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The Torino
2006 Olympic Winter Games officially started last night.
They were sanctioned by the President of the Italian
Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, with his words addressed
to athletes, technicians and spectators: “I declare the
celebration of the Torino 2006 XX Olympic Winter Games
officially open."
This was
emphasised by Jacques Rogge, IOC President, and
Valentino Castellani, TOROC President; Rocca made it
official with his oath but, above all, it was determined
by the most eagerly awaited and exciting gesture of the
entire Opening Ceremony: the lighting of the Olympic
Cauldron by Stefania Belmondo. The Olympic champion from
Pragelato was preceded, in the Olympic Stadium, by a
series of champions who have made the history of Italian
winter sports: Alberto Tomba, Piero Gros, Deborah
Compagnoni the Lillehammer cross-country skiers Fauner,
Albarello, Vanzetta and De Zolt. Stefi collected the
Torch from Deborah with the smile of her most beautiful
victories, as she had been hoping to do in the days
prior to the Olympic Winter Games.
The show of the
Ceremony went smoothly, music after music, choreography
after choreography. The evening thrived on the enthusiasm of
the volunteers, the skills of the dancers and the skaters,
including the Sparks of Passion– real icons of the event,
the lightness of Roberto Bolle, the energy of Luciano
Pavarotti’s voice, Peter Gabriel’s music, the roar of the
show-stopping Ferrari, which completed five tight turns, Yuri Chechi’s strength, the warmth of the words
pronounced by Giorgio Albertazzi. A fascinating and
universal mixture for a new, strong and intense show. Today will
now mark the start of it all. Today will now bring the
real chance to win.
THE
OLYMPIC TORCH TAKES ITS FINAL STEPS
One hundred
and three torchbearers took part in the last leg of the
fascinating Olympic Torch relay yesterday, a journey
which had started in Rome on December 8th. Just a few
hours before the Torino 2006 Opening Ceremony, the
Olympic Flame was spending its second day of glory in
the city, with is home to Fiat. After Thursday’s crowds,
the Olympic Winter Games’ symbol left yesterday morning
from the basilica of Superga, emblematic place,
connected to the tragedy of Great Toro, but also to the
sports ideals embedded in the group of athletes
captained by Valentino Mazzola.
Urbano Cairo, President of Torino, was the first
torchbearer of a leg that touched on great parts of the
city. From the large market of Porta Palazzo to the very
central Piazza San Carlo, from the Mole Antonelliana to
the Palazzo Reale to end the relay in the evening at the
Stadio Olimpico. ''I am very emotional'', said Cairo,
wearing the torchbearers’ white and orange tracksuit.
''The presence of all these people, who went up Superga
despite the time and the cold, fascinates me and pushes
me to try and always do better'."
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The evening thrived on the enthusiasm of the
volunteers, the skills of the dancers and the
skaters, including the Sparks of Passion– real icons
of the event, the lightness of Roberto Bolle, the
energy of Luciano Pavarotti’s voice, Peter Gabriel’s
music, the roar of the Ferrari, Yuri Chechi’s
strength, the warmth of the words pronounced by
Giorgio Albertazzi. |
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More than two billion eyes across the world were
focused on Turin last night, and as the opening
ceremony extravaganza got underway in the home city
of Fiat, fittingly the roar of a F1 Ferrari was
heard in the packed stadium, the car completing five
tight turns as it stole the show. |
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The Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games officially
started last night. They were sanctioned by the
President of the Italian Republic Carlo Azeglio
Ciampi, with his words addressed to athletes,
technicians and spectators: “I declare the
celebration of the Torino 2006 XX Olympic Winter
Games officially open." |
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The Flame was welcomed everywhere with the enthusiasm of
thousands of people, who greeted the torchbearers, some more
and some less famous. Among others, Franco Ossola, son of
one of the players of Torino who died in the Superga air
disaster, the Pininfarina family, present in full, the
middle-distance champion Hicham El Guerrouj, skier
Manuela Di Centa, the prince of Monaco Alberto II. And
also: Luciana Littizzetto, Piero Chiambretti, Marco
Berry, Stefania Rocca, Bruno Gambarotta, Arturo
Brachetti. Examples of a successful “torinesità” (being
from Torino): the best signature for a day that will
always be remembered.
FOUR GOLD MEDALS UP FOR GRABS ON DAY ONE
Action at the 20th Winter Olympics finally speeds away
today with four gold medals up for grabs on day one of
competition. The first will be decided on the biathlon
track of the Cesana mountain above Turin with Norway's
Ole Einar Bjorndalen the overwhelming favourite for top
honours. Four years after winning all four gold medals
at the Salt Lake City Games, the 32-year-old will begin
his quadruple defence in the 20km individual race. In
the women's freestyle skiing moguls, gold medal
favourite Jennifer Heil has been feeling the weight of
expectation. But the Canadian World Cup leader is
confident she can beat 2002 Olympic champion Kari Traa
of Norway and American Shannon Bahrke, silver medallist
at Salt Lake City, when the event gets under way at
Sauze d'Oulx.
The finals
takes place under floodlights, which will not be the
only artificial additions as the snow on the course is
fake. Just a sprinkling covers Sauze d'Oulx and 20 snow
cannons were used to cover the moguls and aerials
courses with artificial powder. Organisers are hoping
the lack of snow continues as the real white stuff does
not mix well with the snow substitute.
Fans of
Nordic combined could be in for a treat when Finland's
Hannu Manninen takes his first jump off the hill at the
high-altitude Pragelato. The most successful Nordic
combined athlete in World Cup history, Manninen will
attempt to break a 12-year jinx stretching back three
Olympics, and win his first individual Olympic medal.
Entrants must jump twice on the smaller of the two hills
and then ski 15 km around the nearby cross-country
course. Since making his Olympic debut as a 15-year-old
in Lillehammer in 1994, his only successes in the Games
have come in the team events, where the Finns are always
strong. U.S. speedskater Chad Hedrick hopes to round off
the gold medals of Day One when he takes on the mighty
Dutch -- Sven Kramer and Carl Verheijen -- in the 5,000
metres looking for his first Olympic top finish.
Hedrick's remarkable career as a top-level inline skater (rollerblader)
has now extended to the ice oval and the Texan hopes the
5,000 gold medal will be the first of five for him at these
Games, equalling Eric Heiden's unique 1980 Games medals
sweep.
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