TEAM: The audience’s excitement was palpable as the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Opening Ceremony showcased the country to the world.
TEAM: The audience’s excitement was palpable as the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Opening Ceremony showcased the country to the world.
Russia had called the Ceremony the most complex and ambitious technical show ever attempted in Olympic history, and the electric atmosphere started from the minute the audience entered the stadium.
Proceedings began at 8:14pm (Sochi time), and with the audience wearing medallions flashing red, blue or white, the world’s eyes were on Russia.
Three thousand young artists and more than 2,600 volunteers took part in the showcase of what organisers called “Dreams of Russia”, highlighting the various regions and emphasising the land size of the host country, with a sun representing the nine different time zones that make up the country.
Guided through the ceremony by a child named “Lublov”, meaning love, the audience was taken on a journey through the country’s transformation through history, from the Napoleonic wars and the industrial revolution to Russia now.
With the support of Australians back home, Flagbearer Alex “Chumpy” Pullin led his teammates onto the stage at the Opening Ceremony for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.
Walking in front of 41 of his countrymen (out of a total Team of 60), the snowboarder said the excitement in the Team was contagious.
“That was awesome. It was just so good I can’t explain,” the 26-year-old said.
“To lead this team is incredible and I share tonight with my team and everybody back home. We are a long way from Australia but the support has been incredible.
“Just before I walked out I looked around and saw the look on the faces of some first timers and I just felt their excitement.”
For the Parade of Nations, athletes entered from underneath the stadium, showing a projection of the planet at night with each of the 88 countries lit up as they entered.
The roaring crowd was almost too much for debut Olympian Belle Brockhoff.
“It was absolutely incredible. Just before we marched out my heart was really pumping and racing. And when I got out there I thought I was going to have a heart attack,” the 21-year-old said.
After the traditional opening of the Games by President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, the crowd were silent as the sounds of Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” filled the pitch black stadium. It may have premiered in 1877, but the distinct music captured the audience’s attention as dancers representing doves, as a symbol of peace and hope, performed on the stage.
Beginning the iconic Olympic flame’s Opening Ceremony journey to the cauldron was winner of all four Grand Slams and silver medallist, tennis player Maria Sharapova.
Final torchbearers, three time Olympic gold medallist in figure skating Irina Rodnina and three time Olympic medallist ice hockey player Vladislav Tretyak, were given the honour of lighting the cauldron.
Running out the exit of the stadium, Rodnina and Tretyak made their way past cast and volunteers to a small outdoor cauldron.
In what will be a symbolic image of the Games, the pair then lit the flame path up the pillar of the main cauldron, lighting the Olympic Cauldron. Despite a slight technical glitch at the start when only four of five Olympic rings opened, the Opening Ceremony showcased the ambition of the Sochi Olympics.
Remixing “Not Gonna Get Us” by Tatu and “We Are the Champions”, the deafening roar and waving of Russian flags when the host nation entered the stadium perhaps best summed up the night.
