Opening ceremony LA2015 | A unique moment for local Special Olympics athletes

The Macau delegation took part in the Opening Ceremony of the 2015 Special Olympics World Games, held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. According to the chairperson of Special Olympics Macau, Ada Lo, “it was a very special moment” for the local team, that included a total of 114 members, including 78 Special Olympics athletes.
Saturday’s three-hour event was attended by a crowd of 62,338 fans who watched the 6,500 athletes representing 165 countries and regions. It is the largest number of nations to have ever gathered for a single event in Los Angeles, even though the American city has hosted the Olympic Games in 1984.
According to Ada Lo’s recollection of the event, after all the teams had participated in their parades, an opening speech was delivered by the mayor of Los Angeles and Tim Shriver, CEO of Special Olympics international, followed by musical performances from Avril Lavigne and Stevie Wonder, among others.  Furthermore, Maria Shriver talked about her mother Eunice Kennedy Shriver and her experience as the founder of the Special Olympics.
The first lady Michelle Obama officially opened the Games. “My husband and I, we are so proud of you, so incredibly proud of you, and we love you all from the bottom of our hearts,’’ she said, adding that the participating athletes were an example to the millions of people watching the event on television.
At the end of the opening ceremony, Special Olympics athletes and Olympic gold medalists including swimmer Michael Phelps, diver Greg Louganis and skater Michelle Kwan marched into the arena together carrying the Special Olympics flag. A flaming torch carried from Greece was used to light the Coliseum’s Olympic beacon. Athletes will be competing in 25 different sports at venues throughout Los Angeles until August 2.