Oly: Aussies describe opening ceremony as unbelievable

AAP General News (Australia)
08-09-2008
Oly: Aussies describe opening ceremony as unbelievable

By Valkerie Mangnall

BEIJING, Aug 9 AAP - Superlatives flowed as Australian athletes described their experience
of the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony last night.

Some 230 Australian athletes - about 70 per cent of those in Beijing at the start of
the Games - took part in the parade of nations, led by popular flag bearer James Tomkins.

"It was an unbelievable experience," said the 42-year-old taking part in his sixth Olympics.

Hockeyroos midfielder Kate Hollywood echoed his sentiments.

"It was absolutely amazing, an unbelievable experience," she said.

"Mum and Dad were actually in the crowd, they got tickets. I didn't see them but they
saw me, which was great.

"It's going to be hard to sleep tonight but I've got to get a good sleep. I'm definitely
on a high."

The Australian women's hockey team play their first match against South Korea tomorrow.

Sean Wroe, the only member of the Australian athletics team to have arrived from Beijing
in time for the ceremony, said the venue that will host the athletics was abuzz.

"At the moment I'm a little bit on cloud nine," said the 23-year-old, who will contest
the 400m and 4x400m relay in Beijing.

"It was electric.

"The way it's set up, you feel like all the noise and all the atmosphere around the
stadium, while you're on the ground you kind of absorb it all."

Wroe said the team only caught glimpses of the ceremony while they were waiting to enter.

But he described the latter part, including the lighting of the Olympic flame by Chinese
gymnast Li Ning, as "awesome".

Suspended from cables high above the stadium, Li ran through the air around the top
of the arena before letting the flame spiral from his torch up to the Olympic cauldron.

"I was staring at the torch and I was thinking, `how are they going to light it?'," Wroe said.

"The way he ran around the whole stadium, I was like, `Oh my God, this is just mind blowing.'"

AAP vm/jds

KEYWORD: OLY08 CEREMONY AUST NIGHTLEAD

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