Live text commentary - 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver - Opening Ceremony
STANDARD BEARER: Great Britain are led into the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics by skeleton slider Shelley Rudman (Getty Images)
KEEP REFRESHING FOR REGULAR UPDATES FROM THE BC PLACE STADIUM, VANCOUVER
21:16 (-8 GMT): That's all from BC Place but stay tuned for all the reaction from Sportsbeat's team in Vancouver
Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky lights Olympic cauldron in Vancouver
IN PICTURES: The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Ceremony
21:15 (-8 GMT): And who else but Wayne Gretzky to light to official outdoor cauldron!!!!
21:07 (-8 GMT): There's a hint of confusion here about what's going to happen with the outdoor lighting but I'm sure it'll be resolved shortly
21:03 (-8 GMT): This is an indoor stadium and one that surely cannot withstand the heat of an indoor cauldron - the outdoor one still needs to be lit yet
21:01 (-8 GMT): There's a twist in the tail to come yet though....
21:00 (-8 GMT): It appears all four of our torchbearers will light the cauldron - they all ignite the four shards and the cauldron is lit!!!!!
FIRED UP: The Olympic torch is lit by Wayne Gretzky, Catriona LeMay Doan, basketball star Steve Nash and 1968 Olympic ski gold medallist Nancy Greene (Getty Images)
And after a journey of more than 45,000km, during which the torch has passed through thousands of red-mitten clad hands, Gretsky was selected to carry out the final and all-important act of lighting the cauldron.
And he was joined by Olympic double gold medallist speed skater Catriona LeMay Doan, basketball star Steve Nash and 1968 Olympic ski gold medallist Nancy Greene.
In actual fact, LeMay Doan's shard, intended to help light the cauldron didn't work properly so alas, she missed out.
20:59 (-8 GMT): Now come four giant shards of ice from the floor. This is one of the more drawn out cauldron lightings I've witnessed
20:54 (-8 GMT): Bringing the Olympic flame into BC Place is Canadian Paralympic athlete Rick Hansen, it makes its way to former alpine skier Nancy Greene and then of course it finds its way to ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky
There are still four torches burning.................the suspense!!!!
20:53 (-8 GMT): One more ditty and then it's time for the Olympic flame to arrive
A few facts about the Olympic flame:
Vanoc required special exemption from Transport Canada to carry it on an aircraft from Greece, and it was be housed in a modified miner's lamp and fuelled regularly with lighter fluid.
At all times there are at least three flames - a 'mother' and two ‘daughters' - will be ablaze to reduce the chances of the flame ever going out.
20:49 (-8 GMT): Canadian women's ice hockey star Hayley Wickenheiser makes an oath to respect the Olympic ideals, play fair and enjoy herself - or words to that effect
20:46 (-8 GMT): A minute's silence now for Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili....
20:41 (-8 GMT): A who's who of famous Canadians are now carrying the Olympic flag to the pole now - things are heating up
They are: Betty Fox, mother of cancer research fundraiser Terry, actor Donald Sutherland, former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, former Olympic figure skating champion Barbara Ann Scott, singer Anne Murray, author and humanitarian Romeo Dallaire, hockey legend Bobby Orr and astronaut Julie Payette
20:39 (-8 GMT): Anyway, back to proceedings at BC Place and we've been assured the torch is just 12 minutes away!
20:37 (-8 GMT): An interesting, if slightly irrelevant anecdote about Montreal's Cohen
When asked by Bob Dylan, who has also covered the song, how long it took him to write Hallelujah, Cohen replied, 'about a year'.
Cohen, out of either politeness or curiousity asked Dylan how long it took him to write I and I. Dylan chuckled and responded '15 minutes'.
20:34 (-8 GMT): Sorry kd and Sorry Ms Burke but Jeff Buckley's version is incomparable - Sportsbeat's James Toney, in BC Place, Vancouver
20:32 (-8 GMT): But before the partying begins, a time for reflection. k d lang takes to the mic to belt out Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. For our younger readers think Jeff Buckley
20:31 (-8 GMT): Now it's the turn of Michaelle Jean, Canada's Governor General, to declare the 21st Winter Olympic Games open!
20:26 (-8 GMT): Back to Rogge to make his opening address - he kicks things off with the much-anticipated praising of Canada and their support for the Games.
20:19 (-8 GMT): Vanoc chief John Furlong's turn and he opts to praise the athletes of the Vancouver Games.
"At this Games, you athletes have the responsibility to carry Nodar's Olympic dreams and to compete with his spirit in your heart," said Furlong.
"The spirit of 33million Canadians is sown into the fabric of these Games. All Canadians, from all different cultures and backgrounds, we all aspire to be Olympian."
20:17: Now IOC president Jacques Rogge takes the floor briefly to pay tribute to Nodar Kumaritashvili
"It's with great sadness that we acknowledge the tragic death of Nodar Kumaritashvili, who died on the luge track. Our thoughts are with his friends, family and countrymen," said Rogge.
20:15 (-9 GMT): Has Barack Obama's speechwriter been helping out with the script for Vancouver's opening ceremony? - Sportsbeat's James Toney, in BC Place, Vancouver
20:14 (-8 GMT): Poet Shane Koyczan concludes the cultural aspect of the opening ceremony with a pro-Canadian speech/diatribe
ARTIFICIAL SNOW: The structure, intended to depict the Rockie Mountains, takes centre stage at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics ceremony (Getty Images)
20:11 (-8 GMT): Skaters with lights (Turin) and Skaters on fire (Commonwealth Games, Melbourne) is becoming a standard opening ceremony trick. C'mon London 2012 get thinking - Sportsbeat's James Toney, in BC Place, Vancouver
20:09 (-8 GMT): Back to a hint of reality now and there are athletes performing all sorts of winter sports on these artifical Rockies
20:03 (-8 GMT): This Daley doppelganger is in trouble - the golden prairies have in turn changed into an electrical storm which has caused a blizzard!!!!!
Some mountain-like structures have just come out of the floor - I would hasten to guess that they're the Rockies
20:01 (-8 GMT): Ryan Bangs is back in with - Lindsey 'Jacob's Crackers' Jacobellis
20:00 (-8 GMT): There's a young chap floating around the prairies and he's a dead ringer for Great British diver Tom Daley
19:57 (-8 GMT): So we've just been treated to the Canadian fall and now we've got the expansive golden prairies
19:56 (-8 GMT): Stay awake back home in the UK guys - k.d. lang is about to sing one of Leonard Cohen's more depressing numbers - Sportsbeat's James Toney in BC Place, Vancouver
19:50 (-8 GMT): A flurry of fiddles comes to an abrupt halt back in the BC Place Stadium and we've now got a tattoo-riddled tap-dancer strutting his stuff.........
CULTURAL LESSON: Dancers and performers act out another spectacular scene at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony (Getty Images)
19:48 (-8 GMT): My esteemed colleague Ryan Bangs has just weighed in with Paula 'Walkers Crisps' Walker, re. the food/athlete game - I'm going to extend it beyond just the British team now
Lindsey 'Vol au Vents' Vonn? Maybe not
19:45 (-8 GMT): I think we're taking a trip through the seasons. From the looks of things we're on autumn, or fall, as they call it in these parts
19:43 (-8 GMT): Sarah McLachlan is a big star out here but does anyone remember Craig McLachlan, who played Kylie Minogue's brother in Neighbours?
My sister was given his seminal hit - a reworking of the Rolling Stones' Mona - from Christmas and played it over and over and over again - Sportsbeat's James Toney, in BC Place, Vancouver
19:40 (-8 GMT): Sarah McLachlan - a big star in Canada - is now treating us with her dulcet tones...
19:37 (-8 GMT): As is now norm for these ceremonies, be assured what you are watching on television looks more realistic than what we are watching here - Sportsbeat's James Toney, in BC Place, Vancouver
19:35 (-8 GMT): Just thinking about the British team now, there's a distinct food theme running through the 52 members.
So far I can think of Nicola 'Mini Cheddars' Minichiello and Ellie 'Coriander' Koyander. Anymore for anymore, please post ideas below
19:34 (-8 GMT): Not entirely sure what's going on now but there's a giant killer whale on the roof!
19:33: Already , I can't get that Adams-Furtado masterpiece out of my head.......'Bang the drum a litter louder!!!!' I don' t know how they do it
STAR TURN: Nelly Furtado joins forces with Bryan Adams to duet at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony (Getty Images)
19:31 (-8 GMT): Here comes the giant spirit - a standard item in any Olympic opening ceremony - falling from the sky and then rising up from the snow
19:27 (-8 GMT): A change of pace now, thankfully. Or perhaps not. From what I can gather we're being treated to the Canadian interpretation of a dream.........
19:24 (-8 GMT): To make matters worse the drums - handed out to all 60,000 spectators - are being banged in unison
19:21 (-8 GMT): That's all the teams but faster than you can say 'maple syrup' we've got 90s rocker Bryan Adams and Nelly Furtado - two of British Columbia's finest - performing a vomit-inducingly catchy duet
Working...
Comments
all of u guys are ass holes
u know this country has put native people to shame for years if it wasn't for them u guys wouldn't be here... honestly give the Aboriginals a little more credit... i was part of the 350 dancers at the opening ceremonies and it is hard to ready what u guys r says just goes to show u all think low of the aboriginals of canada... we got this opportunity to show the world we are still here and no the europeans have not defeated us we r a lively and vibrant culture
its sad for u who don't respect others. open your eyes to the world... honestly holy shit I'm sure if u where up there dancing and had to read comments like yours u would feel shitty to
National Anthem at Olympics Opening Ceremony
But does anyone know who DID arrange that new version?
I agree. I am a Canadian and
I agree. I am a Canadian and it was an incredible disappointment. Words cannot describe the utter foolishness of the whole event. Punk-fiddlers with too long hair and every bow has strings hanging off it. KD Lang singing the song from Shrek!!!!??? Just because she is gay, I guess they asked her to sing some lame song. The natives jumping around for two hours, the cauldron that looks like 3 (4) joints leaning together to get lit by one lighter, the giant coca-cola bear, the punk poet, what a disaster. Out of the entire process, the only cool thing was the whales. One gigantic flop. Even if it was $38M, it was wayyy too much.
Dripping with sarcasm
"KD Lang singing the song from Shrek!!!!???"
Ya, because the fact that the song was written in 1984 by another Canadian icon and covered by almost 200 different artists has everything to do with a lame-ass movie.
How 'bout getting your head out of Hollywood and learn something about Canadian culture.
I guess Canadian culture is
I guess Canadian culture is tattooed violinists, gays and indians.
OK. I learned.
Great 2010 Olympics Opening Ceremony!
What is all the whining is about... I thoroughly loved the ceremony! Well done! I was deeply moved by it and will remember the great singing, active audience, lighting and special effects, aerialists, athletes, etc. Anyone not getting their fill of perfection should go to heaven.
No taste
Since you thoroughly enjoyed and was moved by the opening ceremonies, then you must:
1. Have no taste
2. Have low standards
3. You were too drunk to remember what happened.
4. Or you were part of the team that put together the piece of shit for a show.
The opening ceremony was by far, the worst, the most boring and the most shitty piece of entertainment ever put together.
Hey, no need to sugar coat it
other than that any reason you wouldn't buy the DVD so you can watch it over and over again?
Horrible! Embarassing! Boring!
This was quite possibly the worst and most boring opening ceremonies I have ever seen! No one expected it to outdo China's, but OMG, it did not even come close to being entertaining! From the indians dancing around at the beginning, to the guy flying thru the wheat towards the end, what was the point? That Canada has diverse people? So what? I felt sorry for the athletes who probably stayed up too late to see this thinking it would be special and fell asleep in their chairs. What a disaster and those NBC clowns kept acting like it was the best show they had ever seen, that was pathetic too.
Opening ceremony
I liked it!
The world's full of critics who never create anything...
And I think you should have to take a breathalizer/drug test
before you post a comment. Low lives crass cursing never created
anything
Everyone has the right to
Everyone has the right to say what they think of the Vancouver Opening Ceremony. So stop with the silly "never created anything" bit and get a grip. It was a bad show and if you were entertained by it then fine, but some of us have higher expectations and to us it sucked.
And so...
I have the right to claim critics never create anything. Get off your silly "higher expectations" Did you really sit down expecting something? Why? what? Did you like anything? CriticiIng everything and liking nothing gets old fast.as do sweeping generalizations. If you found nothing you liked why'd you continue to watch. Something held you until the end. Everyone in the stadium seemed to be having a good time. Young and old. A harder audience to please than a single demographic. Neither did it seem to be crass commercialism.
If I want to see dancing hippies I will go to Berkeley, CA
I am American and feel bad for all you Canadians who love your country. They need to stop pandoring (like the US) to indiginous idiots and put on a fricken good show. China kicked ass.
Berkeley native american
Berkeley doesn't want you either
I hated the way the national
I hated the way the national anthem was sung . I was looking forward to hearing a awesome version but so disappointing ,,,
This was by far, the WORST
This was by far, the WORST opening ceremony I have ever seen. I am a proud Canadian and had been looking forward to this for WEEKS! With all the money we spent, ($38 MILLION!) we got dull, dull dull. The predictable Native Canadian dancers, (who had to dance WAY too long, otherwise it would have been fine) a guy literally flying through prairie wheat for 6 straight minutes, slow, melancholic musical numbers (as much as I like K.D. Lang and Sarah M, this was NOT the venue for those songs) horribly delivered, excruciatingly long speeches by officials, an OPERA singer?!, that dragging version of the national anthem and lastly, but oh so fittingly, a technical glitch during the torch lighting, the most important part of the ceremony. Even the numbers that had potential, like the athletes suspended in the air, went on too long, so it all eventually just looked like a collection of pathetic rag dolls.
Just awful. Awful.....
Horrible, mortifying, embarrassing, an enormously expensive waste of money and just a lumbering, boring pathetic opening ceremony. It had such potential: we could have had beautiful cirque du soleil type numbers, fast exciting musical talent, showcased our beautiful country and instead, we got a stunningly boring flop. I kept waiting, anxiously, for SOME momentum but it never came. A huge DUD.
For shame.
Sadly, well-stated ("this was by far the worst...")
I'm sorry to say it, but it was one of the worst Opening Ceremonies I've seen. No, I am not a "Canada-hater" (or a "hater" at all). I am American, born and raised in Chicago, moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and have travelled to Canada several times. I have a longstanding affection for Canada and its great peoople!
It gives me no joy to say, but: From the over-use of projected images, to the too-slow rendition of your National Anthem, to the over-wrought soprano with the Olympic Anthem (come on, she's a great voice AND a national treasure, yes -- but this wasn't an aria at The Met or La Scala!), to the hydraulic failure with the torch lighting, to the lighting of two separate cauldrons... The whole thing was a very second-rate production. I'm so sorry.
Perfectly stated. I feel
Perfectly stated. I feel sorry for the participants. A barbiturate induced presentation is not the best way to start athletic feats
makeupman.man@gmail.com
Perfectly stated. I feel sorry for the participants. A barbiturate induced presentation is not the best way to start athletic feats
I think there should be an adjustment
I think we spent WAAAAAAY more than $38 Million. Try more like in the billions!!!!!!
unfortunately china set the
unfortunately china set the new standard. unless you wow people you fail. but this wasn't close to a wow. more like a yawn. between this, the death of the luger and no snow, this will probably be one of the saddest olympics ever. i feel sorry for the vancouver folk who had to cough up their tax $ for this drab.
OH SHUT UP!!!
OH SHUT UP!!!
You shut up you fucking
You shut up you fucking asshole!
Uhhh, don't know what you're
Uhhh, don't know what you're watching, but only 3 shards came up not 4 due to a tech difficulty.
Yea, this site is full of
Yea, this site is full of it. Bunch of toothless Brits. Reporting BS lies.
WTF? Only 3 came shards
WTF? Only 3 came shards came up, what the fuck are you talking about? Jesus I hate liars. Eat my ass.
Look at the poster of this
Look at the poster of this site bact tacking now and covering his/her ass about the tech difficulty.
You still look like a giant douchbag.
P.S. I farted, I imagine it smells like your breath.
I don't know about your food
I don't know about your food name game but any event where there is a ski jumper called Wank is going to keep me up through the night
Opening ceremony
Instead of opening I'm watching nbc lame coverage. Tape delay is stupid!
California has more people than Canada, give us live coverage
NBC. (Nothing But Controlfreaks)
Agree, i hate they dont show
Agree, i hate they dont show events live. every other country will be getting this as it happen
How about Paul 'Werther's
How about Paul 'Werther's Originals' Worth?
Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics Sports is on, and the stage is set for a high voltage event in Vancouver. The olympic winter sports opening ceremony will begin today, 12th of February, 2010.
http://www.clbuzz.com/2010-winter-olympics-sports-live-stream/
Time and Date Stamp
Why is the time and date stamp wrong on the comments? It is only 2/12 at 8:32 pm, Central Time.
It is a British website - so
It is a British website - so time and date are as if you were in the UK
Disappointed - Olympic Opening
Of course, it all focuses on the Native population...disappointing is all I can say. Nothing compared to the summer olympic opening. Not even close. Hope the events are better than the opening. Totem poles??? Give me a break.
I agree
While I do believe the ceremonies should incorporate the native population, it shouldn't be based on it. We are a multi-cultural country, lets show it!!
Opening Ceremony
I couldn't wait to watch the opening ceremony. Unfortunately, after 20 minutes of watching it, I gave up and changed the channel. With the first 20 minutes being the worst and the most non-impact, boring opening cermemony I have ever seen, I didn't see any hope of it getting better. Very disappointing!!!!!
National Anthem
I am sorry, but that was one of the worst versions of our national anthem I have ever heard. Way oversung!!
I concur. I was actually
I concur. I was actually stunned and deeply saddened. Normally, I have a difficult time controlling my emotions, and I well up with pride when the anthem is played or sung. Unfortunately, the person who arranged this "version" of our anthem (whether it was the singer or not) messed up to the highest degree. So disappointing!
Post new comment