![]() The build-up to these Games has been long, and it's not one that all are welcoming with open arms. Just the media and some 900 dignitaries watched on in the 68,000-seater venue, including US First Lady Dr Jill Biden and French president Emmanuel Macron. ![]() Smatterings of applause sounded from the few inside. The ceremony itself was modest, a reminder of all the world has gone through yet offered hope for what is to come.īut the lack of a crowd was stark as socially distanced and masked athletes - though some went without - waved to empty stands, no roar accompanying their march into the stadium.Ī 22-strong Team GB delegation was among them, led by flag bearers Moe Sbihi and Hannah Mills of rowing and sailing respectively. The opening ceremony had faced many a scandal before it even started on Friday, its director fired on the eve of the Games for historic jokes about the Holocaust, days after its composer resigned after it emerged he had bullied classmates with disabilities at school. Times and channels for BBC's live coverageĮmpty seats, protestors, drones.But it is still the Olympics still the greatest show on Earth, still faster, higher, stronger and now together. This Games is going to be different, dampened by masks, positive tests and the absence of fans. But let us cherish this moment because finally we are all here together." "Yes, it is very different from what all of us had imagined. "Today is a moment of hope," said Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). No carnival like Rio, no skydiving monarchs like London, but a more sombre tone, a sobering reminder that this is a Games taking place in a world still facing its toughest challenge. Perhaps as expected, Friday's opening ceremony was not of the usual ilk.
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