Maria Esther Bueno spent Wednesday 24 February in Rio de Janeiro as part of the celebrations to launch the full Olympic Torch Relay route and the announcement of the first torchbearers.
Olympic torch and uniforms
The uniforms were also unveiled as kids joined in the musical celebrations under the hot summer sun.
“It really was very hot, and we were out in it all morning outside the Olympic Organising Committee headquarters but it was fun,” said Maria Esther.
“I was one of three Bradesco ambassadors invited to be present and we walked behind Érika Miranda, who modelled the uniform and demonstrated the torch.
“There was a huge crowd there and around 200 media people so we were all doing interviews and signing autographs, posing for pictures all the time!”
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- Brazilians love a parade!
The Rio 2016 Olympic Torch Relay, which begins on 3 May, will showcase the diverse beauty of Brazil by visiting 329 towns and cities across all five regions of Brazil and reaching 90 per cent of the population before arriving at the Maracanã Stadium for the Opening Ceremony.
The Relay is due to begin in the capital city Brasília following the traditional lighting of the Olympic Flame in Ancient Olympia in Greece on 21 April, and concludes in Rio de Janeiro on 5 August.
The Torch will criss-cross the South American country, travelling 20,000 kilometres by road and 10,000 miles by air, and will be carried by around 12,000 Torchbearers during the 95-day event.
A Brazilian Celebration
Despite the hot sun that produced 40-degree heat, it was an energetic and multicultural celebration, as the relay and the Games themselves are expected to be.
Rio 2016 Olympic mascot Vinicius was the first to model the torchbearers uniform, showing off his samba skills in front of the gathered crowds and media.
Brazilian judoka Érika Miranda, who was selected by Rio 2016 to be a torchbearer, also donned the white, yellow and green outfit, alongside others who have been invited to carry the torch by the relay partners Coca-Cola, Nissan and Bradesco.
The event started! Erika Miranda, judô world champion, carries the #Rio2016Torch🔥☺ pic.twitter.com/TCruP2LAYy
— Rio 2016 (@Rio2016_en) February 24, 2016
“Although the Games will be in Rio, us Brazilian athletes will be representing the whole nation, and with the flame going to every corner of the country, it’s a chance for people who won’t be coming to the Games to feel closer to event,” said Miranda, a three-time world championships medallist and 2015 Pan-American Games champion in the -52 kg category.
The uniform, which will also be used by support runners and the relay workforce, has been produced by Chinese sportswear company 361°, an official Games partner.
The white represents peace and unity between different cultures, the yellow symbolises the Olympic flame and the green trim adds another of the main colours of the Brazilian flag.
The theme song of the torch relay was also revealed: A Vida do Viajante (The Life of a Traveller) by Luiz Gonzaga, while the celebration featured various styles of Brazilian music.
To view the video click HERE.
The musical side of the event was organised by Carla Camurati, Director Celebra, the Rio 2016 culture programme.
“By taking the Olympic flame to the whole country, we will be keeping our promise to give millions of people the chance to participate in a celebration that will stay in their memories for a long time,” said Rio 2016 President Carlos Arthur Nuzman.
“We want to see the pride of people in the streets, show our cultural diversity and our nature. We will reveal to the world the essence of our country”
Maria Esther Bueno with a replica of the Olympic Torch
Brazil’s greatest ever tennis player, Maria Esther Bueno, who was showcased at the event and has the Olympic Tennis Centre’s main show court named after, said yesterday: “Carrying the torch is an unbelievable honour, something I never imagined would happen to me.
“I will be carrying the torch in Sao Paulo on 24 July, which is very exciting for me!
“I never had a chance to be really involved in the Olympics until now, although I covered it in London 2012.
“To have the Games here in Brazil, to be an ambassador to Bradesco and the Organising Committee and to be carrying the torch is a dream come true!”
Maria Esther then returned to Sao Paulo after the celebrations to catch up with the Brasil Open.
The Olympic Torch Relay route