2006 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony
Encyclopedia
The Opening Ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...

(Torino 2006) was held on February 10, 2006 beginning at 20:00 CET
Central European Time
Central European Time , used in most parts of the European Union, is a standard time that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time . The time offset from UTC can be written as +01:00...

 (19:00 UTC) at the Stadio Olimpico in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...

, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

.

The ceremony was attended by 35,000 spectators with the presence of numerous international and Italian guests on the stage and heads of state and government on the stands. The event was broadcast live to an estimated two-billion audience worldwide by 32 television cameras.

The ceremony saluted the region's culture and history, was highlighted by Italian celebrities and showcased Italian designs. There were the customary parade of athletes and raising of the host nation's flag and the Olympic flag. Apart from the choreography, the fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...

, and the pageantry, the ceremony was a reminder of peace as a goal of these Games. It climaxed with the lighting of the Olympic Flame.

Program

The theme of the program was "Passion Lives Here," and the 4000m² stage was shaped like an anatomic heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...

 with a mosh pit in the centre where the athletes congregated for the second half of the ceremonies. The athletes were thus put in the centre of action and in front of the stage, emphasizing that the heart of each athlete was the focus of the Games.

There were sentiments of self-conceit amongst TOROC for not including a tribute section during the Opening Ceremonies honoring the Past Host Cities of the previous installments of the Olympic Winter Games that was the very first part of the XIX Olympic Winter Games
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...

 that had been held in Salt Lake City, USA on February 8, 2002.

The ceremony was conducted in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

 and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

, the two official languages of the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...

, and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...

, the language of the host country.
The program was executed by 6,100 volunteers and 240 professionals after 15,000 man days of work.

Rhythm of Passion

Sparks of Passion
  • Artistic, 1m countdown plus 4m 20s
  • 776 performers
  • Direction: Gabriele Vacis
  • Assistant direction: Roberto Tarasco
  • Choreography: Giuseppe Arena
  • Moshpit choreography: Doug Jack
  • Pyrotechnical effects: Christophe Berthonneau
  • Segment coordinator: Annalisa Barbieri
  • Helmet-donning skaters costume design: Lino Dainese
  • Sparks special effects: Vittorio Comi
  • Helmet-donning skaters choreography: Giuseppe Arena
  • Helmet-donning skaters: Fabio Cassinelli, Simone Giaccaglia, Luca Imperio, Elia Locagliano, Simone Martino, Daniele Pin
  • Original Music: Composed arranged and orchestrated by Michele Centonze in collaboration with Stefano Nanni


The Opening Ceremonies began with a traditional countdown
Countdown
A countdown is a sequence of counting backward to indicate the seconds, days, or other time units remaining before an event occurs or a deadline expires. Typical events for which a countdown is used include the launch of a rocket or spacecraft, the detonation of a bomb, the start of a race, and the...

 by the spectators. Italian gymnast Yuri Chechi as a shaman striking an anvil
Anvil
An anvil is a basic tool, a block with a hard surface on which another object is struck. The inertia of the anvil allows the energy of the striking tool to be transferred to the work piece. In most cases the anvil is used as a forging tool...

 with a hammer opened the first scene of the program representing the industrial past of the Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...

 region. Each strike spewed up a fountain of flames and were responded to with flames over three metres high, lit from 52 nozzles lined up around the piazza. A group of inline skaters in red unitards soon entered and executed their choreograph and formations. With the fire, costume and flood light, the stage was soon turned into a sea of red. In the mosh pit, performers executed synchronised swimming moves to the pulsing rhythm. It was said that the choreographer was inspired by synchronised swimming when he saw the event for the first time in the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...

 in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...

 Doug Jack wanted to create 500 synchronized swimmers without using water but encased in Ice!.

The skaters then gyrated to the pulsing rhythm forming a familiar heart shape pumping to the beat. The formation was soon shattered when a lone skater symbolising a spark of passion shot through the beating heart. Six helmet-donning skaters then entered with two-foot flames flared from the back of their helmets and criscrossed the stage.

Greetings from the Alps

Mountain Folk
  • Artistic, 4m 30s
  • 829 performers
  • Direction: Gabriele Vacis
  • Moshpit choreography: Doug Jack
  • Segment coordinator: Annalisa Barbieri
  • Music: Occitane Anthem
    National anthem
    A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...

     "Se Chanta
    Se Canto
    Se Canta is an anthem associated with Occitania. It is also a very old popular song, known all over Occitania. According to legend, it was written by Gaston III Fébus , Count of Foix and Béarn....

    " performed by L'Ange Gardien Chorus; Ouverture "Gazza Ladra" by Rossini
    Gioacchino Rossini
    Gioachino Antonio Rossini was an Italian composer who wrote 39 operas as well as sacred music, chamber music, songs, and some instrumental and piano pieces...

    , arranged and orchestrated by Michele Centonze in collaboration with Stefano Nanni


Following the exit of the flaming skaters, the sounding of seven alphorn
Alphorn
The alphorn or alpenhorn or alpine horn is a labrophone, consisting of a natural wooden horn of conical bore, having a wooden cup-shaped mouthpiece, used by mountain dwellers in Switzerland and elsewhere...

s to the notes of the Occitan Hymn signaled the beginning of the next segment that paid tribute to the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....

 and the seven Alpine countries: Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

, Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein
The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...

, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 and Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...

. Artificial snow and life-size pine tree shapes set the mood for this segment as the stage was transformed from red to white.

It had been 14 years since the Winter Olympic Games were last held in the Alps, in 1992 in Albertville, France
1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...

. The 13 million people living in the mountainous region were represented by dancers waltzing in their national costumes. Life-size cow effigies .were pulled in and paraded around the stage representing the significance of the dairy farming
Dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...

 industry in the Alpine region. Three waltzing couples in cow suits soon entered the scene, while cow bells were heard ringing from the crowd.

After the stage was cleared, 50 performers in white unitards entered with very large white balloons on their heads symbolising the arrival of the snowflakes. A change of music signalled the exit of the snowflakes and in the mosh pit performers formed a snowflake which was lit up by flashlights as the segment came to a close.

Italy

Italian Flag

Entry of the Authorities

Italian Anthem
  • Direction: Gabriele Vacis
  • Artistic direction and costume design: Giorgio Armani
  • Protocol coordinator: Sigrid Guillion Mangilli
  • Protocol segment coordinator: Pamela Allvin
  • Segment coordinator: Annalisi Barbieri
  • Coordinator: CONI - Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano
  • Carabineers
    Carabinieri
    The Carabinieri is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations, and is a branch of the armed forces.-Early history:...

    ' Guard of Honour
  • Music: "Amarcord
    Amarcord
    Amarcord is a 1973 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Federico Fellini, a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age tale about Titta, an adolescent boy growing up among an eccentric cast of characters in the fictional town of Borgo in 1930s Fascist Italy...

    ", by Nino Rota; Italian Anthem
    Il Canto degli Italiani
    Il Canto degli Italiani is the Italian national anthem. It is best known among Italians as Inno di Mameli , after the author of the lyrics, or Fratelli d'Italia , from its opening line...

    , composed by Goffredo Mameli and Michele Novaro, arranged by Michele Centonze


This section paid tribute to the Italian flag whose entrance was led by 26 Olympic medalists in white suits and gowns marching in two files. Following the athletes was model, singer and future French first lady Carla Bruni
Carla Bruni
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is an Italian-French songwriter, singer, actress, and former model...

 carrying a folded Italian flag
Flag of Italy
The flag of Italy is a tricolour featuring three equally sized vertical pales of green, white, and red, with the green at the hoist side...

. Bruni wore a sparkling gown by Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani is an Italian fashion designer, particularly noted for his menswear. He is known today for his clean, tailored lines. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, and by 2001 was acclaimed as the most successful designer to come out of Italy, with an annual turnover of $1.6 billion and a...

, inspired by crystal and ice.

The stage was flooded in the Italian colours red, white, and green by the coloured spotlights at the top of the stadium as the entrance of the President of the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...

 Jacques Rogge
Jacques Rogge
Jacques Rogge, Count Rogge , is a Belgian sports bureaucrat. He is the eighth and current President of the International Olympic Committee .-Life and career:...

 and the President of Italy Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
dr. Carlo Azeglio Ciampi is an Italian politician and banker. He was the 73rd Prime Minister of Italy from 1993 to 1994 and was the tenth President of the Italian Republic from 1999 to 2006...

 was announced.

Sustained drumbeats set a mood as three military police officers entered and retrieved the flag from Bruni and brought it to the flag pole.

The flag was raised by Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani is an Italian fashion designer, particularly noted for his menswear. He is known today for his clean, tailored lines. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, and by 2001 was acclaimed as the most successful designer to come out of Italy, with an annual turnover of $1.6 billion and a...

 to the solo rendition of the Italian national anthem after a short pastoral orchestra introduction (as oppose to the usual marching introduction). Il Canto degli Italiani
Il Canto degli Italiani
Il Canto degli Italiani is the Italian national anthem. It is best known among Italians as Inno di Mameli , after the author of the lyrics, or Fratelli d'Italia , from its opening line...

was performed by nine-year-old Eleonora Benetti wearing the Italian tricolour. Her verse ended as the choir joined in for the much more rapid refrain
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...

.

Torino Olympic City

XX Olympic Winter Games

The Great Skier
  • Artistic, 6m 10s
  • 467 performers
  • Direction & Choreography Concept: Doug Jack
  • Choreography: Bryn Walters, Nikis Lagousakos, Claire Terri
  • Segment coordinator: Annalisa Barbieri
  • Original music: composed arranged and orchestrated by Michele Centonze in collaboration with Stefano Nanni


467 performers, each wearing one of the 5 Olympic colours, created a 20meter tall ski jumper formation, after the playing of the Italian national anthem. The choreography showed an animated ski jumper gliding down the take-off slope, flying through the night air and eventually landing safely in perfect form on the ground. Puffs of air could be seen as the jumper prepared his jump. Performers carrying a blue banner then entered to show the skier gliding down the slope. In flight the figure was lit up by headlamp flashlights in a formation of a ski jumper in peak flight. The ski jumper eventually made a graceful landing on the ground as performers released confetti (to represent a snowplow stop) and cheered (as well as was CHEERED) as the segment came to a close.

Olympic Spirit

Citius, altius, fortius
  • Artistic, 6m 10s
  • 149 performers
  • Direction and choreography: Giulia Staccioli (Kataklò)
  • Technical director: Richard Hartman
  • Production director: Simone Masserini
  • Segment coordinator: Vichi Lombardo
  • Kataklò technical Coordinator: Andrea Zorzi
  • Ground choreography: Bryn Walters
  • Performer athletes: Maria Agatiello, Davide Agostini, Sara Bonarti,Ilaria Cinzia Cavagna, Mauro Maurizio Colucci, Valentina Marino, Giulia Piolanti, Stefano Pribaz, Davide Rabaioli, Marco Zanotti, Gabriele Zappa
  • Original music: composed, arranged and orchestrated by Michele Centonze, in collaboration with Stefano Nanni


The Sparks of Passion reentered the stadium in this segment where the largest and tallest Olympic Rings for the Opening Ceremonies would be created. Acrobats could be seen maneuvering on three ring shaped frames floating up and down along four lattice columns on the opposite end of the stadium to the stage and the mosh pit. Dancers in red unitards below gyrated to pulsing beats as the theme of passion returned for this segment of the program. While the acrobats descended to the ground, two additional ring shaped frames were raised. The five circular frames were flipped vertically revealing the five Olympic Rings shimmering in light. The rings were then illuminated in the Olympic colours and the structure was lit up in fireworks. The black ring in the centre of the symbol was substituted with white since it is impossible to produce black light
Black light
A black light, also referred to as a UV light, ultraviolet light, or Wood's lamp, is a lamp that emits ultraviolet radiation in the long-wave range, and little visible light...

.

Heroes of Our Time - Parade of Nations

  • Protocol, 53m
  • Director & Choreography: Doug Jack
  • Placard bearers' costumes: Moschino
    Moschino
    Moschino is an Italian fashion design house and manufacturer of women's, men's and children's fashion.-History:The brand was originally created in 1983 by the late Franco Moschino...

     (Rossella Jardini, Joan Tann)
  • Music: Medley disco music
    Disco
    Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...



The national teams then entered underneath the five-ring structure in the traditional Parade of Nations. Like with all Olympic games, the first team to emerge was Greece, since it was the birthplace of the games, and the host nation Italy entered last. The rest of the nations entered following the alphabetical order according to the spelling of the country in Italian, the language of the host country, as is tradition. Greece entering first and Italy entering last also symbolized the countries that hosted the two most recent Olympics: Greece hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics games held in Athens, and Italy hosted these.

The names of the nations were announced first in Italian, then in English and followed by French.

North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...

 and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

 marched together under the Unification Flag
Unification Flag
The Unification Flag is a flag designed to represent all of Korea when both North and South Korea participate in sporting events. The flag was first used in 1991 when the two countries competed as a single team in the 41st World Table Tennis Championship in Chiba, Japan and the 8th World Youth...

 for the first time in the Winter Olympic Games. The two nations have been doing so since the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...

 in Sydney. North Korea, however, did not participate in the 2002 Winter Games
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...

 in Salt Lake City. Altogether, 80 National Olympic Committee
National Olympic Committee
National Olympic Committees are the national constituents of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, they are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games...

s participated in the Games, an increase from 77 in the previous Winter Games.

The Moschino
Moschino
Moschino is an Italian fashion design house and manufacturer of women's, men's and children's fashion.-History:The brand was originally created in 1983 by the late Franco Moschino...

 designed the clothes of the women bearing the placards with team names for the athletes' parade. The dresses were shaped as snowy mountain tops, complete with pine trees and small houses lit up by embedded lights. Miss Italia
Miss Italia
Miss Italia is the name of a beauty pageant awarding prizes every year to young, female contestants from Italy. Since the first edition of the contest in 1939 many of the contestants have gone on to notable careers in television and film.-History:...

, Edelfa Chiara Masciotta
Edelfa Chiara Masciotta
Edelfa Chiara Masciotta is an Italian television personality and former beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Italia 2005.Masciotta was born in Turin. She was crowned Miss Italy on September 19, 2005...

, was carrying the placard for team Italy who wore a special dress designed to pay tribute to Turin. When all assembled on stage the ladies represented the Italian Alps mountain range, beauty, strength and breathtaking poise.

The march of the Olympic teams was accompanied by a selection of 1970s and 1980s American and European disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...

 music, including "Video Killed the Radio Star
Video Killed the Radio Star
"Video Killed the Radio Star" is a song by the British synthpop/New Wave group The Buggles, released as their debut single on 7 September 1979, on Island Records from their debut album The Age of Plastic. It celebrates the golden days of radio, describing a singer whose career is cut short by...

," "YMCA
YMCA (song)
"Y.M.C.A." is a song recorded by American disco group Village People. It was released in 1978 as the only single from the album Cruisin. The song reached No. 2 on the U.S. charts in early 1979 and reached No.1 in the UK around the same time, becoming the group's biggest hit...

" by the Village People
Village People
Village People is a concept disco group that formed in the United States in 1977, well known for their on-stage costumes depicting American cultural stereotypes, as well as their catchy tunes and suggestive lyrics....

, "I Will Survive
I Will Survive
"I Will Survive" is a song first performed by American singer Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978. It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris...

" by Gloria Gaynor
Gloria Gaynor
Gloria Gaynor is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits; "I Will Survive" , "Never Can Say Goodbye" , "Let Me Know " and "I Am What I Am" .-Early career:Gaynor was a singer with the Soul...

, "Daddy Cool" by Boney M
Boney M
Boney M. is a Eurodisco group created by German record producer Frank Farian. Originally based in Germany, the four original members of the group's official line-up were Jamaicans Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett, Maizie Williams from Montserrat and Bobby Farrell from Aruba...

 and songs by the Doobie Brothers and Eurythmics
Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...

.

The following table lists the countries and territories in the order of their entrance. It is worth noting that not all the athletes participated in the opening ceremonies, as some may have chosen to prepare themselves for races and competitions that were scheduled the very next morning. Other commitments may have prevented some athletes from participating in the parade. For example, most men's hockey teams would not arrive in Turin until the following week since most of the players are involved with the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

. On the other hand, the parade includes officials, judges, coaches and other team staff.
Italian Name Nation Flag bearer Sport Athletes
Grecia Eleftherios Fafalis
Eleftherios Fafalis
Lefteris Fafalis is a West German-born, Greek cross country skier who has competed since 1995. Competing in four Winter Olympics, he earned his best finish of 29th in the individual sprint event at Turin in 2006...

Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
The cross-country skiing events at the 2006 Winter Olympics featured 12 events, from February 11, 2006 to 26 February 2006 at Pragelato in Turin.-Medal table:-Men's events:-Women's events:-Participating nations:...

5
Albania Erjon Tola
Erjon Tola
Erjon Tola is an Albanian alpine ski racer who represented Albania at the 2006 Winter Olympics and at the 2010 Winter Olympics. He was ranked the last among those who finished the men's Super-G, but finished 35th at men's giant slalom. Tola finished 48th, at the men's slalom and 63rd at the men's...

Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

1
Algeria Christelle Laura Douibi
Christelle Laura Douibi
Christelle Laura Douibi is an Algerian alpine skier at the 2006 Winter Olympics. She finished last, among those who finished, in her events yet felt proud of the achievement. She dedicated her first race to her deceased father Mohammed. She was also the nation's flag bearer, and the only woman to...

Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

2
Andorra Alex Antor
Alex Antor
Alex Antor is an Andorran alpine skier.He represented Andorra at the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics. He was their flag bearer in the 2006 Opening Ceremonies. He never raced in the World Cup....

Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

3
Argentina Maria Belen Simari Birkner
María Belén Simari Birkner
María Belén Simari Birkner is a female skier from Argentina. She has represented Argentina in both the 2006 and the 2010 Winter Olympics, in the Alpine skiing events...

Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

9
Armenia Vazgen Azroyan Figure skating
Figure skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Four figure skating events were held at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, at the Palavela venue.Lithuanian ice dancers Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas became the first figure skaters to compete at five Olympics....

5
Australia Alisa Camplin
Alisa Camplin
Alisa Camplin OAM is an Australian aerial skier who won gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics, the second ever winter olympic gold medal for Australia. At the 2006 Winter Olympics, Camplin finished third, a bronze medal...

Freestyle skiing
Freestyle skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Four freestyle skiing events were held at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, at the venue in Sauze d'Oulx. There were both men's and women's competition in both aerials and moguls events...

40
Austria Renate Götschl
Renate Götschl
Renate Götschl is a former champion alpine ski racer. She is a two-time individual World Champion in the combined and downhill , and has won a total of 9 World Championships medals...

Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

85
Azerbaigian Igor Lukanin
Igor Lukanin
Igor Lukanin is an ice dancer who competes internationally for Azerbaijan with Kristin Fraser....

Figure skating
Figure skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Four figure skating events were held at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, at the Palavela venue.Lithuanian ice dancers Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas became the first figure skaters to compete at five Olympics....

2
Belgio Kevin van der Perren
Kevin van der Perren
Kevin van der Perren is a Belgian figure skater. He is the 2007 & 2009 European bronze medalist, a three-time Grand Prix medalist, and a seven-time Belgian national champion...

Figure skating
Figure skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Four figure skating events were held at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, at the Palavela venue.Lithuanian ice dancers Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas became the first figure skaters to compete at five Olympics....

4
Bermuda Patrick Singleton
Patrick Singleton
Patrick Singleton , is a Bermudian luger who competed in the late 1990s and early 2000s before going into skeleton since 2002. In 1998, Singleton finished 27th in the men's singles event while he finished 37th in the same event four years later.He finished 19th in the men's skeleton event at the...

Skeleton
Skeleton at the 2006 Winter Olympics
The skeleton competition at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games was held at Cesana Pariol in Cesana, Italy on February 16 and February 17 .-Medal table:-Events:...

1
Bielorussia Alexandre Popov Coach (Biathlon
Biathlon at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Biathlon at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten biathlon events. They were held at the Cesana-San Sicario arena. The events began on 11 February and ended on 25 February 2006. Approximately 6,500 spectators were expected by the organizing committee...

)
28
Bosnia-Erzegovina Aleksandra Vasiljević Biathlon
Biathlon at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Biathlon at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten biathlon events. They were held at the Cesana-San Sicario arena. The events began on 11 February and ended on 25 February 2006. Approximately 6,500 spectators were expected by the organizing committee...

6
Brasile Isabel Clark Snowboarding
Snowboarding at the 2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympic Games Snowboarding competition consisted of men's and women's Halfpipe, Parallel Giant Slalom and Snowboard Cross events.-Medal table:-Men's events:-Women's events:...

10
Bulgaria Ekaterina Dafovska
Ekaterina Dafovska
Ekaterina Dafovska is a Bulgarian biathlete. At the age of 15 years she signed up in the sports club of her hometown, where she went in for biathlon. She won a gold Olympic medal at the 15 km Individual event during the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano...

Biathlon
Biathlon at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Biathlon at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten biathlon events. They were held at the Cesana-San Sicario arena. The events began on 11 February and ended on 25 February 2006. Approximately 6,500 spectators were expected by the organizing committee...

21
Canada Danielle Goyette
Danielle Goyette
Danielle Goyette is a retired women's ice hockey player, and has been on the Canadian national team.-Hockey Canada:...

Ice hockey
Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics
-Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and...

196
Repubblica Ceca Martina Sáblíková
Martina Sáblíková
Martina Sáblíková is a Czech speedskater, specializing in long distance races. She is an Olympic gold medal winner and a multiple World champion. She is the elder sister of fellow speedskater Milan Sáblík.-Career:As a junior, Sáblíková already achieved some notable results during international...

Speed skating
Speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics, was held over ten days, from 11 February to 21 February. Twelve events were contested at the Oval Lingotto.-Medal table:-Men's events:* Skaters who did not participate in the final, but received medals....

85
Cile Daniela Anguita Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

9
Cina Yang Yang (A)
Yang Yang (A)
Yang Yang is a former Chinese short track speed skater and current IOC member. She is a two-time Olympic Champion from 2002 Winter Olympics and a five-time Overall World Champion for 1998-2002. She was formerly a member of the Chinese national short track team...

Short track speed skating
Short track speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Short track speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics, was held over thirteen days, from 12 February to 25 February. Eight events were contested at Torino Palavela. In the men's competition, Ahn Hyun-Soo earned a medal in each event, winning three golds...

78
Cipro Theodoros Christodoulou Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

1
Corea Jong-In Han Figure skating
Figure skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Four figure skating events were held at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, at the Palavela venue.Lithuanian ice dancers Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas became the first figure skaters to compete at five Olympics....

6
Bora Lee Speed skating
Speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics, was held over ten days, from 11 February to 21 February. Twelve events were contested at the Oval Lingotto.-Medal table:-Men's events:* Skaters who did not participate in the final, but received medals....

40
Costa Rica Arthur James Barton Coach 1
Croazia Janica Kostelić
Janica Kostelic
Janica Kostelić is a retired alpine ski racer from Croatia. She is the only woman to win four gold medals in alpine skiing at the Winter Olympics , and the only woman to win three alpine skiing gold medals in one Olympics ....

Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

24
Danimarca Dorthe Holm
Dorthe Holm
Dorthe Holm is a Danish curler from Kastrup.Holm skipped the Danish women's team at the 2006 Winter Olympics. The team were the only athletes Denmark sent to the games, as such Holm carried the flag for Denmark in the opening ceremonies.Holm has had a long curling career, which internationally...

Curling
Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics was held in the town of Pinerolo, Italy from February 13 to February 24. It proved to be the sleeper hit in terms of television ratings in Italy. According to a CBC feature, curling at the 2006 Winter Games drew 5 million viewers, eclipsing ice hockey and figure...

5
Estonia Eveli Saue
Eveli Saue
Eveli Saue is an Estonian orienteering competitor and biathlete. She is world champion in the combined sport biathlon orienteering.-Orienteering:...

Biathlon
Biathlon at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Biathlon at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten biathlon events. They were held at the Cesana-San Sicario arena. The events began on 11 February and ended on 25 February 2006. Approximately 6,500 spectators were expected by the organizing committee...

28
Etiopia Robel Teklemariam
Robel Teklemariam
Robel Zeimichael Teklemariam is an Ethiopian cross country skier who has competed since 2006. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he earned his best finish of 83rd in the 15 km event at Turin in 2006....

Cross country skiing 1
Ex Repubblica
Jugoslava di Macedonia
Gorgi Markovskihttp://www.torino2006.org/ITA/IDF/ATH/101091.html Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

3
Finlandia Janne Lahtela
Janne Lahtela
Janne Lahtela is a Finnish former athlete, who established himself as one of the most dominant persons in the history of moguls skiing. He is currently the head coach of Japan's freestyle skiing team...

Freestyle skiing
Freestyle skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Four freestyle skiing events were held at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, at the venue in Sauze d'Oulx. There were both men's and women's competition in both aerials and moguls events...

102
Francia Bruno Mingeon
Bruno Mingeon
Bruno Mingeon is a French bobsledder who competed from 1988 to 2006. Competing in five Winter Olympics, he won a bronze medal in the four-man event at Nagano in 1998...

Bobsleigh
Bobsleigh at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Three bobsleigh events were competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics, at the Cesana Pariol venue. The competition took place between February 18 and February 25, 2006....

89
Georgia Vakhtang Murvanidze
Vakhtang Murvanidze
Vakhtang Murvanidze |Georgia]]) is a Georgian figure skater. He is a multiple Georgian national champion and has represented Georgia at the 2002 Winter Olympics, where he placed 17th, and the 2006 Winter Olympics, where he placed 28th. His highest placement at the European Figure Skating...

Figure skating
Figure skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Four figure skating events were held at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, at the Palavela venue.Lithuanian ice dancers Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas became the first figure skaters to compete at five Olympics....

3
Germania Kati Wilhelm
Kati Wilhelm
Kati Wilhelm is a German former professional biathlete. Like most German biathletes she is also a member of the German Armed Forces with the rank of master sergeant...

Biathlon
Biathlon at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Biathlon at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten biathlon events. They were held at the Cesana-San Sicario arena. The events began on 11 February and ended on 25 February 2006. Approximately 6,500 spectators were expected by the organizing committee...

164
Giappone Joji Kato
Joji Kato
is a Japanese speedskater specialised in the sprinting distance 500 metres. At the age of 17 he became the first junior speedskater to skate the 500 metres below 35 seconds....

Speed skating
Speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics, was held over ten days, from 11 February to 21 February. Twelve events were contested at the Oval Lingotto.-Medal table:-Men's events:* Skaters who did not participate in the final, but received medals....

112
Gran Bretagna Rhona Martin
Rhona Martin
Rhona Martin MBE is a Scottish curler who has skipped the Scotland women's team at both the European and World Championships, but is most famous as the skip of the Great Britain team that claimed the gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games in 2002.-Early career:For a long time best known in...

Curling
Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics was held in the town of Pinerolo, Italy from February 13 to February 24. It proved to be the sleeper hit in terms of television ratings in Italy. According to a CBC feature, curling at the 2006 Winter Games drew 5 million viewers, eclipsing ice hockey and figure...

40
Hong Kong, Cina Yueshuang Han Short track speed skating
Short track speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Short track speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics, was held over thirteen days, from 12 February to 25 February. Eight events were contested at Torino Palavela. In the men's competition, Ahn Hyun-Soo earned a medal in each event, winning three golds...

1
India Neha Ahuja
Neha Ahuja
Neha Ahuja is the second Indian woman to qualify for the Winter Olympics, and the first Indian to be competing in the Giant Slalom alpine skiing finals. Daughter of an Indian Border Security Officer, she was one of the four Indians competing at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin...

Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

4
Iran Alidad Saveh-Shemshaki Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

2
Irlanda Kirsten McGarry
Kirsten McGarry
Kristen McGarry is an alpine skier from Ireland. She competed for Ireland at the 2006 Winter Olympics and the 2010 Winter Olympics. Her best result was a 32nd place in the giant slalom in 2006.-External links:*...

Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

4
Islanda Dagny Kristjansdottir Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

5
Isole Vergini Anne Abernathy
Anne Abernathy
Anne Abernathy is a luge athlete from the United States Virgin Islands and is the oldest female athlete to compete in the Winter Olympics. The 2006 Winter Olympics were her sixth. Despite her age, she is a consistent competitor with frequent World Cup podium finishes, and she is consistently...

http://www.torino2006.org/ENG/IDF/ATH/603140.html
Luge
Luge at the 2006 Winter Olympics
The Luge competition at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games was held at Cesana Pariol in Cesana, Italy. Three events were staged, taking place from February 11 to February 15. These were the first games where a qualifying system was used to determine the enterants into the games.-Medal...

1
Israele Galit Chait
Galit Chait
Galit Chait is a former Israeli ice dancer with partner Sergei Sakhnovski. They competed internationally for Israel from 1995 to 2006.- Personal life :Chait was born in Israel and moved to New Jersey as a child with her parents...

Figure skating
Figure skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Four figure skating events were held at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, at the Palavela venue.Lithuanian ice dancers Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas became the first figure skaters to compete at five Olympics....

5
Kazakistan Aleksandr Koreshkov Ice hockey
Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics
-Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and...

56
Kenya Phillip Boit Cross country skiing 1
Kirghizistan Ivan Borisov Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

1
Lettonia Arturs Irbe
Arturs Irbe
Artūrs Irbe is a former Soviet and Latvian professional ice hockey goaltender. He has played in the National Hockey League for the San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets. He served as the goaltending coach for the Washington Capitals...

Ice hockey
Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics
-Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and...

58
Libano Edmond Keiroue 3
Liechtenstein Jessica Walter Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

6
Lituania Vida Venciene
Vida Venciene
Vida Vencienė is a former cross-country skier who represented the USSR and later Lithuania from 1988 to 1994. She won a gold medal over 10 km and a bronze over 5 km at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary for the USSR.Her best finish at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships was 7th in...

Chef de mission 7
Lussemburgo Fleur Maxwell
Fleur Maxwell
Fleur Maxwell is a Luxembourgish figure skater. She is the 2005 Luxembourg national champion.She started skating at the age of 9. She made her senior international debut at the 2005 European Figure Skating Championships. At the 2005 World Figure Skating Championships, she placed 29th...

Figure skating
Figure skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Four figure skating events were held at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, at the Palavela venue.Lithuanian ice dancers Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas became the first figure skaters to compete at five Olympics....

1
Madagascar Mathieu Razanakolona
Mathieu Razanakolona
Mathieu Razanakolona is a Malagasy-Canadian alpine skier, born to a Quebecois mother and a father from Madagascar, currently residing in Canada.He competes in both slalom and giant slalom races...

Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

1
Moldova Natalia Levtchenkova Biathlon
Biathlon at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Biathlon at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten biathlon events. They were held at the Cesana-San Sicario arena. The events began on 11 February and ended on 25 February 2006. Approximately 6,500 spectators were expected by the organizing committee...

7
Monaco Patrice Servelle
Patrice Servelle
Patrice Servelle is a Monegasque bobsledder who has competed since 1994. His best finish in the Bobsleigh World Cup was second in the two-man event at Calgary in December 2010. This was also Monaco's first ever World Cup medal....

Bobsleigh
Bobsleigh at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Three bobsleigh events were competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics, at the Cesana Pariol venue. The competition took place between February 18 and February 25, 2006....

4
Mongolia Khurel Baatar Khash-Erdene Cross country skiing 2
Nepal Dachhiri Sherpa
Dachhiri Sherpa
Dachhiri Sherpa is a Nepali cross-country skier who has competed since 2003. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he earned his best finish of 92nd in the 15 km event at Vancouver in 2010.- Skiing Achievements :...

Cross country skiing 1
Norvegia Pål Trulsen
Pål Trulsen
Pål Trulsen is a Norwegian curler from Hosle in Bærum, and was the 2002 Olympic curling men's champion....

Curling
Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics was held in the town of Pinerolo, Italy from February 13 to February 24. It proved to be the sleeper hit in terms of television ratings in Italy. According to a CBC feature, curling at the 2006 Winter Games drew 5 million viewers, eclipsing ice hockey and figure...

81
Nuova Zelanda Sean Becker
Sean Becker
Sean Peter Becker is a New Zealand curler.-Career:Becker was the skip for New Zealand teams which won three Pacific Curling Championships in 1998, 2003, and 2004. He also skipped for the New Zealand team in the 2004 and 2005 Ford World Men's Curling Championship, finishing in 8th place with a 5-6...

Curling
Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics was held in the town of Pinerolo, Italy from February 13 to February 24. It proved to be the sleeper hit in terms of television ratings in Italy. According to a CBC feature, curling at the 2006 Winter Games drew 5 million viewers, eclipsing ice hockey and figure...

18
Paesi Bassi Jan Bos
Jan Bos
Jan Bos is a Dutch speedskater and sprint cyclist.In 1998 he became world champion sprint and he won the silver medal that year on the 1000 meter sprint during the Winter Olympics in Nagano....

Speed skating
Speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics, was held over ten days, from 11 February to 21 February. Twelve events were contested at the Oval Lingotto.-Medal table:-Men's events:* Skaters who did not participate in the final, but received medals....

35
Polonia Paulina Ligocka
Paulina Ligocka
Paulina Ligocka is a Polish snowboarder.In March 2006 she finished second in the cumulative final standing of the World Cup in half-pipe....

 
Snowboarding
Snowboarding at the 2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympic Games Snowboarding competition consisted of men's and women's Halfpipe, Parallel Giant Slalom and Snowboard Cross events.-Medal table:-Men's events:-Women's events:...

48
Portogallo Danny Silva
Danny Silva
Danny Silva is a Portuguese cross-country skier who has competed since 2004. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he earned his best finish of 93rd in the 15 km event at Turin in 2006....

Cross country skiing 1
Romania Gheorghe Chiper
Gheorghe Chiper
Gheorghe Chiper is a Romanian former competitive figure skater. He is an eight time Romanian national champion and competed at two Olympic Games. He is the first Romanian skater to win a medal on the Grand Prix circuit and the first Romanian to land a quadruple toe loop in competition. He moved to...

Figure skating
Figure skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Four figure skating events were held at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, at the Palavela venue.Lithuanian ice dancers Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas became the first figure skaters to compete at five Olympics....

25
Russia Dmitry Dorofeev
Dmitry Dorofeev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Dorofeyev is a speed skater. Dmitry Dorofeyev won a silver medal in the 500 m at the 2006 Winter Olympics. His second place finish was Russia's first Olympic speed skating medal since 1994. He placed tenth in the 1,000 m event...

Speed skating
Speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics, was held over ten days, from 11 February to 21 February. Twelve events were contested at the Oval Lingotto.-Medal table:-Men's events:* Skaters who did not participate in the final, but received medals....

178
San Marino Marino Cardelli
Marino Cardelli
Marino Cardelli is a San Marinese alpine skier who represented his nation in the 2006 Winter Olympics He competed for San Marino at the 2010 Winter Olympics as well. He was selected as his nation's flag bearer at the opening ceremony.- References :...

Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

1
Senegal Leyti Seck
Leyti Seck
Leyti Seck, , is a Senegalese alpine skier.-Biography:Seck was his country's only representative at the 2006 Winter Olympics...

Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

1
Serbia e Montenegro Jelena Lolović
Jelena Lolović
Jelena Lolović is a Serbian alpine skier.She was named to the Serbian team at the 2010 Winter Olympics.-External links:**...

Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

6
Slovacchia Walter Marx
Walter Marx
Walter Marx is a Slovakian luger who competed from 1993 to 2006. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he earned his best finish of ninth in the men's doubles event at Salt Lake City in 2002....

Luge
Luge at the 2006 Winter Olympics
The Luge competition at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games was held at Cesana Pariol in Cesana, Italy. Three events were staged, taking place from February 11 to February 15. These were the first games where a qualifying system was used to determine the enterants into the games.-Medal...

62
Slovenia Tadeja Brankovič Biathlon
Biathlon at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Biathlon at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten biathlon events. They were held at the Cesana-San Sicario arena. The events began on 11 February and ended on 25 February 2006. Approximately 6,500 spectators were expected by the organizing committee...

42
Spagna Maria Jose Rienda
María José Rienda
María José Rienda Contreras is a former World Cup alpine ski racer.Rienda won the last two giant slaloms of the 2005 season, the first victory for a Spanish ski racer since Blanca Fernández Ochoa in December 1991. Rienda has 6 World Cup victories, all in giant slalom.María Rienda represented Spain...

Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

16
Stati Uniti d'America Chris Witty
Chris Witty
Christine Diane Witty is an American speed skater and racing cyclist and participated in the Olympic Games in both sports. However, she is more successful in skating....

Speed skating
Speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics, was held over ten days, from 11 February to 21 February. Twelve events were contested at the Oval Lingotto.-Medal table:-Men's events:* Skaters who did not participate in the final, but received medals....

211
Sud Africa Alexander Heath
Alexander Heath
Alexander Heath is a South African Olympic athlete. In the 2006 Winter Olympics, he became the first African to participate in all five Alpine events. He resides in Cape Town....

Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

3
Svezia Anja Pärson
Anja Pärson
Anja Sofia Tess Pärson is a Swedish-Sámi alpine skier, the winner of seven World Championships gold medals and two Overall Alpine Skiing World Cup titles. She has won a total of 42 World cup races.-Biography:...

Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

112
Svizzera Philipp Schoch
Philipp Schoch
Philipp Schoch is a Swiss snowboarder.In Snowboarding at the 2002 Winter Olympics, Schoch won gold in Men's Parallel Giant Slalom....

Snowboarding
Snowboarding at the 2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympic Games Snowboarding competition consisted of men's and women's Halfpipe, Parallel Giant Slalom and Snowboard Cross events.-Medal table:-Men's events:-Women's events:...

143
Tagikistan Andrei Drygin
Andrei Drygin
Andrei Drygin, born June 12, 1977, is a Tajik alpine skier.Drygin was the flag-bearer and only representative of Tajikistan at the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics. He also competed at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver as the only competitor again but was not the flag bearer. In 2002, he competed...

Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

1
Taipei Cinese Chih-Hung Ma Luge
Luge at the 2006 Winter Olympics
The Luge competition at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games was held at Cesana Pariol in Cesana, Italy. Three events were staged, taking place from February 11 to February 15. These were the first games where a qualifying system was used to determine the enterants into the games.-Medal...

1
Thailandia Prawat Nagvajara
Prawat Nagvajara
Prawat Nagvajara is a Thai academic and cross-country skier. He is the only person ever to have represented Thailand at the Winter Olympic Games, having taken part in the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics. Unsurprisingly, he was therefore his country's flagbearer at the Games' Opening Ceremonies on...

Cross country skiing 1
Turchia Tuğba Karademir
Tugba Karademir
Tuğba Karademir , is a Turkish former figure skater. She was the flag-bearer for Turkey at the 2006 Winter Olympics, where she placed 21st.- Career :...

Figure skating
Figure skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Four figure skating events were held at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, at the Palavela venue.Lithuanian ice dancers Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas became the first figure skaters to compete at five Olympics....

6
Ucraina Natalia Yakushenko Luge
Luge at the 2006 Winter Olympics
The Luge competition at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games was held at Cesana Pariol in Cesana, Italy. Three events were staged, taking place from February 11 to February 15. These were the first games where a qualifying system was used to determine the enterants into the games.-Medal...

53
Ungheria Rozsa Darazs Short track speed skating
Short track speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Short track speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics, was held over thirteen days, from 12 February to 25 February. Eight events were contested at Torino Palavela. In the men's competition, Ahn Hyun-Soo earned a medal in each event, winning three golds...

20
Uzbekistan Kayrat Ermetov Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...

4
Venezuela Werner Hoeger
Werner Hoeger
Werner Hoeger is a professor emeritus of exercise science at Boise State University. He has published 51 editions of Fitness & Wellness college textbooks. He is one of the most widely read fitness and wellness college authors in the United States...

Luge
Luge at the 2006 Winter Olympics
The Luge competition at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games was held at Cesana Pariol in Cesana, Italy. Three events were staged, taking place from February 11 to February 15. These were the first games where a qualifying system was used to determine the enterants into the games.-Medal...

1
Italia Carolina Kostner
Carolina Kostner
Carolina Kostner is an Italian figure skater. She is a three-time World medalist , a three-time European champion , a three-time Grand Prix Final medalist , the 2003 World Junior bronze medalist, and a six-time Italian Champion.-Personal life:Carolina Kostner was born...

Figure skating
Figure skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Four figure skating events were held at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, at the Palavela venue.Lithuanian ice dancers Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas became the first figure skaters to compete at five Olympics....

184
  1. The 2006 games were the first winter games in which these countries have participated.
  2. Yang Yang (A) was China's first female flag bearer for the Olympics.
  3. These flag bearers are also citizens of Canada.
  4. This young snowboard
    Snowboard
    Snowboards are boards, usually with a width the length of one's foot, with the ability to glide on snow. Snowboards are differentiated from monoskis by the stance of the user...

    er replaced her older colleague Jagna Marczulajtis
    Jagna Marczulajtis
    Jagna Marczułajtis is a Polish snowboarder who competes in parallel slalom and parallel giant slalom. Since November 2011, she is also a member of the Polish Sejm....

     who was sick.

From Renaissance to Baroque

  • Artistic, 4m 12s
  • 515 performers
  • Direction and choreography: Monica Maimone
    Monica Maimone
    Monica Maimone is an Italian theater director and playwright.- Biography :She started her career in theater in 1966; in 1968 she created the theatre group called Nuova Scena together with Dario Fo and Franca Rame, following the model of Erwin Piscator's "Volksbũhne"...

  • Artistic direction: Valerio Festi
    Valerio Festi
    Valerio Festi is an Italian artistic director and producer. He is also the Chief Executive Officer at Studio Festi.-Biography:Valerio obtained his degree in 1978 at the University of Bologna....

  • Costumes: Gabriella Pescucci
  • Segment coordinator: Nicola Tamburrano
  • Producer: Alessandra Rossetti
  • Set design: Roberto Rebaudengo
  • Drammaturgy: Paolo Dalla Sega
  • Flag wavers' coordinator: Stefano Mosele
  • Flag wavers and musicians: F.I.SB. - Federazione Italiana Sbandieratori
  • Original music: composed, arranged anc orchestrated by Michele Centonze, in collaboration with Stefano Nanni


After a short homage to Dante
Dante Alighieri
Durante degli Alighieri, mononymously referred to as Dante , was an Italian poet, prose writer, literary theorist, moral philosopher, and political thinker. He is best known for the monumental epic poem La commedia, later named La divina commedia ...

 and The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and his death in 1321. It is widely considered the preeminent work of Italian literature, and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature...

, there were Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...

 and Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...

 displays, with an homage to Arcimboldo
Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Giuseppe Arcimboldo was an Italian painter best known for creating imaginative portrait heads made entirely of such objects as fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish, and books – that is, he painted representations of these objects on the canvas arranged in such a way that the whole collection of...

. A scene was based on the Birth of Venus
The Birth of Venus (Botticelli)
The Birth of Venus is a painting by Sandro Botticelli. It depicts the goddess Venus, having emerged from the sea as a fully grown woman, arriving at the sea-shore...

 painting. The role of Venus was played by Czech supermodel Eva Herzigová
Eva Herzigová
Eva Herzigová is a Czech model and actress.-Early life and career:Herzigová was born in Litvínov, Czechoslovakia . She began her modeling career after winning a modeling beauty contest in Prague in 1989, at the age of sixteen. After arriving in Paris, her popularity increased...

, emerging from a shell like in the Birth of Venus
The Birth of Venus (Botticelli)
The Birth of Venus is a painting by Sandro Botticelli. It depicts the goddess Venus, having emerged from the sea as a fully grown woman, arriving at the sea-shore...

by Botticelli
Sandro Botticelli
Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, better known as Sandro Botticelli was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance...

. A dance played a major part in the ceremony, as well as displays of flag waving and baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...

 bands
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...

.
Sportscaster Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...

 called it a celebration of the emergence from the dark days of the Middle Ages, embracing the intellectual pursuits of art, literature and music.

From Futurism to Future

  • Artistic, 9m 30s
  • 205 performers and 24 bambolari
  • Direction: Enzo Cosimi
  • Futurist hero: Roberto Bolle
  • Costumes and props: Daniela Dal Cin
  • Segment coordinator: Nicola Tamburrano
  • Set machine realization: Raoul Rossigni
  • Music: composed and arranged by Ritchie Hawtin ("Substance Abuse" from the F.U.S.E. disc Dimension Intrusion
    Dimension Intrusion
    Dimension Intrusion is an album released by F.U.S.E., aka Richie Hawtin, as the fifth release on Warp's Artificial Intelligence series, in 1993.-Track listing:All tracks by Richie Hawtin#"A New Day" – 3:53#"F.U." – 7:45#"Slac" – 3:17...

    )


The segment started with a modern ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...

 performance which led from a replica of Umberto Boccioni
Umberto Boccioni
Umberto Boccioni was an Italian painter and sculptor. Like other Futurists, his work centered on the portrayal of movement , speed, and technology. He was born in Reggio Calabria, Italy.-Biography:...

's sculpture "Unique Forms of Continuity in Space" to a celebration of Futurism
Futurism (art)
Futurism was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century. It emphasized and glorified themes associated with contemporary concepts of the future, including speed, technology, youth and violence, and objects such as the car, the airplane and the industrial city...

.
Roberto Bolle
Roberto Bolle
Roberto Bolle is an Italian ballet dancer. He is currently a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre and also holds guest artist status with The Royal Ballet and La Scala Theatre Ballet, making regular appearances with both companies.- Overview :...

 performed as lead in the dance part . He represented the futuristic
Futurism (art)
Futurism was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century. It emphasized and glorified themes associated with contemporary concepts of the future, including speed, technology, youth and violence, and objects such as the car, the airplane and the industrial city...

 hero, dancing with other mechanical dancers to show modernity, technology, and speed.
The second part was performed by kung-fu athletes representing futuristic soldiers, while in the final section a group of bodybuilders pushed 6 motorbikes in the center of the stadium, thus emphasizing the role played by speed and technology in Futurism
Futurism (art)
Futurism was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century. It emphasized and glorified themes associated with contemporary concepts of the future, including speed, technology, youth and violence, and objects such as the car, the airplane and the industrial city...

.

Pit Stop

  • Artistic, about 4m
  • Driver: Luca Badoer
    Luca Badoer
    Luca Badoer is an Italian Formula One driver who has raced for the Scuderia Italia, Minardi, Forti Corse and most recently, Ferrari teams...

  • Note: this segment was kept secret before the Ceremony and is not reported in the official programme


Italian driver Luca Badoer
Luca Badoer
Luca Badoer is an Italian Formula One driver who has raced for the Scuderia Italia, Minardi, Forti Corse and most recently, Ferrari teams...

 drove a red Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...

 F1
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...

 car bearing only the Olympic Rings, Torino 2006 name and Italian tricolore
Flag of Italy
The flag of Italy is a tricolour featuring three equally sized vertical pales of green, white, and red, with the green at the hoist side...

 to the centre of the stadium, performing 'donuts
Doughnut (driving)
A doughnut or donut is a maneuver performed while driving a vehicle. Performing this maneuver entails rotating the rear or front of the vehicle around the opposite set of wheels in a continuous motion, creating a circular skid-mark pattern of rubber on a roadway and possibly even cause the tires...

' and revving the V10 engine for a few minutes.

Words and Symbols

Address by the President of the Organising Committee

Address by the President of the International Olympic Committee

President of the Republic of Italy: Opening of the Games

Olympic Anthem

Entry of the Olympic Flag

Olympic Oath
  • Protocol, 20m
  • 264 performers
  • Choreography: Doug Jack
  • Olympic flag coordinator: Nicoletta Mantovani
  • Protocolcoordinator: Sigrid Guillion Mangilli
  • Protocol segment Coordinator: Pamela Allvin


After the Parade of Nations had concluded and the athletes were gathered in the center of the stadium, two short speeches in Italian, French and English were delivered.

The first speech came from Valentino Castellani
Valentino Castellani
Valentino Castellani was the independent mayor of Turin, Italy from July 22, 1993-May 31, 2001, when he led the centre-left coalition. He is also a noted university professor and alumni of the Polytechnic University of Turin...

, the chief organizer of the Torino 2006 Olympic Games. He declared the industrial city "the world capital of sports" during the Olympics.

Valentino Castellani was followed by International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...

 President Jacques Rogge
Jacques Rogge
Jacques Rogge, Count Rogge , is a Belgian sports bureaucrat. He is the eighth and current President of the International Olympic Committee .-Life and career:...

, who told the Olympic athletes, "Your achievements will inspire and motivate future
Future
The future is the indefinite time period after the present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the nature of the reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently exists and will exist is temporary and will come...

 generations," before adding, "Please compete cleanly, without using doping." Rogge also hoped for peace during his short speech. "Our world today is in need of peace and brotherhood, the values of the Olympic Games," he said. "May these Games be held in peace in the true spirit of the Olympic Truce."

Rogge then introduced Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
dr. Carlo Azeglio Ciampi is an Italian politician and banker. He was the 73rd Prime Minister of Italy from 1993 to 1994 and was the tenth President of the Italian Republic from 1999 to 2006...

, who declared the games officially open.

Following the trend set from the selection of eight personalities representing the five continents and the three pillars of Olympism at the Salt Lake City Olympics
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...

 Opening Ceremony, the flag was brought this time into the stadium by eight women:
  • Sophia Loren
    Sophia Loren
    Sophia Loren, OMRI is an Italian actress.In 1962, Loren won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Two Women, along with 21 awards, becoming the first actress to win an Academy Award for a non-English-speaking performance...

    , Italian born actress who was the patroness of the Ceremonies;
  • Isabel Allende
    Isabel Allende
    Isabel Allende Llona is a Chilean writer with American citizenship. Allende, whose works sometimes contain aspects of the "magic realist" tradition, is famous for novels such as The House of the Spirits and City of the Beasts , which have been commercially successful...

    , Chilean novelist;
  • Nawal El Moutawakel
    Nawal El Moutawakel
    Nawal El Moutawakel is a Moroccan hurdler, who won the inaugural women's 400 m hurdles event at the 1984 Summer Olympics, thereby becoming the first female Muslim born on the continent of Africa to become an Olympic champion. She was also the first Moroccan and the first woman from a Muslim...

    , member of the IOC from Morocco, the first Muslim woman to win an Olympic gold medal;
  • Susan Sarandon
    Susan Sarandon
    Susan Sarandon is an American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1969, and won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1995 film Dead Man Walking. She had also been nominated for the award for four films before that and has received other recognition for her...

    , American actress and activist;
  • Wangari Maathai
    Wangari Maathai
    Wangari Muta Mary Jo Maathai was a Kenyan environmental and political activist. She was educated in the United States at Mount St. Scholastica and the University of Pittsburgh, as well as the University of Nairobi in Kenya...

    , Nobel laureate and the founder of the Kenyan Green Belt Movement;
  • Manuela Di Centa
    Manuela Di Centa
    Manuela Di Centa is an Italian cross-country skier and former Olympic athlete. She is the cousin of former track and field athlete Venanzio Ortis and the sister of cross-country skier Giorgio Di Centa.-Career:...

    , Italian seven-time Nordic skiing gold medalist
  • Maria de Lurdes Mutola, gold medalist from Mozambique;
  • Somaly Mam
    Somaly Mam
    Somaly Mam is a Cambodian author and human rights advocate, focusing primarily on needs of victims of human sex trafficking, and has garnered official and media acclaim for her efforts.-Early life:...

    , Cambodian human rights activist.


Their walk with the flag was accompanied by Giuseppe Verdi's "Triumphant March," from Aida. The Olympic flag was then handed over to eight members of the Alpini
Alpini
The Alpini, , are the elite mountain warfare soldiers of the Italian Army. They are currently organized in two operational brigades, which are subordinated to the Alpini Corps Command. The singular is Alpino ....

, an Italian infantry unit, who raised the flag while the Olympic Hymn was played.

Italian skier Giorgio Rocca
Giorgio Rocca
Giorgio Rocca is an Italian Alpine skier, a specialist in Slalom skiing. Together with Marc Girardelli and Ingemar Stenmark, he is one of three skiers to have won 5 Alpine Skiing World Cup slaloms in a row, which he achieved in the 2005/2006 season: only Alberto Tomba has won more World Cup...

 recited the Olympic Oath
Olympic Oath
The Olympic Oath is a solemn promise made by one athlete -- as a representative of each of the participating Olympic competitors; and by one judge -- as a representative of each officiating Olympic referee or other official, at the opening ceremonies of each Olympic Games...

 on behalf of all the athletes from the podium followed by Fabio Bianchetti
Fabio Bianchetti
Fabio Bianchetti is a member of the International Skating Union Technical Committee. He took the Judge's Oath at the 2006 Winter Olympics Opening CeremonyHe is the son of Sonia Bianchetti, also a long-time former ISU official.-References:*...

 from the International Skating Union
International Skating Union
The International Skating Union is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands in 1892, making it one of the oldest international...

 reading the oath on behalf of all judges. Interestingly it was in the last Winter Games that a scandalous judging controversy was revealed involving the Canadian pair of Jamie Salé
Jamie Salé
Jamie Rae Salé is a Canadian pair skater. With partner David Pelletier, she is a 2002 Olympic Champion and the 2001 World Champion. Salé & Pelletier's Olympic gold medal was shared with the Russian pair Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze after the 2002 Olympic Winter Games figure skating...

 and David Pelletier
David Pelletier
David Jacques Pelletier is a Canadian pairs figure skater. With his partner Jamie Salé, he was the co-gold medal winner at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games...

 and a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 judge who manipulated results to award the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n pairs a gold medal.

Peace

The Dove

A Song of Peace
  • Protocol, 6m
  • 40 performers
  • Direction and choreography: Ivan Manzoni
  • Segment coordinator: Vichi Lombardo
  • Original music: composed, arranged and orchestrated by Michele Centonze, in collaboration with Stefano Nanni


Twenty-eight acrobats
Acrobatics
Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, as well as many sports...

 climbed on a net set up on the main stage and executed their choreographed manoeuvres, spinning and flipping to the music. At the end of the routine they all came together and formed the shape of a dove
Dove
Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...

, the symbol of peace
Peace symbol
A number of peace symbols have been used in various cultures and contexts, one of the most ancient being the olive branch. The dove and olive branch was used by early Christians and was later adopted as a secular symbol. It was popularised by Pablo Picasso in 1949 and became widely used in the...

, to a roaring cheer from the crowd.

Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...

, dressed in white like many of the people in the ceremony (the spectators were provided with, and most wore, a white poncho, symbolizing the snow which makes the Winter Olympics possible (and which was rarely seen in the previous years in Piedmont)), then entered and read a free verse poem from a prepared script calling for peace in the world. She called for "taking action" to spread peace. Ono's poem served as an introduction to a rendition of her late husband John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...

's Imagine
Imagine (song)
"Imagine" is a song written and performed by the English musician John Lennon. It is the opening track on his album Imagine, released in 1971...

by Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...

.

Light the Passion

Arrival of the Flame

Lighting of the Cauldron

The Olympic System
  • Protocol, 6m 20s
  • Choreography: Doug Jack
  • Cauldron and torch design: Pininfarina
    Pininfarina
    Pininfarina S.p.A. is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder in Cambiano, Italy.Founded as Società anonima Carrozzeria Pinin Farina in 1930 by automobile designer and builder Battista "Pinin" Farina, Pininfarina has been employed by a wide variety of high-end automobile manufacturers,...

  • Original music: "Olimpia", composed, arranged anc orchestrated by Michele Centonze


The Olympic Torch entered the stadium in the hand of Alberto Tomba
Alberto Tomba
Alberto Tomba is an Italian retired alpine ski racer. He was the dominant technical skier in the late 1980s and 1990s. Tomba won three Olympic gold medals, two World Championships, and nine World Cup season titles; four in slalom, four in giant slalom, and one overall title...

, who then passed the flame to the hands of the 1994
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...

 men's Italian cross country skiing relay team (Marco Albarello
Marco Albarello
Marco Albarello is an Italian cross country skier who competed from 1982 to 2002. He was born in Aosta. His best known victory was part of the 4 x 10 km relay team that upset Norway at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer...

, Giorgio Vanzetta
Giorgio Vanzetta
Giorgio Vanzetta is an Italian former cross country skier who competed from 1982 to 2002. His best known victory was part of the 4 x 10 km relay team that upset Norway at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer...

, Maurilio De Zolt
Maurilio De Zolt
Maurilio De Zolt is an Italian cross country skier who competed from 1980 to 1997. His best known victory was part of the 4 x 10 km relay team that upset Norway at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, when he was 43 years old...

, and Silvio Fauner
Silvio Fauner
Silvio Fauner is an Italian former cross country skier who competed from 1988. His best known victory was part of the 4 × 10 km relay team that upset Norway at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer...

). The flame was then passed to Piero Gros
Piero Gros
Piero Gros is an Italian former champion alpine ski racer. He won the gold medal in slalom at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, and was World Cup overall champion in 1974.-Biography:...

, then Deborah Compagnoni
Deborah Compagnoni
Deborah Compagnoni is an Italian former Alpine skier who won three gold medals at the 1992, 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics.-Career:Deborah Compagnoni was born in Bormio, northern Lombardy....

 before the Olympic Flame
Olympic Flame
The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a symbol of the Olympic Games. Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, its origins lie in ancient Greece, where a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics. The fire was reintroduced at the 1928...

 was lit by former Italian cross-country skier Stefania Belmondo
Stefania Belmondo
Stefania Belmondo is an Italian former cross-country skier.-Debut:Belmondo was born in Vinadio, in the province of Cuneo , the daughter of a housewife and an electric company employee....

. Belmondo paused to show the torch to the cheering crowd one last time before placing it on the arched lighting apparatus. The flame initiated a series of fireworks before lighting the top of the 57-meter high Olympic Flame
Olympic Flame
The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a symbol of the Olympic Games. Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, its origins lie in ancient Greece, where a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics. The fire was reintroduced at the 1928...

, the highest in the history of the Olympic Winter Games.http://mediacenter.corriere.it/MediaCenter/action/player?uuid=20d2ef64-9a88-11da-a3c1-0003ba99c667&pagina=8&filtro=video&menu=main2&idCanale=Sport&idCanaleADV=Sport

The cauldron lighting was also the first in recent memory to be lit indirectly, that is, the flame did not directly touch or travel to (such as the arrow lighting at the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...

) the cauldron itself. The precise timing of the pyrotechnics was obviously computer timed from the precise moment the flame touched the center frame in the center of the stadium. Because of the elaborate fireworks, it is highly unlikely the flame travelled to all the charges directly. However, it is possible that the cauldron was lit from a backup flame inside, or that an electronic signal from Belmondo's apparatus to the cauldron served as the "flame" (much like the 1976 Summer Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...

 where a satellite signal carried the "flame" from Greece to Canada, though not at the opening ceremony).

Fortissimo

Allegro with Fire
  • Artistic, 7min
  • Direction: Marco Balich
  • Chandelier design: Jacopo Foggini
  • Pyrotechnical effects: Christophe Berthonneau
  • Segment coordinator: Vichi Lombardo


After the largest curtain
Curtain
A curtain is a piece of cloth intended to block or obscure light, or drafts, or water in the case of a shower curtain. Curtains hung over a doorway are known as portières...

 yet to be built revealed him on the stage
Stage (theatre)
In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...

, Italian tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...

 Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti
right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...

, wearing a black cape embroidered with silver Olympic rings, ended the ceremony by singing Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...

's well-known aria Nessun Dorma
Nessun dorma
Nessun dorma is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot, and is one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera. It is sung by Calaf, il principe ignoto , who falls in love at first sight with the beautiful but cold Princess Turandot...

from the opera Turandot
Turandot
Turandot is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, set to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni.Though Puccini's first interest in the subject was based on his reading of Friedrich Schiller's adaptation of the play, his work is most nearly based on the earlier text Turandot...

, which ends with the victorious line "At dawn, I shall win!" Pavarotti's performance caused NBC Olympic commentator Brian Williams
Brian Williams
Brian Douglas Williams is the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, the evening news program of the NBC television network, a position he assumed in 2004...

 to proclaim "And the master brings the house down." Indeed, the tenor's performance received the longest and loudest ovation of the opening ceremony from the international crowd. This would prove to be Pavarotti's final public performance of his signature song.

However, Pavarotti lip-synched his own performance because Leone Magiera, the maestro who conducted the aria, felt the cold weather made it difficult for Pavarotti, who was in pain from cancer treatment, to perform live.

Security measures

Security was present at the Opening Ceremony as has become the norm for the Olympics. Organizers have stepped up the security measures in connection with the contemporary Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...

 and they insisted that the Olympic Games are going to be safe.

Dignitaries and other officials in attendance

Aside from celebrities participating in the ceremonies and members of the International Olympic Committee, the following dignitaries and officials associated with the Olympic movement were in attendance.
  • Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki
    Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki
    Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki is a Greek business woman. She is best known for being the president of the bidding and organizing committee for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece...

    , Organizer of the 2004 Summer Olympics
    2004 Summer Olympics
    The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...

  • Cherie Blair
    Cherie Blair
    Cherie Blair , known professionally as Cherie Booth QC, is a British barrister working in the legal system of England and Wales. She is married to the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair; the couple have three sons and one daughter...

    , Wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair
    Tony Blair
    Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...

  • Laura Bush
    Laura Bush
    Laura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...

    , former First Lady of the United States, and her daughter Barbara
  • Harald V
    Harald V of Norway
    Harald V is the king of Norway. He succeeded to the throne of Norway upon the death of his father Olav V on 17 January 1991...

     and Queen Sonja
    Queen Sonja of Norway
    Queen Sonja of Norway is the wife of King Harald V of Norway.-Prior to marriage:Sonja was born in Oslo on 4 July 1937 as the daughter of clothing merchant Karl August Haraldsen and Dagny Ulrichsen .Queen Sonja grew up in the district of Vinderen in Oslo and completed her lower secondary schooling...

    , King and Queen of Norway
  • Horst Köhler
    Horst Köhler
    Horst Köhler is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union. He was President of Germany from 2004 to 2010. As the candidate of the two Christian Democratic sister parties, the CDU and the CSU, and the liberal FDP, Köhler was elected to his first five-year term by the Federal Assembly on...

    , President of Germany
  • Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz
    Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz
    Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz is a Polish conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of Poland from October 31, 2005 to July 14, 2006...

    , Prime Minister of Poland
  • Rita Levi-Montalcini
    Rita Levi-Montalcini
    Rita Levi-Montalcini , Knight Grand Cross is an Italian neurologist who, together with colleague Stanley Cohen, received the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of nerve growth factor...

    , Nobel prize
    Nobel Prize
    The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...

     winning physiologist and Italian senator-for-life
    Senator for life
    A senator for life is a member of the senate or equivalent upper chamber of a legislature who has life tenure. , 7 Italian Senators out of 322, 4 out of the 47 Burundian Senators and all members of the British House of Lords have lifetime tenure...

  • Luca di Montezemolo
    Luca di Montezemolo
    Luca Cordero di Montezemolo is an Italian businessman and Chairman of Ferrari. He was also Chairman of Fiat S.p.A from 2004 to 2010 and President of Confindustria from 2004 to 2008 and FIEG. He comes from an aristocratic family from the region of Piedmont in Italy...

    , President and CEO of Ferrari
    Ferrari
    Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...

     and chairman of FIAT
    Fiat
    FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...

  • Mitt Romney
    Mitt Romney
    Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...

    , Organizer of the 2002 Winter Olympics
    2002 Winter Olympics
    The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...

    , and Governor of Massachusetts
    Governor of Massachusetts
    The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...

  • Matti Vanhanen
    Matti Vanhanen
    Matti Taneli Vanhanen is a Finnish politician. He is a former Prime Minister of Finland and a former Chairman of the Centre Party. In the second half of 2006 he was President of the European Council. In his earlier career he was a journalist...

    , Prime Minister of Finland
  • Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia
    Premier of British Columbia
    The Premier of British Columbia is the first minister, head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used...

    , host Canadian province of the 2010 Winter Olympics
    2010 Winter Olympics
    The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...



Italian Prime Minister
Prime minister of Italy
The Prime Minister of Italy is the head of government of the Italian Republic...

 Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...

was absent.
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