recut from NBC news, see the Olympic fire carried above the stadium to the LED screen symbolizing the way the Olympic fire had to take to China.
Very beautifully done!
Duration : 0:4:0
Lights for sport
November 19, 2008
Torch Lighting Ceremony 2008
October 30, 2008
Nagano (長野) 1998 CC - Olympic Flame, Anri (杏里) and Furusato
Here is the main highlight of the Nagano 1998 Olympic Winter Games closing ceremony: the extinguishing of the Olympic Flame. With that, it ends the string of Winter Olympics for the 20th century.
After that, the stadium turns dark for a moment, Anri (杏里) starts to sing the song “Furusato” (ふるさと). The English translation here is “Hometown” and it is based on a Japanese POEM. As she sings this song, everyone in the stadium is given a lantern to light the area and the place shines with all those lights.
Lyrics (Romanized and Hiragana Japanese Writing):
Usagi oishi kanoyama, (うさぎ おいし かのやま)
Kobuna tsurishi kanokawa, (こぶな つりし かのかわ)
Yumewa imamo megurite, (ゆめわ いまも めぐりて)
Wasuregataki Furusato. (わすれがたき ふるさと).
Ikani imasu chichi-haha, (いかに います ちち-はは)
Tsutsuganashiya tomogaki, (つつがなしや ともがき)
Ameni kazeni tsuketemo, (あめに かぜに つけても)
Omoiizuru Furusato. (おもいいずる ふるさと)
Kokorozashiwo hatashite, (こころざしを はたして)
Itsunohinika kaeran, (いつのひにか かえらん)
Yamawa aoki Furusato, (やまわ あおき ふるさと)
Mizuwa kiyoki Furusato. (みずわ きよき ふるさと)
Repeat first verse above, then,
“Wasuregataki Furusato” AGAIN to end the song.
English Translation:
Sometimes I dream I’m on the hill,
Chasing the wild hare - freely at will,
Catching small fish - as the brook murmurs by,
Place of my birthright - for you I sigh.
Father and Mother - once you taught me,
That treasures of life - are all given free!
Friendship and happiness - sunshine and rain,
Your words come back to me time and again.
Clear crystal brooklet - fresh hills of blue,
Whisper across the breeze - where are you?
When fortune smiles on me - then Furusato,
I will return to you, I love you so!
Repeat first verse from above, then:
“Place of my birthright - for you I sigh” AGAIN to end it.
I like to credit and acknowledge Wikipedia, with the Hiragana writing and I hope I got it right here, and the person(s) in charge of the Misuzukaru-Shinano website for the Japanese lyrics and its English translation to this poem in its entirety. (http://www1.sphere.ne.jp/m-sinano/index-e.html)
Duration : 0:6:15
October 27, 2008
Athens 2004 Olympic Games - Lighting of the Olympic Cauldron
Lighting of the Olympic Cauldron
The Opening Ceremony of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games culminated in the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron by 1996 Gold Medalist Windsurfer Nikolaos Kaklamanakis. The gigantic cauldron, which was styled after the Athens 2004 Olympic Torch, pivoted down to be lit by the 35 year-old, before slowly swinging up and lifting the flame high above the stadium. Kaklamanakis would later win his silver medal in the men’s mistral behind Israeli windsurfer Gal Fridman.
Music:
Finale from Pirogov, Dmitri Shostakovich
Duration : 0:2:25
October 14, 2008
Atlanta 1996 OC - Lighting of the Olympic Cauldron
The main highlight of any Olympic Games opening ceremony: the lighting of the Olympic cauldron by the Flame. First, the late Al Oerter (1936-2007) brings in the Olympic torch from outside the stadium. Oerter was the four-time Olympic champion in the discus throw event from Melbourne 1956 to Mexico City 1968 consecutively.
Within the bowels of the stadium, the flame was passed from Oerter to Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield. He was the Los Angeles 1984 bronze medal winner in the light-heavyweight boxing event. He then popped out from the center of the stadium, from where the official opening speeches were spoken.
As he carried the Olympic Flame closer to its final destination, he picked up Paraskevi (”Voula”) Patoulidou of Greece (her name in Greek is Παρασκευή “Βούλα” Πατουλίδου) to accompany him. Patoulidou was the first Greek female athlete, at the time, to earn an Olympic medal in a track and field event. In Barcelona 1992, she won gold in the 100m hurdles event. She would “repeat” this scene again at the Athens 2004 opening ceremony, but by herself. I believe she is the only person to be allowed that kind of honor TWICE so far in modern Olympic history.
Then, the Flame was passed to Janet Evans: a four-time Olympic gold medalist and an Olympic silver medalist in swimming from both Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992.
Finally, the climax and the honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron was given to MUHAMMAD ALI (formerly named Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr). He was the Olympic champion and gold medalist in the light-heavyweight boxing event at Rome 1960. Kind of funny that the Flame would just “crawl” along the line up to the cauldron like that; never mind how some people reacted what the cauldron looked like then.
Note: The “Ode To Joy” music was used mostly throughout this clip.
Duration : 0:8:27
October 5, 2008
Nagano (長野) 1998 OC-Lighting The Cauldron And Olympic Oaths
The moment of the opening ceremony.
Chris Moon, of Great Britain, carries the Olympic torch to the stadium with the children. Jody Williams, an activist against land mines, is briefly shown here. Also, the torch makes its brief stop in front of Emperor Akihito.
From there, the torch is passed to the following people in order:
- Masako Chiba (千葉真子) (bronze medalist in the women’s 10,000m race from the 1997 IAAF World Championships in Athens);
- the trio of Takanori Kono (河野孝典), Masashi Abe (阿部雅司) and Reiichi Mikata (三ヶ田礼一) (gold medalists from Albertville 1992 and Lillehammer 1994 in the nordic combined events);
- Hiromi Suzuki (gold medalist in the women’s marathon race from the 1997 IAAF World Championships in Athens);
- MIDORI ITO (伊藤みどり) (silver medalist in women’s figure skating from Albertville 1992) lights the Olympic cauldron! (オリンピック聖火)
As for the Olympic oaths, in Japanese:
- Kenji Ogiwara (荻原健司), in behalf of all athletes (gold medalist from Albertville 1992 and Lillehammer 1994 in the nordic combined events);
- Junko Hiramatsu (平松純子), in behalf of all judges. She was a former figure skater that competed at Squaw Valley 1960 and Innsbruck 1964.
After that, white-dove balloons are released into the air. Also, all info gathered here comes from Wikipedia and the official IOC web site.
Duration : 0:8:29
September 22, 2008
Sydney 2000 OC - Cathy Freeman Lights The Olympic Cauldron
The biggest moment of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games opening ceremony. An innovative way of lighting the Olympic Flame to the cauldron by Atlanta 1996 Olympic silver medalist in the women’s 400m event at the time: Cathy Freeman. She went on to win the Olympic gold medal in these Games in the same women’s 400m event.
Note: Very sorry for the poor quality of the picture near the end of this clip. The VCR tape I had this recorded on was showing its age and I was concerned that I was going to lose this entire show because of that.
I know that there is other YouTube uploads of this scene. You may want to look them up for better quality than this clip.
At the end of this clip, fireworks go off at one of Stadium Australia, as the cauldron itself was assisted mechanically, to officially conclude the opening ceremony of these Games.
Duration : 0:9:33
September 13, 2008
Lighting of the Olympic Cauldron Olympics LONDON 1948 2012
Amateur Footage
London, Wembley Stadium, 29 July 1948, Opening Ceremony of the Games of the XIV Olympiad: John Mark lights the cauldron containing the Olympic flame.
Duration : 0:1:4
September 3, 2008
Salt Lake City 2002 OC - The Lighting of Olympic Cauldron
This is it. The main highlight of any Olympic Games opening ceremony: the lighting of the Olympic Flame. Before that happens, many famous American winter Olympians takes the Olympic Torch on its final journey toward and inside the stadium. Here are the carriers in order:
(Outside the stadium)
- Dorothy Hamill (gold medalist in women’s figure skating at Innsbruck 1976) and Dick Button (gold medalist in men’s figure skating at both St. Moritz 1948 and Oslo 1952);
(Inside the stadium)
- Scott Hamilton (gold medalist in men’s figure skating at Sarajevo 1984) with Peggy Fleming (gold medalist in women’s figure skating at Grenoble 1968);
- Phil Mahre (a silver medalist at Lake Placid 1980 and a gold medalist at Sarajevo 1984 in slalom skiing) and Bill Johnson (gold medalist at Sarajevo 1984 in downhill alpine skiing);
- Bonnie Blair (5-time gold medalist and 1 bronze medal in long-track speed skating from Calgary 1988 to Lillehammer 1994) and Dan Jansen (gold medalist in the men’s 1,000m long-track speed skating event at Lillehammer 1994);
- Jim Shea Jr. (which took the Olympic oath earlier here and would win the gold medal in men’s skeleton in Salt Lake) and Jim Shea Sr.: Jim’s father. This was in honor of Jack Shea (double gold medalist in long-track speed skating at Lake Placid 1932 in both the 500m and 1,500m events).
- Picabo Street (a silver medalist at Lillehammer 1994 in the downhill event and a gold medalist at Nagano 1998 in the Super-G event) and Cammi Granato (captain of the gold-medal American women’s ice hockey team from Nagano 1998).
The moment of truth is here. The USA team that won the gold medal in ice hockey at Lake Placid 1980: deemed the Miracle on Ice team. The captain (Mike Eruzione), along with his old teammates, lights the Olympic cauldron! By the way, their Lake Placid 1980 performance was just voted (as of May 17, 2008) the best highlight in world ice hockey history! More congratulations to this former USA team!
Duration : 0:7:44
August 28, 2008
1996 Atlanta Opening Ceremonies - Lighting of the Cauldron
(12:17am) This is the entrance of the Olympic Flame into the Olympic Stadium and the Lighting of the Cauldron by Muhammad Ali hosted by Bob Costas & Dick Enberg to the music of Beetoven’s “Ode to Joy”. Athletes hand-off include:
Al Oerter, Evander Holyfield, Voula Patoulidou, & Janet Evans. Others include Shaquille O’Neal & Michael Johnson. July 20th, 1996 Atlanta, Georgia USA
I recommend viewing Janet Evans’ video speech under her website on being a champion where she talks about this moment.
http://www.janetevans.com/index2.html
Click on “Speaking” then “Video Preview” at lower right of page.
Duration : 0:8:14
August 15, 2008
Doha 2006 Asiad Opening Ceremony - Lighting of the Cauldron
It is the best lighting of cauldron i have ever seen.The Qatari Emir’s son,Sheikh Mohammad Bin Hamad al-Thani, holds up a torch before he rides his horse towards the cauldron in a very dangerous way.Rain also made it so difficult.Really he is a good horseman.
Duration : 0:4:44