Dereyan: Armenia Starts the Journey in Vancouver
By Antranig Dereyan – on February 19, 2010
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The Armenian Weekly sports correspondent Antranig Dereyan reports from
Vancouver.
VANCOUVER, Canada (A.W.) – As darkness falls over Vancouver on Feb. 12,
the night of the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Games, inside
BC Place the lights are shinning as the participating Olympic nations
prepare to live their Olympic dreams
Outside, hundreds of people are scattered about. `I need two tickets,
any tickets?’ comes from one distraught Finnish support. `Sorry, the
only tickets available are for $1,000,’ says one representative.
Once the clock strikes 6 p.m., BC Place is filled with spectators
wearing white shirts – called `White Out’ – and snowboarders begin to
appear on the stage.
Afterwards, Michaelle Jean, the governor general of Canada, and
Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee,
come out. Following the singing of `O Canada’ by Nikki Yanofsky, it is
time for `The Parade of Nations.’
Greece, the host nation of the first Olympic Games, comes out first.
Not before long, Argentina walks out. And then comes Armenia. Leading
the way, holding his flag high and proud, waving it for the world to
see is alpine skier Arsen Nersisyan. Behind him are the other members
of the team, cross-country skiers Kristine Khachatryan and Sergey
Mikayelyan, Armenia’s young super star, along with alpine skier
Ani-Matilda Serebrakian. They march to the applause of the crowd, the
silent cheering of Armenians behind the scenes at the event and the
millions of Armenians around the world.
It is a sober experience when Georgia comes out. The loss of their
luge athlete, Nodar Kumaritashvili, just hours before was symbolized
by the black ribbon at the end of the Georgian flag.
The Parade of Nations draws to an end with only one nation left to be
introduced. The crowd rises to its feet, the stadium appears to be
covered with a blanket of snow. Outside, Canadians are cheering from
their homes, watching their TVs, scattered all throughout Vancouver’s
downtown section and Whistler. With flags waving and cameras flashing,
the last nation to make their walk in is the current host of the 21st
Winter Olympic Games, Canada.
And the festivities begin. Canadian performers Bryan Adams, Nelly
Furtado, and Sarah McLachlan, to name only a few, sing songs and show
their pride of their home country.
The event that takes the cake is the lighting of the Olympic Flame.
Again high-profiled Canadians take the stage: Steve Nash runs along
with the light glowing above his head, tilting the flame down to light
the torch of the final torch bearer, `The Great One,’ Wayne Gretzky.
The crowd rises once again to their feet as Gretzky, almost in tears,
along with Nash and the other torchbearers, wait for the cauldron to
be lifted from underground into place.
With the crowd still roaring, the cauldron is beginning its
appearance, but is taking a long time to do so. (It is only the TV
viewing audience and media personnel who know about the technical
issues that have arisen.) `We’ll be right back,’ says the voice of
most TV announcers. Once back live, the cauldron still isn’t in place,
but the torchbearers hold their spots.
Finally the cauldron comes up, but not fully; only four out of the
five stands appear, but the flame is lit.
With the BC Place flame glowing bright, the only other flame needing
fire is the outside flame, which is downtown, next to Canada Place.
And who better to do the honors than Wayne Gretzky?
Running onto the back of an open SUV, Gretzky is taken down the
street, which is closed off to other cars, but not to the walking
public. As the car drives up, it has no choice but to go slow as
people are crossing the street and trying to touch Gretzky – just
wanting a piece of this for themselves.
At the destination, the outside flame is lit, bringing an end to the
ceremony and starting the Olympics – and the medal hopes for Armenia and
the other nations.