Olympic Opening Ceremonies go on as planned

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Despite the training-run death earlier in the day of a luger from the country of Georgia, the Olympics' Opening Ceremonies were launched Friday night with a jubilant countdown by the crowd filling BC Place Stadium.

The festive mood, and the opening act of a snowboarder's leap through giant Olympic rings, contrasted sharply with the grief that befell the Games earlier in the day when luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died in a horrific crash on the sliding track at Whistler.

The ceremonies were dedicated to Kumaritashvili; the seven remaining members of the Georgian delegation, who decided to stay and compete, wore black armbands as they marched behind a black-trimmed flag. There were plans to lower the Olympic and Canadian flags to half staff.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge and the top Vancouver organizer, John Furlong, urged the athletes to compete in Kumaritashvili's honor. "May you carry his Olympic dream on your shoulders and compete with his spirit in your heart," Furlong said.

More than 60,000 ticket-holders packed into the stadium for the evening extravaganza, the first Olympic opening or closing ceremony ever held indoors.

Rain was forecast through the weekend in Vancouver, with high temperatures near 50 degrees, prompting some to dub these the Spring Olympics. Rain also has disrupted Alpine skiing events at Whistler.

The Opening Ceremonies climaxed with the Olympic cauldron being lit jointly by four Canadian sports heroes: all-time hockey great Wayne Gretzky, skier Nancy Greene, speedskater Katrina LeMay Doan and basketball All-Star Steve Nash.

About 2,500 athletes from a record 82 countries are participating in the Games, vying for medals in 86 events - including the newly added ski-cross competition. First-time Winter Olympic participants include the Cayman Islands, Colombia, Ghana, Montenegro, Pakistan, Peru and Serbia.

The overall favorites include Germany and the United States - which finished first and second four years ago in Turin - and also Canada, a best-ever third in 2006 and now proclaiming its intention to finish atop the medals table on home turf.

"We're still going to be nice, but we're going to be nice in winning," said Michael Chambers, president of the Canadian Olympic Committee.

The Canadian team was the last contingent in the parade of nations at Friday's ceremony, marching behind flag-bearer Clara Hughes, defending gold medalist in the 5,000-meter speedskating race.

Just ahead in the parade were the Americans. Their flag-bearer was Mark Grimmette, 39, of Muskegon, Mich., competing in his fifth Olympics as a doubles luge competitor.

The cultural segment of ceremony featured many of Canada's best-known musical stars - including Bryan Adams, Nelly Furtado, Sarah McLachlan and k.d. lang. It also highlighted performers and traditions from Canada's aboriginal communities.

Several well-known Canadians received the honor of carrying the Olympic flag, among them hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Orr, singer Anne Murray, race car driver Jacques Villeneuve and Betty Fox, mother of national hero Terry Fox.