The Opening Night Ceremony is the highlight of the games.
The line-up of this years parade of nations was in alphabetical order – Portuguese style! Due to birthrights – (birth place of the very first Olympic Games) Greece is always the first out the block.
Giesale Bundchen, Brazil’s most famous export, is said to have done her last catwalk at the games.
‘Think Globally, Grow Locally’ . . . How ‘Climate Change’ is effecting all of us – Is this years message (beautifully dramatized by Brazilian dancers).
The most anticipated sport was Gymnastics, yet it was men’s basketball that sold out within 10 minutes (go figure)
Golf is back!! That’s the first time in 112 years
The United States has 554 delegates, (373 of them first timers) representing . . . . The largest of any nation.
Once one of three countries that did not allow women to participate in the games, Saudi Arabia now has over 45% women to qualify.
Baseball was outset in 2012; but will return in Tokyo, Japan in 2020, along with softball; while skateboarding, surfing, karate and sport climbing are expected to join the fun.
Beijing, China will host the 2022 Winter Olympics, making it the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics
The US gymnasts women will bring some bling with almost 5,000 Swarovski crystals donning each of their leotards.
The US has never competed in badminton, table tennis, or ping pong.
Alberto Santos-Dumont (a Brazilian aviation pioneer) was the first person to ever fly an airplane – so say the Brazilians. (don’t shoot the messenger).
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