Brazil’s first torchbearer for Rio Olympics
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BRAZILIAN volleyball legend Giovane Gavio was one of the protagonists at the start of the journey of the Olympic Flame that will be burning for the historic 2016 Rio Summer Olympics at the birthplace of the Games on Thursday.
During an emotional traditional ritual ceremony the Sacred Flame was “born” by the sun’s rays in a concave mirror following the “prayer to God Apollo” by an actress playing the role of an Ancient Greek High Priestess.
Dressed in a pleated costume Katerina Lechou passed the Flame to Greek world champion in gymnastics Lefteris Petrounias, the first torchbearer, kicking off the torch relay and Gavio, a veteran double Olympic champion, was the first Brazilian to hold the torch with the Sacred Light and run in the place where Ancient Greek athletes competed 25 centuries ago.
“The emotions are so strong. It was a great honor for me to participate in this event, in such a significant moment for the Games, and my home country. It is an honor for me, for Rio and for Brazil,” he said while the President of the Organizing Committee of the “RIO 2016” Olympic Games Carlos Nuzman was addressing the event.
It is not the first time Gavio has carried the torch with the Olympic Flame. He had participated in the torch relay for the Athens 2004 Games, when it travelled through a series of countries.
Twelve years ago it was in Brazil. This time it was the sacred site of ancient Olympia and the 46-year-old legend could not hold his excitement for being selected to be the first Brazilian in a historic moment.
It is the first time in the history of the Olympic movement that a South American country hosts the greatest sports event worldwide.
“It is time to light the Olympic cauldron in a tropical country. In the most beautiful and wonderful of cities — Rio de Janeiro. For Brazilians, it will be a moment of national pride. For South America, it will mark history. And for the Olympic Movement, it will be an opportunity to feel the warmth of our people and the exuberance of our culture,” Nuzman said during his speech.
In the Rio Olympics Gavio will be participating as director of volleyball for Rio 2016. The first time he took part in the Games was in 1992 in Barcelona when he became an Olympic gold medalist with Brazil’s national team.
He won his second Olympic gold medal in the 2004 Athens Games. He was also world champion at Argentina in 2002 and four times a winner of the World League, in 1993, 2001, 2003 and 2004.
For the thrilled veteran superstar who is now coaching younger generations the moments he lived in ancient Olympia on Thursday was another unique “gold medal” he added in his collection, as the torch relay continued its journey across Greece.
On April 27 in a handover ceremony in Athens the Brazilian hosts of the Games will take the Flame to Brazil where on May 3 the second leg of the relay will kick off from Brasilia.
The torch will visit 328 towns and cities in every Brazilian state before arriving in Rio de Janeiro for the opening ceremony at Maracana stadium in August.
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