RIO DE JANEIRO— The official opening ceremony of the Olympic Games took place on August 5, with the cauldron lit in Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium. From August 5 to 21, 10,500 athletes from 205 countries of the world will compete for 306 medals.
The games will be held in 33 venues of four regions of Rio; Copacabana, Maracana, Deodoro and Bara.
About 74,000 spectators were present during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games held in South America for the first time. Before the start of the official ceremony the organizers presented Brazil’s history through modern computer design.
Armenia’s flag bearer was swimmer Vahan Mkhitaryan.
The president of the IOC, Thomas Bach, and the president of the Rio-2016 Organizing Committee, Carlos Nuzman, welcomed the athletes urging them to remain faithful to the Olympic ideology. The honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron was given to Olympic bronze medalist Cordeiro de Lima.
