Panic over: Athens delivers Olympic extravaganza
Athens, on the verge of losing the Games four years ago because of chaotic preparations, raised the curtain on the greatest show on earth with an extraordinary flourish before a worldwide television audience of up to four billion people.
For 45 minutes, spectators in the Olympic Stadium sat hushed and open-mouthed at the celebration of life, love and one of the world’s greatest civilisations. Drums thundering out the sound of a racing heartbeat reverberated under the soaring glass wings of a futuristic oval arena that only months ago had no seats and no roof.
