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 While the opening ceremony, created and inspired by Cirque du
Soleil, attracted a capacity crowd of 45,000 to the Rogers Centre,
hundreds of thousands of tickets remain unsold for the for the
largest multi-sport event ever staged in Canada, raising fears of
near-empty arenas at some events.
After two failed Olympic bids, Toronto -- for one night at least --
embraced the Pan Am Games with all its big city might offering more
than 7,000 athletes from 41 countries a rousing and memorable
welcome.
Drawing inspiration from Toronto’s vibrant multicultural makeup
while paying homage to the country's aboriginal roots, the Cirque du
Soleil spectacle was rich in symbolism with a Made In Canada stamp.
"To the visitors from 41 nations I say this, 'welcome, welcome to a
place that will feel like home'," Saad Rafi, chief executive officer
of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am organizing committee, told the packed
stadium.
"What you will see is Canadian hearts are big. They swell for
country that we love but they leave room for the country of our
origin."
Breaking from tradition, the emotional highlight of the evening came
early with the stirring arrival of the Pan Am flame.
With a blend of technology and pure magic, Donovan Bailey, once the
world's fastest man, appeared to dive off CN Tower with torch in
hand for one thousand feet towards the stadium beneath as a
parachute billowed.
But it was all an optical illusion, and the sprinter was next seen
on screens standing on the roof of the massive domed stadium.
Bailey was lowered from the roof and reunited with the other members
of Canada's 4x100 meter relay team that shocked the world by blazing
to gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
The double Olympic, three-time world champion then passed the flame
to the hope of a new generation, 15-year-old diver Faith Zacharias,
who placed the torch center stage, where it remained for the rest of
the ceremony.
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The honor of lighting the Pan Am cauldron later fell to one of
Canada's most popular athletes, two-time National Basketball
Association Most Valuable Player Steve Nash.
Taking the torch from the player hailed as Canada's next basketball
great, NBA 2014 number one overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins, Nash
ran the flame outside the stadium to light the cast iron, pine
cone-inspired cauldron as the July 10-26 Games opened to a burst of
fireworks that lit up the clear night sky.
With International Olympic Committee president Dr. Thomas Bach and
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper looking on, Argentina began
the parade of nations with the hosts last to appear from the tunnel.
Sprint canoeist Mark Oldershaw led the 700-strong Canadian
contingent into the stadium to a predictable roar that threatened to
lift the lid off the domed stadium.
No Canadian production big or small would be complete without a nod
to the national obsession of ice hockey, and sure enough National
Hockey League greats Bobby Orr and Mark Messier helped carry the
Olympic flag to the podium before Governor General David Johnston
officially declared the July 10-26 Games open.
(Editing by Andrew Both)
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