Oh, Macragge.....you got me thinking....
Opening Ceremony for the XXIII Olympiad
Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne, Confederation Helvetica (Switzerland)
3. September 1988
The first post-Exchange Summer Games were, just as the Winter Games in Davos in March, opened by Bundespräsident Otto Stich.
The short, at first very traditional, show-part lacked well-known stars and presented Switzerland as a peaceful home of its four languages. Before it opened up to a dazzling display of all national groups of foreigners which have made Switzerland their home, either as "Gastarbeiter" pre-exchange or afterwards as refugees. The show higlighted group after groups with their performances, before the joined together in the Olympic Hymn and the colourful different groups moved and re-grouped in a fast dance into the Olympic Rings.
Stadium Speaker Kurt Felix drove the point home by declaring that Switzerland, home of the IOC, today presented itself as the natural home for the Olympic ideals, carrying them back into the world after years of chaos.
The Olympic Fire, a simple chimney-like design, not fueled by gas but by logs, was lighted by final torch-bearer, 84-year-old gymnast Georges Miez (Switzerlands all-time record Olympist).*
Lausanne was a success and the first media event after 1984 which could be called Global again. 2151 athletes, mostly from Western Europe and Latin America, took part, representing 52 countries.
The Medal Table finally showed France in the lead, winning 12 of the 141 Gold Medals, followed by Switzerland (11) and the UK (10).
The Day before the Closing Ceremony, the IOC decided to award the Olympic Summer Games of 1992 to Cleveland which had made a bid in spring.
*Lighting the Olympic Torch in Olympia led to some discussion whether the ceremony meant diplomatic recognition of the Sparta-based Maoist regime as the Greek Government. The Torch-relay went by ship to Piombino in Tuscany and from there in a modest procession through NW-Italy, mostly through France with short detours into Spain, Great Britain, Flanders, Luxemburg and Germany (Saar) before taking a final tour through all Swiss Cantons.
Opening Ceremony for the XXIII Olympiad
Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne, Confederation Helvetica (Switzerland)
3. September 1988
The first post-Exchange Summer Games were, just as the Winter Games in Davos in March, opened by Bundespräsident Otto Stich.
The short, at first very traditional, show-part lacked well-known stars and presented Switzerland as a peaceful home of its four languages. Before it opened up to a dazzling display of all national groups of foreigners which have made Switzerland their home, either as "Gastarbeiter" pre-exchange or afterwards as refugees. The show higlighted group after groups with their performances, before the joined together in the Olympic Hymn and the colourful different groups moved and re-grouped in a fast dance into the Olympic Rings.
Stadium Speaker Kurt Felix drove the point home by declaring that Switzerland, home of the IOC, today presented itself as the natural home for the Olympic ideals, carrying them back into the world after years of chaos.
The Olympic Fire, a simple chimney-like design, not fueled by gas but by logs, was lighted by final torch-bearer, 84-year-old gymnast Georges Miez (Switzerlands all-time record Olympist).*
Lausanne was a success and the first media event after 1984 which could be called Global again. 2151 athletes, mostly from Western Europe and Latin America, took part, representing 52 countries.
The Medal Table finally showed France in the lead, winning 12 of the 141 Gold Medals, followed by Switzerland (11) and the UK (10).
The Day before the Closing Ceremony, the IOC decided to award the Olympic Summer Games of 1992 to Cleveland which had made a bid in spring.
*Lighting the Olympic Torch in Olympia led to some discussion whether the ceremony meant diplomatic recognition of the Sparta-based Maoist regime as the Greek Government. The Torch-relay went by ship to Piombino in Tuscany and from there in a modest procession through NW-Italy, mostly through France with short detours into Spain, Great Britain, Flanders, Luxemburg and Germany (Saar) before taking a final tour through all Swiss Cantons.