2016 Summer Olympics to kick off in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro within hours

Rio was awarded the right to officiate the 2016 Olympics in October 2009, outbidding three other hopefuls - Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago. Brazil has by now firmly established itself in the club of the leading world sports powers. In 2014, it hosted the World Soccer Cup finals. Sports facilities in what is now the Olympic Park and the city's transport network have required more than $9 billion to upgrade. The costs were split evenly between the government and private businesses.

The listed sports events at the Rio Olympics are as follows: rowing, badminton, basketball, boxing, wrestling, cycling, water polo, volleyball, handball, sports and rhythmic gymnastics, golf, kayaking and canoeing, rowing slalom, judo, equestrian sports, athletics, table tennis, yachting, swimming, beach volleyball, diving, trampolining, rugby-7, synchronized swimming, modern pentathlon, shooting, archery, tennis, triathlon, taekwondo, weightlifting, fencing, football and field hockey.

Rugby-7 and golf are the two new sports on the Olympic schedule. In contrast to the London Olympics, the number of medals to be vied for has been ramped up from 302 to 306. The name of the first Olympic champion - in women's air rifle shooting - will become known on Saturday.

Four Olympic clusters

The Barra Tijuca Park, on the shores of Lake Jacarepagua, west of the city center, will hold the main events. The three other major sports sites are Deodoro, Maracana and Copacabana.

The main stadium - Maracana - will host the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the decisive football matches.

The Olympic Games will bring together athletes from all of the 206 countries whose national committees are affiliated with the International Olympic Committee, as well as those who are commonly referred to as refugee athletes, who will be competing under the Olympic flag. Kosovo and South Sudan will participate for the first time ever. The US team - 554 athletes - will be the largest. An impressive group of 465 athletes will represent Brazil.

Opening ceremony

Brazil's difficult financial situation has forced the country to cut corners and avoid a lavish show. Executive Producer Marco Balich said, "It does not have the grandiosity of Beijing, the huge special effects of Athens, the eccentricity and technological skills of London. It is a very contemporary ceremony. Even without special effects, it talks to people about the future. It is not a display of how good or modern Brazil is."

The show has been co-authored by Brazil's film director, Fernando Meirelles and producers Daniela Thomas and Andrucha Waddington. Stage director and choreographer Deborah Colker is responsible for the dance show, featuring 6,000 volunteers and 300 professional dancers. Samba performer Paolinho da Viola will sing Brazil's national anthem.

The site selected for the opening ceremony - the Maracana stadium - was built specifically for the 1950 World Football Cup finals.

Over the past three years, Maracana has been upgraded and refurbished thrice. Currently it seats no more than 79,000 spectators. The stadium, named after Brazilian journalist Mario Filho, hosted the final match of the 2014 World Football Cup, where Germany beat Argentina 1:0.

That said, the 2016 Olympics Opening ceremony will begin at 20:00 local time.

Source: TASS