Rio 2016 opening ceremony as it happened: Brazil make carnival from chaos in front of the world
Relive the ceremony as millions around tuned in to watch the opening ceremony in Rio
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Your support makes all the difference.Welcome to The Independent's coverage of Rio 2016 as the sport finally takes over from the simmering political and social unrest to have blighted the organisation of the Olympics this summer.
- Can the carnival overcome the chaos?
- Everything you need to know about Rio 2016 on TV
- Best and bizarre things to look for at opening ceremony
- Now the games have begun, it's time to see the best of Rio
- Pele to miss opening ceremony due to ill health
- Team GB swimming kit 'goes missing'
- Moroccan boxer arrested for rape on eve of Rio
Follow the latest from Rio below...
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The Maracana Stadium hosts the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympic Games as Brazil looks to put the doom and gloom of the past few weeks behind it and raise the curtain on what will be 17 days of the best the South American nation has to offer. But what will it offer?
Any Olympic ceremony often indicates what is to come over the ensuing fortnight of action, with London’s grand opening a sign of things to come as the capital staged a memorable Olympic Games.
While the build-up to Rio has been blighted by fears over the Zika virus, concerns over health and safety and shock at the extreme poverty that the less fortunate experience in Rio de Janeiro, Friday signals a chance to put that all to one side and showcase the city in its finest light.
We already know that the ceremony will not be as flash as London, or even on the same scale as 2012, given that the money spent on it is around a tenth of the £27m spent four years ago.
Film director Fernando Meirelles, famous for his City of God, will coordinate the opening ceremony and explained that he could not justify spending a similar amount to the London showcase given the level of poverty in his home country. But while the ceremony is set to show the best of Brazil, there could be a few bizarre stop-offs along the way.
Usain Bolt's just received his 200m gold on the rostrum.
Doesn't he look delighted?
Women's high jump: Great Britain's Holly Bradshaw clears 4.50m on her first attempt. A perfect start.
It was a dramatic night in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays, with both Team GB and Tea, USA seeing disqualifications destroy their medal hopes. First up saw Britian's 4x400m relay team win their semi-final, only to discover they had been disqualified without reason:
Next up, the men's 4x100m relay final saw Team USA come home in third and secure bronze behind Usain Bolt's Jamaica and Japan, only to look up at the big screen while on their celebratory lap of honour to see a DQ next to their name. It proved to be the ninth time the American's had been disqualified from an Olympics or World Championships in just 21 years:
Men's canoe sprint: Liam Heath is getting his final preparations underway for the 200m K1 final, and after winning both his heat and semi-final yesterday, he'll harbour genuine hopes of winning a medal here - with eyes certainly set on the top step of the podium.
Men's canoe sprint: They get away first time in the eight man field, and it's a rapid race this that lasts just a matter of seconds. Heath's in the running at the front at the halfway mark, and he pushes into the lead... LIAM HEATH WINS GOLD!
Men's canoe sprint: Heath didn't make the fastest of starts, but as soon as the race kicks on he began to eat into the lead held by France's Maxime Beaumont. They reach the halfway mark level, and Heath begins to pull clear to win in a time of 35.19 seconds. Bronze is shared between Spain's Saul Craviotto Rivero and Germany's Ronald Rauhe.
Men's canoe sprint: That men's Team GB have secured gold No 25 of the Rio Olympic Games, just four behind their London 2012 total and, in securing their 61st medal overall, Britain is also just four medals behind the record total haul set four years ago. History is on the cards here.
Women's triathlon: Stanford has worked her way up to second on the bike, but don't read too much into that, as it's a lead group of 18 riders that flash through the finish line as they complete the first lap. All to play for.
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