Olympic Games ceremony
The Olympic Games ceremonies of the Ancient Olympic Games were an integral part of these Games; the modern Olympic games have opening, closing, and medal ceremonies. Some of the elements of the modern ceremonies date back to the Ancient Games from which the Modern Olympics draw their ancestry. An example of this is the prominence of Greece in both the opening and closing ceremonies. During the 2004 Games, the medal winners received a crown of olive branches, which was a direct reference to the Ancient Games, in which the victor's prize was an olive wreath. The various elements of the ceremonies are mandated by the Olympic Charter, and cannot be changed by the host nation. This requirement of seeking the approval of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) includes the artistic portion of opening and closing ceremonies.
The ceremonies have evolved over the centuries. Ancient Games incorporated ceremonies to mark the beginning and ending of each successive game. There are similarities and differences between the ancient Olympic ceremonies and their modern counterparts. While the presentation of the Games has evolved with improvements in technology and the desire of the host nations to showcase their own artistic expression, the basic events of each ceremony have remained unchanged. The presentation of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies continue to increase in scope, scale, and expense with each successive celebration of the Games, but they are still steeped in tradition.
Ancient forerunners[edit]
The Ancient Games, held in Greece from ca. 776 BC to ca. 393 AD,[1] provide the first examples of Olympic ceremonies. The victory celebration, elements of which are in evidence in the modern-day medal and closing ceremonies, often involved elaborate feasts, drinking, singing, and the recitation of poetry. The wealthier the victor, the more extravagant the celebration.[2] The victors were presented with an olive wreath or crown harvested from a special tree in Olympia by a boy, specially selected for this purpose, using a golden sickle.[2] The festival would conclude with the victors making solemn vows and performing ritual sacrifices to the various gods to which they were beholden.[2]
There is evidence of dramatic changes in the format of the Ancient Games over the nearly 12 centuries that they were celebrated. Eventually, by roughly the 77th Olympiad, a standard 18-event program was established.[3] In order to open a Games in ancient Greece the organizers would hold an Inauguration Festival. This was followed by a ceremony in which athletes took an oath of sportsmanship. The first competition, an artistic competition of trumpeters and heralds, concluded the opening festivities.[3]
Traditionally more relaxed and festive,
Many elements of the closing ceremony ended up evolving historically through traditions rather than official rules and procedures.[44]
The current closing ceremony procedures began with changes approved by the IOC during the 112th IOC Session held in Moscow in 2001 and started at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Between 1896 and 2000 it was common for, in addition to the anthem of the host country, the Greek anthem and the anthem of the next host country to be played in this opening segment.Due changes implemented in 2005.Is common that the closing ceremony begins with the authorities presentation followed by the raising of the host country's flag and a performance of its national anthem, followed by an artistic program.[44]
Because of its flexibility, it is common for the duration to be shorter than the opening ceremonies.
Usually,the protocolar part of the closing ceremony starts with the "Parade of Nations",[44] where flag bearers from each participating country enter at the main entrance to the stadium field.Since the 2002 Winter Olympics.It is up to the Organizing Committee to make the decision whether or not the athletes will enter the protocol order
the protocolar order used during the opening ceremonies.The only requirement is that the Greek flag leads the parade and that of the host country is last. An example of this flexibility in this rule occurred at the 2012 Summer Olympics, when during the closing, the flags of Great Britain as host country and Brazil as the next host entered together at the end of this segment.⁸If the circumstances permits them march all of the athletes without any distinction or grouping by nationality. This "Parade of Athletes,"[44] the blending of all the athletes, is a tradition that began during the 1956 Summer Olympics at the suggestion of Melbourne schoolboy John Ian Wing, who thought it would be a way of bringing the athletes of the world together as "one nation." Prior to the 1956 Summer Games, no Olympic Team had ever marched in the closing ceremony of the Modern or the Ancient Games. It was the very first International Peace March ever to be staged.[45]
Starting at the 2000 Summer Olympics,after all the flags and athletes enter the stadium, the final medal ceremony of the Games is held. The organizing committee of the respective host city, could, consulting with the IOC, determines which event will have its medals presented.[44] During the Summer Olympics, this place is reservated for the men's marathon awarding ceremonies (starting in 2020 Summer Olympics the women's marathon had to be their awarding ceremonies also during the closing) [44] Traditionally, the men's marathon is held in the last day of competitions, and the race is finished some hours before the start of the closing ceremony. However, in recent Summer Olympiads in Atlanta, Beijing, Rio and Tokyo (although 2020's marathons were held in Sapporo, 500 miles or near 1.200km away) staged the men's and women's marathon in the early morning hours due the climate conditions in the host city.This tradition was adapted for the Winter Games starting in the 2006 Winter Olympics, the medals for the men's 50 km cross-country skiing event and starting on 2014 the woman's 30 km cross-country skiing event were presented at the closing ceremony.
Another obligatory moment is when the newly elected members of the IOC Athletes' Commission then present a bouquet of flowers to a representative of the volunteers, as a thank-you to them for their work during the Games.[44]
After changes held during the 2006 Winte Olympics,the Antwerp ceremony starts with two another national flags hoisted on flagpoles one at a time while the corresponding national anthems are played: first, on one of the masts located at the rostrum tip the flag of Greece to honor the birthplace of the Olympic Games is played first, and since the immediately the flag of the country hosting the next Summer or Winter Olympic Games.[44] "Hymn to Liberty", the national anthem of Greece, has been performed at every closing ceremony of the Olympic Games since the current rules were adopted.[46].This protocol segment won more highlight during the closing ceremonies of the 1980 Summer Olympics, as the United States was scheduled to host the next Summer Olympics,was the time of the American anthem being played while its flag was raised,the flag of Los Angeles was raised with the Olympic Anthem played instead The Star-Spangled Banner as consequence of the constraints who led to the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott.[47][48] In Sydney and Athens, two Greek flags were raised because Greece was hosting the 2004 games.
Then, while the Olympic Hymn is played, the Olympic flag that was hoisted during the opening ceremony is lowered from the flagpole and carried from the stadium.[44]
In what is known as the Antwerp Ceremony (because the tradition began at the Antwerp Games), the current mayor of the city that organized the Games transfers the official Olympic flag to the president of the IOC, who then passes it on to the current mayor of the city hosting the next Olympic Games.[26] The receiving mayor then waves the flag eight times. During the ceremony, the mayor of the current host city stands on the left, the president of the IOC stands in the middle, and the mayor of the next host city stands on the right. Until the 1984 Summer Olympic Games this ceremony was held during the Opening Ceremonies. During the Modern Olympic history five protocolar flags are used:
[49]
This portion of the ceremony actually took place at the opening ceremony until the 1984 Summer Games and the 1988 Winter Games.
The next host city then introduces itself with a cultural presentation. This tradition began with the 1976 Summer Olympics.and was modernized several times until the recent rules were applied in 2020.[50]
Afterwards, the President of the Organizing Committee makes a speech. The IOC President then makes a speech before closing the Olympics by saying:
If the next Olympic Games is not scheduled for four years after the current one, the IOC president will instead reference the different timeframe. For instance, the 2020 Summer Olympics were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so IOC President Thomas Bach instead stated "I call upon the youth of the world to assemble, three years from now, in Paris."[55] A similar situation occurred at the 1992 Winter Olympics, which were held only two years before the next Winter Olympics in 1994 so that the Summer and Winter Games would be in different years moving forward. Unlike the opening ceremony, the head of state or representative of the host country does not give a speech at the closing ceremony.
Finally, the Olympic cauldron is extinguished, marking the end of the current Games and the start of a new cycle.[44]
Following the conclusion of the ceremony protocol, it is not uncommon for the ceremony to continue on with an "afterparty" of concert performances as a finale; the 2010 Winter Games closing ceremony featured various Canadian musicians, the 2012 Summer Games closing ceremony featured a portait of the british modern music with performances held by Pet Shop Boys, One Direction, Jessie J, the Spice Girls and The Who,[56] the 2016 closing ceremony featured a tribute to the Rio Carnival,[57] and the 2018 Winter Olympic Games opening and closing ceremonies were focused on th Korean Wave movement. The IOC also added a performance by the french DJ Martin Garrix.[58]