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2016 Rio Olympics Deliver Unique Opening Ceremonies On A Very Tight Budget

By Plutarc Sicat
Published on: 21:49 PST, Aug 5, 2016

The 2016 Rio Olympics opened Friday night with a unique as well as the most environmentally-conscious message. On a budget that is 20 percent less than the 2008 Beijing Olympics according to The Canadian Press, the Rio message not only resonated, but put more meaning to the triumph of human ingenuity against all odds.

It was a throwback to the original Olympics in Athens, Greece, where sports competition was supposed to be frugal instead of fraught with moneyed sponsors. As such, the 31st Olympiad would give back the Olympic slogan of “higher, faster, stronger” its original meaning and authenticity.

The 2016 Rio Olympics has shaped up to be the most unpretentious celebration of sports ever. An Inquisitr story looks into the pitfalls of these present Olympics, stating that danger lurks in every corner, dangers which Brazil took in stride with no attempt to sweep under the rug.

Rio doesn’t even have a complete track for the athletes, and yet these very human Olympics would capitalize on what Brazilians call “gambiarra,” the Brazilian art of quick-fixes and making do, The Canadian Press points out. Against this backdrop, the athletes from all over the world can look forward to an Olympics that will truly test their comfort level, endurance, and tenacity.

With this prospect, they are headed for a very real spirit of the games. The first message that the 2016 Rio Olympics would emphasize is how the sea levels are rising all over the world due to global warming. But the message would not be all about gloom and doom, the source would underscore.

Rio will be Rio, the very mention of the three-letter word instantaneously conveys colorful images of the carnival, gyrating hips, flashy feathers, and beads. It doesn’t mean that just because the whole nation is on an austerity program that Brazilians ought to stop living and partying. On the contrary, this kind of celebration of life from time to time is what keeps them going.

And so, yes, there were fireworks. The classic “Girl from Ipanema” song came to life with Gisele Bündchen taking the catwalk, even though she retired from the modeling business in April last year, according to E! News.

“Shoals of samba dancers flowed in a rainbow of colors, but many showed less flesh than normal for Brazil, seemingly mindful of their global TV audience,” goes the source. The Canadian Press also underscored the special message of IOC President Thomas Bach to the 2016 Rio Olympics, as follows.

“Our admiration is even greater because you managed this at a very difficult time in Brazilian history. We have always believed in you.”

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was also on hand to remind everyone that the 2016 Rio Olympics is a celebration of all humanity. Ki-moon also said that warring parties should lay down their arms, recognizing the delicate political situation where Brazil has two presidents at the moment due to ongoing impeachment proceedings.

In the coming days, athletic competitions for the 2016 Rio Olympics will be heavily centralized in the Maracana Stadium, a 78,000-seat arena which is a far cry from Beijing’s colossal Bird Nest Coliseum with a capacity of 91,000. Maracana Stadium will be continuously refashioned for the many different Olympic events through the ingenious changing of panels — thereby beating Beijing with resourcefulness.

As MSN delves on the plight of rotting, unused stadiums and other Olympic structures around the world, Brazilian ingenuity with the Maracana Stadium stands as a beacon of recycling. Humble-looking the Brazilian stadium may be — it’s all a matter of figuring out how to use it in order to bring out the best from Olympic athletes. In fact, when it lit up during the opening ceremonies last night with the fireworks and the play of lights, the stadium looked every inch as sophisticated as its pricier counterparts.

Signed, sealed, delivered, the 2016 Rio Olympics begin.

[Photo by Morry Gash/AP Images]

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