Opening Ceremony Summer Youth Olympics 2018

Summer Youth Olympics

 2018 

opening Ceremony makes Olympic history

The Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, the first open-air Opening Ceremony to be held outside a stadium, had plenty of jaw-dropping moments and is sure to go down in history thanks to the spectacular artistic direction of Argentinian theatre company, Fuerza Bruta.

Gerardo Werthein, president of the Buenos Aires 2018 Organising Committee, said how proud he is of having the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina and expressed hope that the Games will help build a better country.

The third edition of the Youth Olympic Summer Games officially kicked off with an Opening Ceremony that defied gravity and set off a celebration in the very heart of Argentina’s capital.

It was a historical night for the 200,000 people who came to the Obelisk in Buenos Aires and the millions who followed the Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Youth Olympic Games around the world.

It was unforgettable night for the 4,000 athletes who, for the first time in modern Olympic history, were the stars of an Opening Ceremony that was set outside of a stadium, open to the public and free of charge.

It was one hour and 53 minutes of pure emotion - an urban experience that celebrated sport with an inclusive, interactive and multicultural approach.

The skies of Buenos Aires exploded at 20:00 local time with a shower of fireworks that marked the official start of the biggest multisport celebration in the history of Argentina. Then its main stars - the athletes of the 206 National Olympic Committees that will participate at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games - appeared to the sounds of a giant crowd of spectators clapping their warm welcome.

While local singer Angela Torres sang Argentina’s national anthem, an artist holding the country’s white and light blue flag walked down the side of the Obelisk towards its base to pass it over to the Naval Prefecture Institute officers.

Following the traditions of every Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games, the flag bearers of each delegation carried their national flags into the centre of the action and planted them at the base of the Obelisk. While this was happening, a mobile stage called La Globa moved through Avenida 9 de Julio with a DJ, dancers and singers performing live among the spectators.

Then, in a frantic rhythm the action moved back to the Obelisk. The pictograms of all 32 sports at Buenos Aires 2018 were projected on the historic monument, which temporarily became a makeshift screen.

Male and female stunts artists performed athletics, cycling, rowing, jumps, roller speed skating and BMX freestyle while suspended 70 metres in the air.

As more floats carried in young people doing breathtaking breaking and gymnastics tricks, the Olympic Anthem, sung by Luna Sujatovich and accompanied by the legendary Argentine composer Leo Sujatovich on the piano, sounded across Avenida 9 de Julio. At the same time, the Olympic Flag that reflects the values of friendship, respect and excellence was raised.

Argentine sports representatives who were medallists at the previous editions of the Olympic Games, javelin thrower Braian Toledo and sports shooter Fernanda Russo, carried the Olympic Flag, which then served for the taking of the Olympic Oath.

Argentina’s Teresa Romairone (youth world champion in sailing), Carlos Retegui (coach of the men’s field hockey team that won gold at Rio 2016) and Lorena Mac Coll (judge of beach handball) took the Olympic Oath in which they declared their respect for the rules and spirit of fair play, commitment to participate in the Games without doping and cheating, instead competing for the glory of sport and their team’s honour, and with respect for the fundamental principles of Olympism.

Then the tango, a music genre characteristic of Rio De La Plata, took over the main stage at the Opening Ceremony in a show put together by the company of renowned dancer Mora Godoy. The Obelisk transformed into a gigantic bandoneon, a traditional musical instrument featured in most tango compositions, while another float began to cross one of the widest avenues in the world with dancers multiplying in the balconies of Avenida 9 de Julio.

In the final part of what was an unforgettable night, the sacred fire started its journey on the last float. The Olympic Flame illuminated the thousands of people who followed the torch relay, brought to its last stage by Pedro Ibarra (Olympic champion with the men’s field hockey team at Rio 2016), Gabriela Sabatini (silver medallist at Seoul 1988), Walter Perez (gold medallist in cycling at Beijing 2008), Cecilia Carranza (gold medallist in the Nacra 17 sailing event at Rio 2016), Sebastian Crismanich (Olympic champion in taekwondo at London 2012), and Luciana Aymar (Buenos Aires 2018 ambassador and four-time Olympic medallist).

Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and Gerardo Werthein, president of the Buenos Aires 2018 Organising Committee, spoke at the conclusion of the Opening Ceremony. Offering a message aimed at the athletes, they invited Argentina and the world to enjoy the first Olympic celebration with gender equality. The official inauguration was then left up to Mauricio Macri, president of Argentina.

All eyes were on the Olympic Rings and the Obelisk during the Opening Ceremony. (Foto: Buenos Aires 2018)

As the young artists Candelaria Molfese y Fernando Dente performed the official song "Alive", it was then time for the most anticipated moment of each Opening Ceremony. Pablo Zaffaroni and Celeste D’Arcangelo, two young athletes from the Argentine delegation, led the final stretch of the torch relay.

The last two torch bearers, two Olympic champions and legends of Argentine sport, judoka Paula Pareto and sailor Santiago Lange, lit the Olympic cauldron and completed the flame’s relay, which has crossed more than 20,000 kilometres through the Argentinian landscape, visiting iconic sites and bringing the sacred fire to the end of the world in Ushuaia.

With the official protocols completed, fireworks lit up Avenida 9 de Julio, in a fabulous visual spectacle brought forth from the heart of Argentina’s capital.

Welcome to Buenos Aires 2018, a celebration that will change the modern history of the Olympic movement forever.