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.
Men's road race: Fuglsang and Van Avermaet have caught Majka an the trio are all jostling for position for a sprint finish. 1km to go...
The best that can be hoped after a brutal day in the Olympic saddle is that Chris Froome recovers sufficiently before Wednesday’s time trial and Geraint Thomas has rapidly-renewing skin after a tumble 11 kms from home cruelly robbed him of a road race medal.
Thomas eventually made it across the line in tenth, one place ahead of Froome. Kevin Garside reports:
Swimming: Katinka Hosszu could break the record in the women's 400m individual medley final tonight, according to Australian Blair Evans.
"Obviously I saw Katinka pass me on the way through, so I know she's going to go fast. She'll break the world record tonight," she said.
"I try to block everyone and swim my own race, but I knew she was there and I knew she was going to go fast."
Day one review: In a country as busy, vibrant, controversial and colourful as Brazil, the Rio Olympic Games were never going to get off to a quiet start – and they didn’t disappoint on that count on Saturday.
Day one threw up heart-warming moments, heart-stopping moments and heart-wrenching moments, too, from a home point of view as Chris Froome and Co failed to kick off Team GB’s medal count as they came up short in the men’s road race.
Perhaps the happiest tale of the day was that of swimmer Yusra Mardini who is representing the Refugee team under the Olympic flag and won her 100m butterfly heat to huge cheers in the pool at the Aquatics Stadium in Rio. Allow Matt Gatward to guide you through
What else is going on today?
Away from the cycling, swimming and rowing, there's plenty of other action happening today. Boxing, judo, rugby sevens and beach volleyball all continue after getting underway on day one, while the second round of men's football fixtures take place across Brazil. however, what about the lesser known sports?
There's something for everyone at the Olympics, as the fencing, table tennis and handball competitions unfold, with medals up for grabs in the fencing men's foil.
However, one of the sports first up today - due to the rowing delay - will be archery, with the women's team event taking place today. Reigning champions South Korea are guaranteed a quarter-final berth along with China, Russia and Chinese Taipei, while Mexico and Japan have joined them after seeing off Georgia and Ukraine in the first round. Hosts Brazil are currently in action against Italy, before India take on Colombia.
Olympic champion Ki Bo-Bae leads South Korea in the women's team archery
Judo: Disappointment in the men's 66kg for Team GB's Colin Oates, as he loses his round of 32 clash in sudden death against Killian Le Blouch by virtue of being penalised three times.
Fencing: Some good news in from the piste - no, not the slopes of the Alps - but from the Fencing Arena, where Britain's Richard Kruse has gone one better than his London 2012 campaign in reaching the last-16 of the men's individual foil, matching his Beijing 2008 performance.
Women's rugby sevens: It's three from three for Team GB as Emily Scarratt scores two second-half tries to secure an impressive 22-0 victory over third seeds Canada, meaning they progress to the quarter-finals as Pool C winners and will likely face Fiji for a place in the last four.
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