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.
Gymnastics: One more piece to go! Louis Smith, Max Whitlock and Brinn Bevan on the running order. On the scoreboard, there are just 2.5 points separating Russia in first and GB in third, with China in the silver position.
Good morning and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of day four at the Rio Olympic Games, where a drugs row has erupted in the heated rivalry between newly crowned 100m breaststroke Olympic champion Lilly King and the controversial Russian Yulia Efimova.
King has also taken aim at her USA teammate Justin Gatlin by claiming he - nor anyone else who has failed a drugs test and served a ban - should be competing at the Olympics.
Here's the latest from our chief sports writer, Ian Herbert, out in Rio as the feud between King and Efimova reached boiling point in an emotional and dramatic press conference. King has been outspoken in her belief that drug cheats should not be allowed to compete in the Olympic Games, and despite Efimova sitting next to her, she made it clear what she thinks of the Russian swimmer.
Canoe slalom: Here comes David Florence for Team GB and he is very much in contention for a medal as we wait for news from Andy Murray in the tennis. If you need a crash course in slalom racing, the aim is to get down the 250m course as quickly as possible. That sounds simple enough. However, you then have to make sure you pass through the gates (up to 25 of them) and six of those happen to be upstream. Time penalties await if you miss/forget one.
Canoe slalom: With a massive show of upper-body strength, Team GB's David Florence reaches the final of the canoe slalom contest. He gets around in 99.36 seconds and that's enough to put him in a good position to bring home a medal.
Andy Murray has continued his fine summer form in Rio
Men's tennis singles: Wimbledon champion Andy Murray secures a straight sets victory against Juan Monaco to set up a third-round tie against Frenchman Fabio Fognini or Italy's Benoit Paire. Routine stuff from the Scot, dispatching his Argentinian opponent 6-3 6-1.
The dangers posed in Rio have been well documented, but last night to threatened to come to reality after a bus carrying journalists from the Olympic Village was apparently attacked by gunmen. Thankfully there have been no reported injuries, and we can gladly report that our reporters out in Rio made it home safe and well to enjoy their Pot Noodle and Cheetos dinner. No expense spared.
It was a night to remember for Michael Phelps as gold medals 20 and 21 arrived in the form of the 200m butterfly and 4x200m freestyle relay, but there was a moment of controversy shortly after his first victory of the night. Phelps was seen wagging his finger in celebration, but given everything that has gone on in recent days when Lilly King did the same towards Yulia Efimova, was this Phelps's way of taking a stance against drug cheats?
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