2004 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics was held on August 13, 2004 at the Olympic Stadium in Maroussi, Greece, a suburb of Athens. 72,000 spectators attended the event, with approximately 15,000 athletes from 202 countries participating in the ceremony as well. An estimated 4.5 billion people watched it worldwide on television, though many of them watched it on a tape delay due to large time differences between Greece and other nations. It marked the first-ever international broadcast of high definition television, undertaken by NBC and the Japanese television station NHK.

Speeches to athletes & spectators

After the Parade of Nations had concluded and the athletes were gathered in the center of the stadium, two short speeches were delivered in front of a model of an olive tree, a traditional Greek and Olympic symbol.http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/olympics/2004/08/14/bc.oly.athens.openingce/

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The first speech came from Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, the chief organizer of the Athens 2004 Olympics. She told the athletes: "Greece is standing before you. We are ready." She also stated the people of Greece "have waited long for this moment", alluding to the long time period between the first modern Olympic Games in Greece and the 2004 Games, as well as the fact that Athens was passed over in 1990 in favor of Atlanta, Georgia for host of the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Related Topics:
Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki - 1990 - Atlanta - Georgia - 1996 Summer Olympics

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Angelopoulos-Daskalaki was followed by International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge, who delivered a speech encouraging participating athletes to resist the urge to use banned performance-enhancing substances and "show us that sport unites by overriding national, political, religious, and language barriers". Rogge then introduced Greek president Costis Stephanopoulos, who declared the games officially open.

Related Topics:
International Olympic Committee - Jacques Rogge - Costis Stephanopoulos

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~