3:18:37 > 3:18:41the second-largest leisure area the city with a public swimming pool and

3:18:42 > 3:18:49a BMX bike centre open to everyone and surrounding it all, the

3:18:50 > 3:18:51brand-new Athletes' Forest. It does look as though everyone is enjoying

3:18:52 > 3:19:20themselves. It is totally joyous! So welcome to the athletes who will

3:19:21 > 3:19:38compete here in Rio de Janeiro. Ladies and gentlemen, the athletes

3:19:39 > 3:20:25of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games! The stadium falls darker again, and

3:20:26 > 3:20:33the mirrors are lined up and opened to reveal lush vegetation and the

3:20:34 > 3:20:36Olympic rings. Underlining the ceremony's core theme that the

3:20:37 > 3:21:36future is bright, and it is green. Welcome to Carlos Nuzman, the head

3:21:37 > 3:21:39of the Rio de Janeiro organising committee for the Olympic and

3:21:40 > 3:21:50Paralympic games, the man who led the bits. A former volleyball player

3:21:51 > 3:21:55who competed in Tokyo in 1964. Alongside Thomas Bach, the president

3:21:56 > 3:21:56of the International Olympic Committee, a fencing medallist in

3:21:57 > 3:22:181976 in Montreal. The president of the International

3:22:19 > 3:22:55Olympic committee, Thomas Bach, Olympic champion in fencing, 1976.

3:22:56 > 3:23:13Boa noite Brasil, bonsoir a tous, good evening to the world!

3:23:14 > 3:23:21President of the Olympic committee, Thomas Bach. International

3:23:22 > 3:23:23authorities. Yes, I'm talking

3:23:24 > 3:23:27to the whole planet. Five continents, 5

3:23:28 > 3:23:33billion people or more. History to be made by

3:23:34 > 3:23:50the athletes, the volunteers, The Olympic Dream is now

3:23:51 > 3:24:02a wonderful reality. Brazil welcomes

3:24:03 > 3:24:31the world with open arms. I'm proud of my city,

3:24:32 > 3:25:00my country, my people. I'm proud to be an Olympian athlete,

3:25:01 > 3:25:07a volleyball player in Tokyo 1964, and proud to be here, talking

3:25:08 > 3:25:26to best athletes in the universe. As we work together to build

3:25:27 > 3:25:37the games of the XXXI Olympiad. These are your Games,

3:25:38 > 3:25:49the first in South America. Opening of the Olympic experience to

3:25:50 > 3:26:09new regions of the world. Games that we believe we deliver

3:26:10 > 3:26:12to the best, from the best. Desse Brasil gigante que aprendemos

3:26:13 > 3:26:26a adorar nasce hoje um mundo novo. Trabalhamos sete anos numa jornada

3:26:27 > 3:26:40onde cada um dos Brasileiros Aos que duvidam e bom lembrar: Um

3:26:41 > 3:26:56filho do Brasil nao foge a luta! Rio is proud to be the Olympic

3:26:57 > 3:27:00capital of the world. Enlighted by the transformation

3:27:01 > 3:27:21that we promised and delivered, a job that we could only finish

3:27:22 > 3:27:25with the help of our people, of our three levels of governments:

3:27:26 > 3:27:32federal, state and city, And, I will say again,

3:27:33 > 3:27:49thanks to all volunteers. We thank the world by thanking

3:27:50 > 3:28:00the Olympic Family. Permettez-moi de conclure

3:28:01 > 3:28:12en m'adressant aux Garcons et filles qui

3:28:13 > 3:29:05echangent leurs souvenirs, Boys and girls that transformed the

3:29:06 > 3:29:09world into the digital world. Always believe in your dreams.

3:29:10 > 3:29:40We do not give up our dreams. We never give up. Yes, we never give

3:29:41 > 3:29:43up. Our dream is this Olympic City

3:29:44 > 3:29:53transformed by the Games, hosting A cidade maravilhosa em noite de

3:29:54 > 3:30:06gala e o cenario perfeito. The marvellous city in this gala

3:30:07 > 3:30:13night is the perfect setting. Let's live our dream

3:30:14 > 3:30:17together, and stay together In the name of all Brazilians,

3:30:18 > 3:30:26I welcome the world. Em nome do mundo, eu

3:30:27 > 3:30:34cumprimento todos os cariocas. Quando a Tocha Olimpica entrar neste

3:30:35 > 3:30:58estadio eterno trazendo paz, confianca e orgulho ela vai

3:30:59 > 3:31:04trazer uma mensagem de Yes, the unity for peace and sport.

3:31:05 > 3:31:24We believe it and we did it. Now it's my pleasure to hand over

3:31:25 > 3:31:52to the President of the IOC, the Olympic champion Thomas Bach,

3:31:53 > 3:31:54who always believed in the sucess the Olympic champion Thomas Bach,

3:31:55 > 3:32:11who always believed in the success Thank you very much! A passionate

3:32:12 > 3:32:14speech by Carlos -- Carlos Nuzman, the head of the organising committee

3:32:15 > 3:32:16for the Rio Games. Distingues representants des

3:32:17 > 3:32:33autorites Bresiliennes. Votre Excellence, Monsieur le

3:32:34 > 3:32:35Secretaire General des Nations Unies, Ban Ki-moon,

3:32:36 > 3:32:39Excellences, Monsieur le President du comite d'organisation des

3:32:40 > 3:32:45Jeux Olympiques Rio 2016, mon cher collegue et

3:32:46 > 3:32:48ami Carlos Nuzman. Chers amis Olympiques

3:32:49 > 3:32:53du monde entier. Bienvenue aux Jeux de la

3:32:54 > 3:33:01XXXIe Olympiade Rio 2016. This is the moment of

3:33:02 > 3:33:13the cidade maravilhosa. The first ever Olympic Games

3:33:14 > 3:33:20in South America will go from Brazil The Organising Committee,

3:33:21 > 3:33:31Brazilian authorities at all levels, and all Brazilians can

3:33:32 > 3:33:41be very proud tonight. With the Olympic Games

3:33:42 > 3:33:50as a catalyst, you have achieved in just seven years what generations

3:33:51 > 3:33:56before you could only dream of. You have transformed the wonderful

3:33:57 > 3:34:04city of Rio de Janeiro into a modern metropolis and made it

3:34:05 > 3:34:11even more beautiful. Our admiration for you is even

3:34:12 > 3:34:23greater because you managed this at a very difficult

3:34:24 > 3:34:25time in Brazilian history. Votre passion pour le sport et votre

3:34:26 > 3:34:47joie de vivre nous inspirent. Celebrons ensemble ces

3:34:48 > 3:34:51Jeux Olympiques dans ce The best ambassadors

3:34:52 > 3:35:01of this Olympic Spirit a la Brazil are the many

3:35:02 > 3:35:05thousands of volunteers. We are living in a world of crises,

3:35:06 > 3:35:27mistrust and uncertainty. The 10,000 best

3:35:28 > 3:35:36athletes in the world, competing with each other,

3:35:37 > 3:35:43at the same time living peacefully together in one Olympic Village,

3:35:44 > 3:35:46sharing their meals In this Olympic world, there is one

3:35:47 > 3:36:06universal law for everybody. In this Olympic world,

3:36:07 > 3:36:16we are all equal. In this Olympic world,

3:36:17 > 3:36:22we see that the values of our shared humanity are stronger

3:36:23 > 3:36:27than the forces which So I call upon you, the Olympic

3:36:28 > 3:36:45athletes: respect yourself,

3:36:46 > 3:36:49respect each other, respect the Olympic Values

3:36:50 > 3:36:53which make the Olympic Games unique We are living in a world

3:36:54 > 3:37:12where selfishness is gaining ground, where certain people claim to be

3:37:13 > 3:37:19superior to others. In the spirit of Olympic solidarity

3:37:20 > 3:37:30and with the greatest respect, Dear refugee athletes,

3:37:31 > 3:38:05you are sending a message of hope to all the many millions of refugees

3:38:06 > 3:38:10around the globe. You had to flee from your homes

3:38:11 > 3:38:16because of violence, hunger or just because

3:38:17 > 3:38:23you were different. Now with your great talent and human

3:38:24 > 3:38:27spirit, you are making a great In this Olympic world,

3:38:28 > 3:38:47we do not just tolerate diversity. In this Olympic world,

3:38:48 > 3:38:50we welcome you as an enrichment APPLAUSE

3:38:51 > 3:39:05. There are millions of people around

3:39:06 > 3:39:10the world who contribute in different ways to make our world

3:39:11 > 3:39:16a better place through sport. To honour such outstanding

3:39:17 > 3:39:20personalities who put sport at the service of humanity,

3:39:21 > 3:39:26the International Olympic Committee has created a unique

3:39:27 > 3:39:31distinction, which we award Ladies and gentlemen,

3:39:32 > 3:39:44In recognition of his outstanding achievements in the fields

3:39:45 > 3:39:51of education, culture, development and peace through sport,

3:39:52 > 3:39:57in the true Olympic Spirit, the Olympic Laurel is awarded

3:39:58 > 3:40:02to the great Olympic Champion and great Olympic philanthropist,

3:40:03 > 3:40:41Mr Kipchoge Keino. My name is Kip Keino, I am a

3:40:42 > 3:40:44medallist and Olympic record holder. When I was eight years old, I used

3:40:45 > 3:40:48to run all the way from my home to school. So I was doing a lot of

3:40:49 > 3:41:13training without knowing. My mother died when I was a year old

3:41:14 > 3:41:20and my dad was the only one who took care of me. After my career in

3:41:21 > 3:41:27running, what I did, I started a children's home with my wife. So we

3:41:28 > 3:41:34are taking care of orphaned kids, to be able to live in shelter and get

3:41:35 > 3:41:40education. Having the children home, we started a primary school. -- a

3:41:41 > 3:41:48children's home. A secondary school. And also, a training centre. And

3:41:49 > 3:41:58through sports, we can produce peaceful life in this world. Hello,

3:41:59 > 3:42:05good afternoon! Education is a weapon. It does not cause any

3:42:06 > 3:42:12destruction. Instead, it creates peace.

3:42:13 > 3:42:25We come into the world with nothing. We will leave the world with

3:42:26 > 3:42:49nothing. All we need is peace, love and unity.

3:42:50 > 3:43:02Ladies and gentlemen, Kip Keino! He is a two-time Olympic champion from

3:43:03 > 3:43:06Mexico and Munich, but he founded the Kip Keino school as you saw and

3:43:07 > 3:43:10a high-performance training centre. He and his wife have adopted 90

3:43:11 > 3:43:15children and he says there is always joy in achieving, but the greatest

3:43:16 > 3:43:19satisfaction lies in sharing the achievement. And here we see also

3:43:20 > 3:43:24the doves of peace kites that have been chosen to represent them. They

3:43:25 > 3:43:27were taken to Kenya and given to children who had never played with

3:43:28 > 3:43:32them before. They had peace messages written on them. The message is

3:43:33 > 3:43:34printed on thousands, and they fall on the audience now inside the

3:43:35 > 3:43:51Maracana. Kip Keino is the godfather of Kenyan

3:43:52 > 3:43:55long and middle distance running, the first recipient of the Olympic

3:43:56 > 3:44:16Laurel, which will be presented at every subsequent Games.

3:44:17 > 3:44:23After the speeches by Carlos Nuzman and Thomas Bach and the presentation

3:44:24 > 3:44:37of the Olympic Laurel, a few words from Jeep -- Kip Keino.

3:44:38 > 3:44:49Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, good evening. I'm

3:44:50 > 3:44:56extremely honoured to be the first recipient of such a historic and

3:44:57 > 3:45:10important award from my friend Thomas, the president of the

3:45:11 > 3:45:21International Olympic committee. I would like to thank my family, my

3:45:22 > 3:45:29friends and all who have supported me in all.

3:45:30 > 3:45:48My request to you, all sports men and women, is to join me in the

3:45:49 > 3:45:59continuation of support for all the youths of the world to get basic

3:46:00 > 3:46:13humanity - food, shelter and education.

3:46:14 > 3:46:27Education supports not only to empower our youths to be better

3:46:28 > 3:46:36citizens and leaders of the future, but it will also mull them -- mould

3:46:37 > 3:46:45them to make positive change in humanity. Humanity depends on our

3:46:46 > 3:46:57ability to motivate them to be better youths in this world we live

3:46:58 > 3:47:00in today. Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we came to this world with

3:47:01 > 3:47:23nothing. We will leave this world with nothing. God is great. It is

3:47:24 > 3:47:35all about educating each other, the youths, to educate future humanity.

3:47:36 > 3:47:45Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. May God bless you in this world. Thank

3:47:46 > 3:47:49you. Kip Keino, recipient of the very first Olympic Laurel for

3:47:50 > 3:48:10outstanding contribution to Olympism.

3:48:11 > 3:48:15And now, let us celebrate altogether, the Olympic Games of

3:48:16 > 3:48:30Brazil! The acting president of Brazil,

3:48:31 > 3:48:59Michel Temer. Just a few short words from the

3:49:00 > 3:49:04acting president of Brazil, Michel Temer, declaring the Games open. And

3:49:05 > 3:49:20once more, fireworks illuminate the Maracana.

3:49:21 > 3:49:31Ladies and gentlemen, the Olympic flag. So into the stadium comes the

3:49:32 > 3:49:44Olympic flag. The tradition of carrying it dates back to the

3:49:45 > 3:49:48Antwerp Games of 1920. The task goes to athletes and not elites who have

3:49:49 > 3:49:51devoted themselves to the cause of building a better world -- it goes

3:49:52 > 3:50:39to athletes and non-athletic alike. Olympic medallist, bronze and gold,

3:50:40 > 3:50:52beach volleyball,. -- Sandra Pier is.

3:50:53 > 3:51:09A huge cheer for the five-time Olympic medallist. The one before

3:51:10 > 3:51:22jerking crews, the 800 metre runner who won gold in Los Angeles in 1984

3:51:23 > 3:51:34-- Joaquim Cruz. He broke Sebastian Coe's heart that night.

3:51:35 > 3:51:41A huge cheer for the five-time winner of female Player of the Year

3:51:42 > 3:51:49and the women's World Cup all-time leading scorer. There is a mixture

3:51:50 > 3:51:56of athletes and non-athletes, and the first woman appointed to the

3:51:57 > 3:52:21Supreme Court in Brazil. Ellen Gracie.

3:52:22 > 3:52:31Hugely popular Oscar Schmidt. As you heard, he scored nearly 40,700

3:52:32 > 3:52:44points for clubs and country. Considered to be one of the all-time

3:52:45 > 3:52:48greats in the game of basketball. So the Olympic flag reaches the stage,

3:52:49 > 3:52:53and the Olympic anthem will be sung by 40 children from the More

3:52:54 > 3:53:19Project, which helps children in Rio de Janeiro.

3:53:20 > 3:53:57# Sing out each nation, voices strong

3:53:58 > 3:54:41# As tomorrow's new champions now come forth

3:54:42 > 3:54:45# Rising to the fervent spirit of the game

3:54:46 > 3:54:50# Let splendour pervade each noble deed

3:54:51 > 3:55:03# Surround the soul of every nation

3:55:04 > 3:55:07# Oh flame, eternal in your firmament so bright

3:55:08 > 3:55:12# Illuminate us with your everlasting light

3:55:13 > 3:55:20# That grace and beauty and magnificence

3:55:21 > 3:55:41# Bestow on us your honour, truth and love #

3:55:42 > 3:55:47We are not far away now from the lighting of the Olympic flame. That

3:55:48 > 3:55:55was the Olympic anthem and the raising of the Olympic flag. Now it

3:55:56 > 3:56:11is time for the others of the Olympics -- the temp -- the oaths.

3:56:12 > 3:56:14There is an athlete, an official and a coach who swear to play fair

3:56:15 > 3:56:27throughout these Games. Brazil's greatest Olympian, the most

3:56:28 > 3:56:38decorated, Robert Scheidt. TRANSLATION: In the name

3:56:39 > 3:56:40of all the competitors I promise in these Olympic Games,

3:56:41 > 3:56:43respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them,

3:56:44 > 3:56:46committing ourselves to a sport without doping and without drugs,

3:56:47 > 3:56:51in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport

3:56:52 > 3:57:00and the honour of our teams. A promise to take part in the

3:57:01 > 3:57:03Olympic Games respecting and abiding by the rules that govern them,

3:57:04 > 3:57:07committing them to a sport without doping and without drugs, in the

3:57:08 > 3:57:19true spirit of sportsmanship. For the glory of sport.

3:57:20 > 3:57:25TRANSLATION: In the name of all the judges and officials, I promise

3:57:26 > 3:57:28that we shall officiate in these Olympic Games with complete

3:57:29 > 3:57:31impartiality, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them

3:57:32 > 3:57:46In the name of all the judges and officials, promising they will

3:57:47 > 3:57:56officiate in these Games with complete impartiality, respecting

3:57:57 > 3:58:01and abiding by the rules. On behalf of all coaches, Adriano Santos. A

3:58:02 > 3:58:08two time Olympic medallist. TRANSLATION: In the name

3:58:09 > 3:58:10of all the coaches and other entourage, I promise that we shall

3:58:11 > 3:58:14commit ourselves to ensuring that the spirit of sportsmanship

3:58:15 > 3:58:16and fair play is fully adhered to and upheld in accordance

3:58:17 > 3:58:31with the fundamental And finally a promise from all the

3:58:32 > 3:58:34coaches to commit themselves to entering the spirit of sportsmanship

3:58:35 > 3:58:41and their play is fully adhered to and upheld in accordance with the

3:58:42 > 3:58:46fundamental principles of Olympism. Nearing the end of this opening

3:58:47 > 3:58:52ceremony, the iconic Brazilian samba drama, Wilson das Neves. -- samba

3:58:53 > 3:59:50drummer. Another example of gambiarra, the

3:59:51 > 3:59:53creative improvisation celebrated throughout the evening. His young

3:59:54 > 3:59:54friend, learning the samba steps as traditions are passed down through

3:59:55 > 4:00:06the generations. # Olha o jeito nas

4:00:07 > 4:00:20cadeiras que ela sabe dar Gilberto Gil alongside Gaetan

4:00:21 > 4:00:28Laborde Llosa and also Anitta, singing silver sandals.

4:00:29 > 4:00:51# Olha o jeito nas cadeiras que ela sabe dar

4:00:52 > 4:00:59Andy Watts a little taste of carnival? We are finally going to

4:01:00 > 4:01:03get it. -- and you want? Always takes place 40 days before Easter in

4:01:04 > 4:01:05February and officially lasts four days but party season goes on a lot

4:01:06 > 4:01:19longer. And into the stadium company is well

4:01:20 > 4:01:25-- 12 schools of drums, the 12 sections of drums of the main Samba

4:01:26 > 4:01:32Schools of Rio de Janeiro. They battle it out every year at the

4:01:33 > 4:01:35Sambadrome, a 700 metre long catwalk come corridor, divided the top and

4:01:36 > 4:01:54lower divisions, battling it out for the various titles.

4:01:55 > 4:04:47# Olha o jeito nas cadeiras que ela sabe dar

4:04:48 > 4:05:00# Olha so o remelexo que ela sabe dar

4:05:01 > 4:07:14The theme for the evening has been green but every colour imaginable

4:07:15 > 4:07:20and then some more is here inside the Maracana, and the whole stadium

4:07:21 > 4:07:24is vibrating, shaking, feeling coming up from the ground. It's an

4:07:25 > 4:07:26exuberant celebration, Carnival season happens all over Brazil and

4:07:27 > 4:07:34although they me that tell the city of Salvador throws a great Carnival,

4:07:35 > 4:07:37nothing compares to Rio. And so we arrive at the lighting of the

4:07:38 > 4:07:42Olympic flame and the journey which began on the 21st of April at the

4:07:43 > 4:07:45Temple of Hera on Olympus in Greece, the lighting of the taught by the

4:07:46 > 4:07:51rays of the Sun, over 95 days, it is carried in passed on by 12,000

4:07:52 > 4:08:11people and eventually, it reaches the stadium.

4:08:12 > 4:08:19Much debate about who was going to carry yet but you might recognise

4:08:20 > 4:08:21the figure of the three times French Open champion and former world

4:08:22 > 4:08:28number one in tennis, Gustavo Kuerten. The champion in 97, 2000,

4:08:29 > 4:08:372001 and the former world number one in tennis. The cries of" Guga, Guga"

4:08:38 > 4:08:42around the Maracana. The Olympic Flame is

4:08:43 > 4:08:45being carried by... Trois fois champion de Roland Garros

4:08:46 > 4:08:50et ex-numero un mondial... Three-time Roland Garros

4:08:51 > 4:09:20champion and former number " Guga!" They cry and Gustavo

4:09:21 > 4:09:28Kuerten is soaking up every moment of this.

4:09:29 > 4:09:47But he stops as he passes it on. To Hortense the Macquarie. Known in

4:09:48 > 4:09:51Brazil as the Queen, regarded as one of Brazil's true greats, a

4:09:52 > 4:09:56basketball Hall of Fame inductee, playing for the national team at 15

4:09:57 > 4:09:59and two T into the world title in 1994, and Atlanta, Olympic silver 20

4:10:00 > 4:10:28years ago, revered, here. And she now hand it on to the

4:10:29 > 4:10:32marathon bronze winner in Athens. He was leading and was rugby tackled to

4:10:33 > 4:10:36the ground by an attention seeking spectator and never recovered and

4:10:37 > 4:10:40was overtaken to come third. He accepted it with such dignity and

4:10:41 > 4:10:43grace. He was awarded the Pierre de Coubertin and medal for his

4:10:44 > 4:11:08sportsmanship. Vanderlei de Lima. The journey is at an end and

4:11:09 > 4:11:09Vanderlei de Lima light the Olympic flame, which burns inside the

4:11:10 > 4:11:29Maracana. And here in Rio, we break with the

4:11:30 > 4:11:34tradition of enormous cauldrons producing a huge amount of fire.

4:11:35 > 4:11:38This cauldron is intentionally small, low emission, as you might

4:11:39 > 4:11:42expect with the theme throughout tonight, the environment. Yes, as

4:11:43 > 4:11:46the organisers put it, they said we know today it is no longer possible

4:11:47 > 4:11:49to burn tonnes of gas and consider it beautiful. This is a smaller,

4:11:50 > 4:11:54more delicate Flame and it burns with a quiet intensity. But to

4:11:55 > 4:11:59surround a magnified, there is a huge sculpture, representing the sun

4:12:00 > 4:12:01which is set in motion and the spirals which represent life, a

4:12:02 > 4:12:52stunning flame inside the stadium. A precious intimacy about this

4:12:53 > 4:12:56flame, a gesture of scaling down and the escalating at a time when the

4:12:57 > 4:15:04Games have become increasingly gargantuan. It's beautiful.

4:15:05 > 4:15:11At around 2am here, another cauldron will be lit in the centre of Rio so

4:15:12 > 4:15:16that everyone in the city can visit and see it. And this cauldron will

4:15:17 > 4:15:22be wind powered for the duration of the Games. So the Olympics are under

4:15:23 > 4:15:48way again. Good luck, Rio, and good luck to the youth of the world.

4:15:49 > 4:16:03Lit up in the colours of the Brazilian flag, the Christ the

4:16:04 > 4:16:12Redeemer looks over the Maracana. A fitting welcome to the Games of Rio

4:16:13 > 4:16:17de Janeiro. Many thanks to Andrew Cotter and to

4:16:18 > 4:16:20Hazel Irvine for their coverage of the opening ceremony. What a

4:16:21 > 4:16:24wonderful flame that is, a beautiful idea and a brilliant sculpture in

4:16:25 > 4:16:29the message of the opening ceremony, which was really strong. There will

4:16:30 > 4:16:32be children and adults around the world who will think, that is the

4:16:33 > 4:16:36day when I realised that we have to look after our planet. It was

4:16:37 > 4:16:41beautifully done. And that is just stunning. Steve Redgrave and Michael

4:16:42 > 4:16:46Johnson are with me, but also Julia Carneiro, a BBC broadcaster based

4:16:47 > 4:16:50here in Brazil. Julia, the reaction from friends and family on social

4:16:51 > 4:16:55media in Brazil. What did people make of that opening ceremony?

4:16:56 > 4:17:01People were raving about it, really. I think it was a very welcome

4:17:02 > 4:17:05surprise to see such an elaborate ceremony that did not just reflect

4:17:06 > 4:17:10the cliches of Brazil, but showed the diversity of the country. There

4:17:11 > 4:17:14was of course Carnival and samba at the very end and the Girl From

4:17:15 > 4:17:21Ipanema and Gisele Bundchen, the top new model, one of the highlights.

4:17:22 > 4:17:28But you had a lot more than that. From aspects of the past of Brazil

4:17:29 > 4:17:34and some of its history to some of the cultural expressions coming from

4:17:35 > 4:17:38poorer parts of Brazil from the for Zola 's -- the favelas and

4:17:39 > 4:17:46shantytowns to the inventiveness of Brazilians, that went down really

4:17:47 > 4:17:52well here. Even sceptics have been saying they were quite moved.

4:17:53 > 4:17:57Especially the national anthem, performed in such a simple manner by

4:17:58 > 4:18:03a well respected composer here in Brazil. That was quite symbolic of

4:18:04 > 4:18:09how full for the ceremony was. We can look at some of the highlights

4:18:10 > 4:18:13and get you to talk us through your reaction and the response of people

4:18:14 > 4:18:21you know. There was a joy to it, but a very serious message as well. And

4:18:22 > 4:18:25recycling of elements, of making things out of something simple, of

4:18:26 > 4:18:33creating more than one use was one of the messages. Yes, that was very

4:18:34 > 4:18:40important. And the lack of resources in Brazil. It was known that there

4:18:41 > 4:18:45was a tighter budget here for the Olympics, and the resources that

4:18:46 > 4:18:51were used also sent a message of sustainability. But there was this

4:18:52 > 4:18:55message on to the world of trying to talk about the issue of

4:18:56 > 4:18:59sustainability and care for the environment which is very important.

4:19:00 > 4:19:09The green Games was the message, but also the motto. Live Your Passion is

4:19:10 > 4:19:15the motto of these Games, there were moments of huge joy and passion,

4:19:16 > 4:19:19some fabulous fireworks and those green Olympic rings, created by the

4:19:20 > 4:19:24trees that came out of the mirrored boxes. Every athlete was given a

4:19:25 > 4:19:30seed. They planted it, and Michael, that was an original touch. It

4:19:31 > 4:19:34really was. As I have said before, I have been fortunate to spend lots of

4:19:35 > 4:19:40time in this country and I thought the opening ceremony truly reflected

4:19:41 > 4:19:48the very culture of Brazil and certainly of Rio. It was very

4:19:49 > 4:19:51simple, but also focused much more on the environment and

4:19:52 > 4:19:55sustainability, but also passion. Any time I walked up and down the

4:19:56 > 4:19:59street here, you see people playing sport and enjoying life. They really

4:20:00 > 4:20:04have a passion for living and enjoying life. Coming from America,

4:20:05 > 4:20:07where we are the exact opposite, it is work, work, work, you can

4:20:08 > 4:20:13certainly appreciate the resilient lifestyle. It was beautifully

4:20:14 > 4:20:19reflected in that opening ceremony. -- the Brazilian lifestyle. I

4:20:20 > 4:20:23thought it was great that they admitted, we are not going to spend

4:20:24 > 4:20:28as much money as Beijing or London, we will make this our own. I thought

4:20:29 > 4:20:32they did it in a very nice way. And it proved that you don't need to

4:20:33 > 4:20:37spend so much money on an opening ceremony to make it spectacular. It

4:20:38 > 4:20:40still had the effect. There was a cheer here in the studio from Sir

4:20:41 > 4:20:46Steve Redgrave when Andy Murray walked in carrying the flag

4:20:47 > 4:20:51one-handed. Very much so, carrying on the tradition. It was really good

4:20:52 > 4:20:57to see. We start by looking at the host team, Brazil, who obviously got

4:20:58 > 4:21:03a huge roar from the stadium, a real appreciation for the first Olympics

4:21:04 > 4:21:08to be hosted here in South America. Some wonderful flag-waving. There is

4:21:09 > 4:21:13Andy Murray. He did it left-handed. You did that one of the year is that

4:21:14 > 4:21:18you carried the flag. Very impressive. I am pleased with him.

4:21:19 > 4:21:24This was the reaction in Belo Horizonte, by the way, Katarina

4:21:25 > 4:21:27Johnson-Thompson in the middle. Adam Gemili is there, Richard Kielty

4:21:28 > 4:21:34giving a bit of above as well. Huge response to seeing their team-mates.

4:21:35 > 4:21:38Many athletes have not arrived because there are events don't start

4:21:39 > 4:21:42for a week or so. Good to see that passion from the guys that are not

4:21:43 > 4:21:48there. They can't wait to get here and be part of it. The refugee team

4:21:49 > 4:21:53also got a massive response. They came out just before Brazil. This is

4:21:54 > 4:21:58the first time there has been a Refugee Olympic Team, those who have

4:21:59 > 4:22:01been displaced from countries like Syria and South Sudan. And what a

4:22:02 > 4:22:06grin from Rafa Nadal, determined to make it to these Olympics, having

4:22:07 > 4:22:11missed London with injury, to take up the honour of carrying the flag

4:22:12 > 4:22:15of Spain. We particularly loved the Tongan flag bearer, who had oiled up

4:22:16 > 4:22:20for the occasion to make sure he was glistening in the light bulbs! And a

4:22:21 > 4:22:25special honourable mention for the flag-bearers of both Kiribati and

4:22:26 > 4:22:31Estonia, who did a wonderful job of really waving their flags. This was

4:22:32 > 4:22:38a real dance from Kiribati. I would like to have seen Andy Murray do

4:22:39 > 4:22:42that one-handed! And Estonia were good as well. I was concerned that

4:22:43 > 4:22:47this flag was going to do some damage. Alongside each flag bearer,

4:22:48 > 4:22:51you have a child with a seedling and every athlete had an actual seed

4:22:52 > 4:22:55that they then implanted into these mirrored boxes. I think some of the

4:22:56 > 4:23:01children were a little tired. That was early on! It was a fabulous

4:23:02 > 4:23:04moment. There was a lot of discussion as to who would like the

4:23:05 > 4:23:08flag. Earlier today, we heard that Pele would not make it to the

4:23:09 > 4:23:13opening ceremony. Julia, in the end, a touching moment in the choice of

4:23:14 > 4:23:20cauldron lighter. Yes, he is a marathon runner. He is well known

4:23:21 > 4:23:28for a feat that was a bit of a disaster for him in Athens. He was

4:23:29 > 4:23:32leading the marathon run and he was interrupted in the middle of that

4:23:33 > 4:23:37effort by someone. Even so, he managed to keep running and he

4:23:38 > 4:23:41managed to get bronze, so it was a huge recognition of his effort back

4:23:42 > 4:23:44then. He is very respected here in Brazil. He comes from a poor

4:23:45 > 4:23:51background, a family of seven children. So it was a choice that

4:23:52 > 4:24:00was appreciated here by everyone. He was virtually rugby tackled in a

4:24:01 > 4:24:08protest thing by an Irish priest. As you say, he was given the period

4:24:09 > 4:24:13Coubertin award for sportsmanlike behaviour. What did you make of

4:24:14 > 4:24:16Thomas Bach's comments? He was saying how much he appreciated what

4:24:17 > 4:24:21Brazil had achieved in the face of such difficulty. It was interesting,

4:24:22 > 4:24:26because it was a subtle way of bringing in, albeit quite lightly,

4:24:27 > 4:24:30all the trouble is that Brazil has gone through over the past months

4:24:31 > 4:24:36and I guess all the negative news we have seen in the build-up to the

4:24:37 > 4:24:41Games. He was also referring to the political difficulties of the

4:24:42 > 4:24:44country and the economic recession. We have seen a lot of criticism of

4:24:45 > 4:24:51that, with the Games being held here. How is Brazil investing in Rio

4:24:52 > 4:24:55hosting the Olympics when the country is facing such a difficult

4:24:56 > 4:25:01recession? We saw that reflected in the stadium as well, with the

4:25:02 > 4:25:07presence of the interim president. Yes, he got booed a little bit. He

4:25:08 > 4:25:13did. He was shown very briefly. There was a very swift movement to

4:25:14 > 4:25:18our wide shot of the stadium, with fireworks to try not to enhance the

4:25:19 > 4:25:22booing, but was expected that that would be a delicate moment. This is

4:25:23 > 4:25:25because of the impeachment proceedings being faced by President

4:25:26 > 4:25:33Dilma Rousseff, now suspended and replaced interim president Michel

4:25:34 > 4:25:37Temer and reflecting this big political crisis. Luckily, Brazil

4:25:38 > 4:25:40can now move on to concentrate on the sport, which starts tomorrow. Or

4:25:41 > 4:26:17later today in terms of UK time. It has been a magnificent start, a

4:26:18 > 4:26:20wonderful opening ceremony, done in difficult circumstances and very

4:26:21 > 4:26:25much done with a lower budget and other nations. But still, with the

4:26:26 > 4:26:30glory, with light, with the joy and with a serious message of

4:26:31 > 4:26:33regeneration and sustainability and saving the planet, the understanding

4:26:34 > 4:26:37that the Olympics is part of the structure of the world and we need

4:26:38 > 4:26:42to get it all right. Many texts Michael Johnson, Sir Steve Redgrave,

4:26:43 > 4:26:46to Julia Carneiro for joining us and again to Andrew Cotter and Hazel

4:26:47 > 4:26:49Irvine for the sterling job they did on commentary. Thank you all if you

4:26:50 > 4:26:53have stayed up all night to watch this. If you have only just woken up

4:26:54 > 4:26:57and were wondering what that was about, it was about the opening

4:26:58 > 4:27:00ceremony and a very good fireworks display. We will see you tomorrow

4:27:01 > 4:27:11with the live sport. Thanks for watching. Bye-bye.