Participants, organisers and spectators at the 14th World Gymnaestrada were all anxiously observing the skies on Sunday afternoon. With a thunderstorm and heavy rain hanging over Lausanne during the day, the risk of a soaking during the Opening Ceremony scheduled for 4pm was very high!
However, it seems the Organising Committee had a direct line to the weather Gods as, just one hour before the big show, the sun came out and blue skies opened up over La Pontaise Olympic Stadium. …
… the 55 international delegations marched in one after the other, waving their national flags, clapping and entertaining the crowd with scattered gymnastic and acrobatic performances on their way around the stadium. …
read more on FIG – Heavens smile on opening extravaganza
It’s a blast marching in as I recall from 1975 and 1982. Watching 19,000 people march-in is not nearly so entertaining. After France I went wandering around the stadium, catching a nap in the sun at one point.
The background music didn’t help, the most current musical selection being Y.M.C.A. (1978). All in all, not much has changed since march-in 1975.
Best dressed, I thought, were Qatar in traditional desert costume. Those nations each person carrying a flag were impressive: Germany and Austria, for two.
The Top Secret Drum Corps from Basel stole the show, as they did last year at the Edinburgh Tattoo. The only performance to get a standing ovation. The Swiss Airforce buzzing the audience was a thrilling finale, too.
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