The 2010 Winter Olympics begin with splendor and tragedy
Posted by The Skyliner on February 17th, 2010Hannah Reynolds
Staff Writer
The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games got off to a tragic start with a fatal luge accident in a final practice run before the opening ceremony, which was Friday, Feb. 12. Although 21-year-old Georgian Nodar Kumaritashvili lost his life on the luge track, luge events continued on schedule. The competitors were fully aware of the dangers of the track, but they were determined to continue in honor of their comrade.
Despite this tragedy, the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, put on a spectacular opening ceremony. For the first time in Winter Olympics history, the ceremony was held indoors. Vancouver’s BC Place held roughly 60,000 spectators. Director David Atkinson put together an elaborate show, which included Canadian celebrities Nelly Furtado, Bryan Adams, Donald Sutherland and Sarah McLachlan. Extensive visual effects were also a big part of the ceremony, with 70 projectors devoted to video and 38 to stills.
The ceremony opened with members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police carrying the Canadian flag during the country’s national anthem “O, Canada.” Representatives of the indigenous aboriginal peoples of Canada announced a welcome to the spectators and competitors. The Parade of Nations followed with Greece in the lead. The parade then continued in alphabetical order from Albania through the United States and their 216 athletes to Uzbekistan. As the host country, Canada’s 206 athletes rounded out the parade. This year Canada is particularly anxious to win gold for ice hockey on their home turf.
Director David Atkinson then took spectators and athletes alike on a journey through the five geographical regions of Canada: the Great North, French Quebec, the Prairies, the Canadian Rockies and cosmopolitan Vancouver. The $30-40 million dollar budget, while significantly less than those of previous Olympic opening ceremonies, allowed the stadium to become each of these five regions in turn, relying heavily on lighting and visual effects.
International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge led the stadium in a moment of silence for Kumaritashvili, followed by Canadian Governor General Michaelle Jean’s declaration of the opening of the games. Measha Brueggergosman sang the Olympic hymn as well-known Canadians bore the Olympic flag to be raised by members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The ceremony closed with the lighting of the cauldron. A tradition of the games, the 2010 torch relay was the longest in Olympic history. Spanning 28,000 miles in 106 days, the relay was composed of 12,000 torchbearers and culminated with just five, including Paralympics champion Rick Hansen and hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky lit the outdoor cauldron, officially bringing an end to the opening ceremony.
The 2010 Olympic Winter Games include 86 events spanning 17 days, beginning Feb. 12 and concluding Feb. 28. This week’s events include alpine skiing, the biathlon, cross-country, luge and figure skating. For a full schedule of events, visit NBCOlympics.com.
Tags: Spring 2010, Vol. 110 - Issue 4