Rio 2016 picture this: The best (and worst) of the Olympics opening ceremony
1/18Best: Michael Phelps Finally Walks
He’s the most decorated Olympian of all time and the first U.S. male swimmer to compete in five Games — and it’s the first time he’s ever been able to walk in the Parade of Nations at an Opening Ceremony. This was the perfect start to his final Olympics, perhaps the first he’s been relaxed enough to truly experience and enjoy (even if his special jacket failed to shine). (David Eulitt/Kansas City Star/TNS via Getty Images)
![<p>The only man who upstaged Phelps: Tonga’s shirtless flag bearer, taekwondo competitor Pita Taufatofua. To quote Hoda Ktob, “Slow it down.” (Photo by REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov) </p>]()
2/18Best: Hello, Tonga
The only man who upstaged Phelps: Tonga’s shirtless flag bearer, taekwondo competitor Pita Taufatofua. To quote Hoda Ktob, “Slow it down.” (Photo by REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov)
![<p>How confident do you have to be to trust that your walk to “The Girl From Ipanema” alone is enough to captivate a stadium? (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) </p>]()
3/18Best: Gisele Returns
How confident do you have to be to trust that your walk to “The Girl From Ipanema” alone is enough to captivate a stadium? (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
![<p>Honestly, her dancing in the crowd was better. <br><br>(Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images) </p>]()
4/18Best: Gisele Dancing
Honestly, her dancing in the crowd was better.
(Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images)![<p>The best dancer of the night, however, was this 8-year-old child who performed with percussionist Wilson das Neves. We would’ve watched him for 4.5 hours. No offense scantily-clad ladies. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) </p>]()
5/18Best: Samba Boy
The best dancer of the night, however, was this 8-year-old child who performed with percussionist Wilson das Neves. We would’ve watched him for 4.5 hours. No offense scantily-clad ladies. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
![<p>And not just because it signaled the end of the ceremony, finally. But because the honor is the ultimate redemption for Vanderlei de Lima, who was leading the marathon in the 2004 Olympics when he was attacked by a spectator and dropped to third. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images) </p>]()
6/18Best: The Torch is Lit
And not just because it signaled the end of the ceremony, finally. But because the honor is the ultimate redemption for Vanderlei de Lima, who was leading the marathon in the 2004 Olympics when he was attacked by a spectator and dropped to third. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
![<p>The Parade of Nations was long, but the home team’s entrance at the end, behind Flag bearer Yane Marques, woke us right up. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) </p>]()
7/18Best: Brazil’s Arrival
The Parade of Nations was long, but the home team’s entrance at the end, behind Flag bearer Yane Marques, woke us right up. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
![<p>Talking about their shorts, that’s the best Hoda, Meredith Vieira, and Matt Lauer could do? Sorry, flag bearer Tyrone Smith. This year’s fun facts were few and far between. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) </p>]()
8/18Worst: Commentary for Bermuda
Talking about their shorts, that’s the best Hoda, Meredith Vieira, and Matt Lauer could do? Sorry, flag bearer Tyrone Smith. This year’s fun facts were few and far between. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
![<p>Zahra Nemati won archery gold at the Paralympics in London. Still wheelchair bound, she qualified for the Rio Olympics and was her country’s flag bearer. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) </p>]()
9/18Best: Commentary for Islamic Republic of Iran
Zahra Nemati won archery gold at the Paralympics in London. Still wheelchair bound, she qualified for the Rio Olympics and was her country’s flag bearer. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
![<p>Estonia’s Leila, Liina and Lily Luik are believed to be the first triplets to have qualified for an Olympics. They will all compete in the marathon. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) </p>]()
10/18Best: Triplets
Estonia’s Leila, Liina and Lily Luik are believed to be the first triplets to have qualified for an Olympics. They will all compete in the marathon. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
![<p>Matt, Meredith, and Hoda took a while to get warmed up, but Meredith had fun with the pronunciation of Lithuanian flag bearer Gintare Scheidt’s name. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) </p>]()
11/18Best: Scheidt Show
Matt, Meredith, and Hoda took a while to get warmed up, but Meredith had fun with the pronunciation of Lithuanian flag bearer Gintare Scheidt’s name. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
![<p>Usain Bolt wasn’t there, but Jamaica’s flag bearer, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, brought the showmanship. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images) </p>]()
12/18Best: Hair!
Usain Bolt wasn’t there, but Jamaica’s flag bearer, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, brought the showmanship. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
![<p>It was an excellent start to the ceremony, and this water was safe! (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) </p>]()
13/18Best: Making Waves
It was an excellent start to the ceremony, and this water was safe! (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
![<p>A stronger visual than the snooze-inducing graphics they used to talk about climate change later in the ceremony. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) </p>]()
14/18Best: Rain Forest
A stronger visual than the snooze-inducing graphics they used to talk about climate change later in the ceremony. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
![<p>Organizes spent their money wisely on a projection system that made it look like these people were leaping and tumbling their way across rooftops. It was the moment you wanted to rewind. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) </p>]()
15/18Best: The City Rises
Organizes spent their money wisely on a projection system that made it look like these people were leaping and tumbling their way across rooftops. It was the moment you wanted to rewind. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
![<p>Perhaps they should be applauded for not shying away from sharing their full history, but maybe don’t do it for that long? (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) </p>]()
16/18Worst: The Slavery Section
Perhaps they should be applauded for not shying away from sharing their full history, but maybe don’t do it for that long? (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
![<p>Who invented the airplane: the Wright Brothers or Brazil’s Alberto Santos-Dumont? (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) </p>]()
17/18Best: Taking Flight
Who invented the airplane: the Wright Brothers or Brazil’s Alberto Santos-Dumont? (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
![<p>By the time we got to these samba dancers, viewers were too exhausted. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) </p>]()
18/18Worst: Too Little Too Late
By the time we got to these samba dancers, viewers were too exhausted. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
The 2016 Summer Olympics officially kicked off Friday night in Rio with a ceremony honoring Brazil’s history, its spirit (as best represented by a dancing Gisele Bunchen after she walked the longest and last catwalk of her career), and its hope that the world will unite to reverse climate change. Here’s a look at some of the best ? and worst moments ? of NBC’s telecast.
