Torino 2006 Olympics The Opening Ceremonies

Performers made moveable sculptures with their bodies including a beating red heart and a ski jumper in action. Perhaps the most moving was the image of a dove of peace formed by 28 acrobats moving on wires against a black wall.

Is that “Funky Town” I hear?  You almost expected the athletes to break into a pantomime version of “YMCA” as participants in the Torino 2006 Olympics paraded into the stadium to the heavy beat of American pop music from the 70’s and 80’s. Only the Italian athletes avoided disco music and paraded into the stadium with Italian music blaring from the speakers. As tradition dictates, the Italian athletes as hosts were the last group to enter the stadium and as the passion of the moment requires received the largest ovation.

The athletes followed women carrying signs announcing the names of their countries. The women wore dresses with a 3-D representation of the Italian Alps at the bottom. Participants in the Torino 2006 Olympics completed their circle of the stadium and ended up in a mosh pit designed to represent a typical Italian Piazza.

The parade of athletes was once again an International fashion show with all types of headgear represented. From the natty felt spy hats worn by the British team to the fur hats worn by the Mongolians every type of hat was seen including berets of every style.

The Olympic Torch was carried into the stadium by “La Bomba”, Alberto Tomba an Italian skiing legend both on and off the slopes. Tomba handed off the torch to the Italian cross country team from 1994 who passed it on to Piero Gros winner of a gold medal for Italy in the slalom in 1976. Gros, in turn, passed the torch to Italian skier Deborah Compagnoni. The suspense of who would light the cauldron ended when Stafania Belmondo took the final pass of the torch. The four-time Olympian and winner of 10 medals in cross-country skiing for Italy lit an arch of fireworks that circled the stadium before igniting the 186-foot cauldron.

Shortly after the lighting of the cauldron the Torino 2006 Olympic opening ceremonies ended. Soon the competitions will begin and the world can celebrate the achievements of individuals and teams from around the world.