2007 Pan American Games opening ceremony

The Opening Ceremony of the XV Pan American Games took place on 13 July 2007. Considered an audition for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, the Opening Ceremony was praised by the media for its creativity and Olympic-style production value. The Los Angeles Times reported:

Brazil's largest city still must overcome doubts about crime and traffic, among other things, if it hopes to make good on its Quixotic bid to play host to the 2016 Olympic Games. But Rio sure has the opening ceremony down pat. On Friday the city inaugurated the 15th Pan American Games with a lavish and creative 3 1/2 -hour show that featured a symphony orchestra, three 100-foot-long coral snakes, Miss Brazil, an alligator the size of a 747, fireworks, a 1,500-piece percussion band and thousands of dancers dressed as everything from ocean waves to water lilies. [ [http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-panam14jul14,1,2780424.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-sports The Los Angeles Times reported] ]

Approximately 90,000 spectators and 5,000 athletes packed Rio de Janeiro's Maracanã Stadium for the occasion. The ceremony included a cast of 4,000 and a $17 million (US) budget. The Executive Producer of the Opening Ceremony was Scott Givens. More than 250 people were part of the creative and production teams with another 1,000 backstage volunteers. Scott Givens' team was responsible for the Opening Ceremony, Sports Production, the presentation of 2,252 medals, Sports Production and the Closing Ceremony.

The theme of the show was based on the theme of the Rio 2007 Games: "Viva Essa Energia" (Share this Energy).

The show began at 17:30 local time (UTC-3) and lasted for two and a half hours.

The oath of the athletes was performed by Brazilian Taekwondo athlete Natália Falavigna. cite web | title = Cerimônia de abertura para ficar na história | url=http://www.gazetaesportiva.net/ge_noticias/bin/noticia.php?chid=121&nwid=39695 | accessdate = 2007-07-18 |date=2007-07-13 | publisher=Gazeta Esportiva |language = Portuguese ]

Contrary to plan and tradition, the games were not opened by Brazil's head of state, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, but by the head of the Brazilian Olympic Committee, Carlos Nuzman. Prior to the official opening, Lula had been repeatedly booed whenever the in-stadium camera showed him on the large screen set up inside the stadium. cite web | title = Pan American Games open with extravaganza in Rio | url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/13/sports/LA-SPT-Pan-Ams-Opening-Ceremonies.php | accessdate = 2007-07-15 | publisher=International Herald Tribune ]

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