closing of the winter olympics 2006 (review)

xcept

Feb. 2006
Arrivederci
Host Turin makes a spectacle of itself in multi-themed musical sendoff
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SOURCE:2006 Houston Chronicle
By DAVID BARRON
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TURIN, ITALY - The "magnificent" Winter Olympics of Turin 2006 ended Sunday as they began, with elaborate ceremonies that mixed unique elements of Italian culture with 1970s American kitsch.

There was the soaring voice of Andrea Bocelli in one segment and the unfortunately inescapable legacy of a Village People song in another.

As Bocelli sang the pop anthem Ama Credi E Vai (Because We Believe), 398 young women dressed in wedding gowns took the stage at Turin's Olympic Stadium, each carrying lamps as they gathered into a formation creating a dove of light.

One by one their lamps were extinguished, just as the Olympic flame towering above the stadium slowly receded to signal the end of the 20th Winter Games. It was a quiet moment of reflection and celebration, much in contrast to Italy's odd fascination with American disco from the late '70s.

At one point early in the proceedings, fans in the chilly stadium were asked to get their blood circulating by joining in the familiar pantomime of the Village People's hit YMCA, which lives on in Italy, much like the wave formation that was a staple of every night's competition in Turin's skating venues.

Low camp was offset by high satire during the Fellini-like Carnivale Italiano celebration, which featured a royal court entertained by clowns, acrobats, jugglers and jesters.

There was even a real-life interruption. As Valentino Castellani, president of the Turin organizing committee, was giving his final speech of the Games, a man wearing a T-shirt bearing the name of an online casino sprinted to the mike and shouted, "Passion lives in Torino!" The man, who was identified by police as being Spanish, apparently represented the same company that hired a streaker to strip and strut on the field at Houston's Reliant Stadium during Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004.

Along with Bocelli, performers included Canadian pop star Avril Lavigne, who sang during a segment saluting the 2010 Games in Vancouver, and Ricky Martin. Boxer Nino Benvenuti and skier Gustavo Thoeni were among eight Italian sports legends who escorted the Olympic flag from the stadium.

As Turin said goodbye to the Games and the athletes gathered one final time before the crowd of about 35,000, International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said Turin had provided a "truly magnificent" Winter Olympics.

Castellano said he hoped the Olympics will signal new ambitions for Turin.

"We will remember them as the starting point of new challenges," he said.

The loudest applause came for the final medals presentation of the Olympics for the men's 50-kilometer cross country race. Giorgio di Centa of Italy won the gold medal, which he received from his sister, IOC member Manuela di Centra.

It was Italy's 11th medal of the Games and its fifth gold, up one from four years ago in Salt Lake City. Germany won the medals race with 29, followed by the United States with 25, Canada with 24, Austria with 23 and Russia with 22

xcept · Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 12:20 am Post subject:

video of Andrea singing "Because We Believe" at the Closing Ceremony of the Olympics. AT THE LINK BELOW

http://listen.to/davidfoster

novice · Joined: Feb 12, 2006 Posts: 540

Thank you for the link - I had not seen the closing ceremony's... as always Andrea sends shivers down my spine when he sings!