Opening and Closing Ceremonies

A unique aspect of the Olympic Games are its opening and closing ceremonies. Their splendour is an integral part of the celebration of the Games, effectively setting them apart

from other sports competitions. The opening ceremony is governed by Rule 55 of the Olympic Charter, which sets out the protocol for the event.

The opening ceremony consists of the following elements (adapted from International Olympic Committee, 2014c, 1-4):

1. Entry by the head of state: The head of state of the host country is received at the entrance of the stadium by the IOC President before proceeding together to the official stand.

2. Playing the national anthem: After the introduction of the head of state, the national anthem of the host country is played or sung while its national flag is raised.

3. The parade of the athletes: Tradition dictates that the delegations parade in alphabetical order according to the language of the host country, except for Greece, which leads the parade, and the host country, which brings up the rear. The number of athletes taking part in the Games has steadily increased over the years as the number of National Olympic Committees (NOCs) rose from 22 in 1908 to 204 in London in 2012. All NOCs are to receive equal treatment, and no single country must receive greater attention than any other. Each delegation is preceded by a board bearing its country’s name and by its flag. The usual practice is for the athletes to march behind the flag of their country, but there are sometimes exceptions. For example, the Olympic flag has been used by some nations, such as Great Britain in 1980 in Moscow, the Unified Team in 1992, and Timor Leste in 2000. On other occasions, a special flag has been used, for instance by the two Koreas, which marched together in 2000 and 2004, or for the Independent Olympic Athletes in London in 2012.

4. The symbolic release of pigeons: The opening ceremony protocol calls for a symbolic release of doves as the traditional symbol of peace. From 1936 to 1988, the release of the pigeons used to take place before the arrival of the Olympic flame. However, following the unfortunate demise of several pigeons sitting on the edge of the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony of the Games in Seoul, the use of real birds has been replaced by a symbolic release of doves, which now takes place after the parade of athletes and before the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.

5. The opening of the Games by the head of state: After a brief speech by the president of the Organising Committee (OCOG), the president of the IOC addresses the audience and invites the Head of State to proclaim the Games open. Protocol requires that the Games

shall officially be declared open by the host country’s head of state, either its monarch, president or their representatives.

6. Raising the Olympic flag and playing the Olympic anthem: After the head of state has opened the Games, the Olympic flag, unfurled horizontally, is brought into the stadium. The Olympic anthem is performed as the flag is raised to the top of the pole. The Olympic flag must be flown for the entire duration of the Games.

7. The taking of the Olympic oath by an athlete.

8. The taking of the Olympic oath by an official.

9. The taking of the Olympic oath by a coach.

10. The Olympic flame and torch relay: Having been carried from Olympia by a relay all the way to its final destination, the Olympic torch and flame now make their entry intro stadium, carried by the final torchbearer who will run a lap of the stadium before the flame is used to

light the Olympic cauldron. The Olympic flame remains lit for the entire duration of the Games and is extinguished only at the Closing Ceremony of the Games.

11. The artistic programme: The artistic programme is the most spectacular part of the opening ceremony and is usually kept secret until the last minute. Over the years, Games organisers have managed to find creative ways to combine Olympic protocol with just the right amount of entertainment, cultural references, technological innovations and festive atmosphere.

The closing ceremony protocol comprises the following stages (adapted from International Olympic Committee, 2014b, 1 f.):

1. Entry by the head of state: As for the opening ceremony, the first step is the entrance of the head of state of the host country (or his/her representative), accompanied by the president of the IOC and the president of the relevant OCOG.

2. Playing of the national anthem: The national anthem of the host country is played and its flag hoisted in the Olympic stadium.

3. Entry of nations’ flags: One of the key moments of the closing ceremony is the

parade of flags of the countries participating in the Games. The Greek flag opens the march, and the host country’s flag brings up the rear. Each flag is generally carried by an athlete chosen by his or her National Olympic Committee (NOC).

4. Parade of athletes: The athletes’ parade begins immediately afterwards, with the athletes walking en masse and in no particular order. During Summer Games, the athletes enter the stadium after the artistic programme, and remain in the centre of the field. For the Winter Games, the athletes’ march is near the beginning of the ceremony, and the athletes take seats reserved for them in the audience. The idea of having all the athletes parade in no order comes from a young Chinese man, John Ian Wing, an apprentice carpenter in Australia for the 1956 Games in Melbourne. Before these Games, the athletes always marched behind their flag-bearer, as during the opening ceremony

5. Victory ceremony: After the athletes’ parade, a medals ceremony is held. The IOC, with the help of the OCOG, decides which event will have its medals ceremony during the Closing Ceremony (for the Summer Games, it is generally the marathon). For the first few editions of the Games, all the medals were presented on the last day.

6. Introduction of the Athletes’ Commission’s newly elected members and recognition of the volunteers: The next protocol element is the presentation of the athletes elected by their peers to the IOC Athletes’ Commission during the Games. On behalf of the athletes, one of these new members then presents a bouquet of flowers to a representative of the volunteers, as a tribute and mark of gratitude for their work carried out during the Games.

7. Playing of the Greek national anthem: The seventh protocol element is the Greek flag being raised to the left of the Olympic flag. The Greek national anthem is played simultaneously. This is a symbol of the link between the Games of Antiquity and those of the modern era.

8. Lowering the Olympic flag and flag handover ceremony: Then comes a solemn moment, as the Olympic flag is lowered to the sound of the Olympic anthem. The mayors of the current host city and next host city join the IOC President. The mayor of the host city hands the flag to the IOC president, who hands it on to the mayor of the next host city. The flag of the next host country is then raised to the right of the flag of the current host country,

to the sound of its anthem. This handover is a symbolic highlight. The flag will usually be displayed in the next host city’s town hall.

9. Next host city artistic segment: A brief artistic show lasting eight minutes and organised by the next host city is performed. This part is intended as an invitation to the youth of the world to attend the next Games.

10. Speeches by the OCOG president and IOC president: After this segment of the Ceremony, which projects us into the future, the OCOG President delivers a brief speech thanking the athletes and volunteers, before giving the floor to the IOC president, who declares the Games closed and invites the youth of the world to come together for the next edition of the Olympic Games four years later.

11. Extinguishing of the Olympic flame: The last protocol element is consists in extinguishing the Olympic flame in the stadium.