Britain’s flag bearer Andy Murray leads the delegation during the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games © AFP / Leon Neal
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug 6 – Who’s saying what at the Olympic Games opening ceremony on Friday:
THE OFFICIALS
“Our admiration for you is even greater because you managed this at a very difficult time in Brazilian history. We have always believed in you.”
– International Olympic chief Thomas Bach
“Here we stand to deliver history. History to be made by the athletes, the volunteers, the public, the youth. The Olympic dream is now a wonderful reality. The best place in the world is here and now. Rio, Brazil welcomes the world with open arms.”
– Organising committee president Carlos Nuzman
THE ATHLETES
“I just hope I don’t fall. That would be a real nightmare.”
– Denmark flagbearer Caroline Wozniacki
Cook Islands’ Ella Nicholas leads her national delegation during the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games © POOL/AFP / Richard Heathcote
“My samba dancing is terrible, horrible — and I won’t be doing it.”
– Andy Murray, carrying the flag for Britain
“I got my hair dyed green and yellow for the team. My friend in Miami did it and it took about three hours.”
– Jamaican sprint star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
“I will be proud and not nervous. It is time now to think about the sport.”
– Rose Nathike Lokonyen, carrying the flag for the refugee team
“It was my mum (Sue) who rung me and told me. She’s been sick for a while but the doctors gave her permission to come to Brazil and she is somewhere in Rio with my sister watching on a big screen. That makes it extra special.”
– Ella Nicholas of the Cook Islands who discovered she was on flag duty from her mother
“I don’t think anyone’s dropped the flag and I don’t want to be the first.”
– Ireland’s Patrick Barnes
Russia’s Sergei Tetyukhin leads the Russian delegation during the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games © AFP / Adrian Dennis
“In the past two months for sure it affected the athletes. It was a difficult situation. We were ready for the worst, the whole Russian team could have been banned, but there were reasonable people that too the right decisions. It is clear that there is a doping problem, but the clean athletes they should not suffer from that.”
– Russian volleyball player Sergei Tetyukhin
“We’ve got some pretty cool cloaks from back home. It’s pretty special to be wearing that with all the past flagbearers that have worn it before. It just brings the mana (respect) of everyone that’s gone in this team before.”
– New Zealand’s Peter Burling
“I’m very nervous because I get sweaty palms. I have a tendency to be a bit clumsy but I’ll make sure I won’t let this one go.”
– Australian flagbearer, cyclist Anna Meares
“It is a very special moment, especially for the older generation in Kosovo. They have survived wars, they went through such hard times and what is happening today has been a dream for a long time for all people in Kosovo.”
– Majilinda Kelmendi, flag bearer for Kosovo who are in their first Games
THE VIEW FROM OUTSIDE RIO
“Tonight, the first-ever will also stand before the world and prove that you can succeed no matter where you’re from.”
– US president Barack Obama
“Nailed it !”
– Chris Hoy, who carried the British flag in 2012, congratulating Murray’s flawless, one-handed flag-carrying technique.
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