Olympics 2012 opening ceremony: Live Report

1921 GMT: Britons may have appeared sceptical about the Olympics in recent weeks, amid the fiasco over security and fears of transport chaos but all that is now seemingly forgotten. Twitter is going into overdrive with Olympics fever.

Britain's Prince Harry tweets: "London - The greatest, most diverse wonderful city in the world. #OlympicCeremony."

One of Team GB's medal hopeful's, pole vaulter Holly Bleasdale tweets: "Watching the opening ceremony is giving me goosebumps! So proud to be British right now!!!"

1912 GMT: The Red Arrows aerobatic display team roar over the stadium trailing red, white and blue smoke to huge cheers.

1911 GMT: TV pictures show that a second-by-second countdown has now started ahead of the start of the event at 1912 GMT (2012 local time.)

1909 GMT: As the excitement builds, it's worth remembering a tragic moment in history shadowing today's event. There will not be a minute?s silence during the ceremony for 11 Israelis killed by Palestinian extremists at the 1972 Munich Olympics, despite a major campaign which drew 105,000 signatures of support. Ankie Spitzer, the wife of one of those killed, has urged the crowd to stand up for a minute instead.

1858 GMT: Animals are now invading the Olympic stadium prior to the opening ceremony, says AFP's Saeed Khan. Birdsong is rippling through the stadium as it continues to fill up with a mounting sense of excitement among the crowd.

Creative director Danny Boyle has already said we can expect to see 12 horses, three cows, two goats, 10 chickens, 10 ducks, nine geese, 70 sheep, and three sheep dogs in his idyllic scene of rural Britain.

1853 GMT: Celebrated Chinese pianist Lang Lang, who was one of the torchbearers for the Olympics relay and co-wrote an Olympics song to cheer on his country's athletes, tweets: "Performers at tonight's opening ceremony include several of my friends... Stay tuned to see which ones".

1842 GMT: As the last of the crowds continue to throng into the stadium, AFP's Thomas Coex sets the scene inside the arena: 10-metre long clouds filled with helium have just entered the stadium held by actors. Spectators greet them with another Mexican wave.

1835 GMT: AFP's Talek says the crowd in the stadium are booing the media for not joining in their Mexican waves. It?s filling up now, about a quarter full.

1829 GMT: Stella McCartney, who designed the Team GB kit for Adidas, tweets: "On my way to the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony! Excited and proud! Going for gold!" Beatles songs from dad Paul are sure to feature later in the best of British show.

1817 GMT: AFP's John Weaver has been chatting to spectators as they arrive at the stadium. David Grindley, 57, from Somerset, soutwest England, says: "We're really looking forward to it. It's quite exciting. We haven't been to an Olympics opening ceremony before so it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing.

His partner Jane West, also 57 and sporting a Union Jack poncho, adds: "We paid ?3,200 for two tickets three days ago but have since seen they were selling for ?20 pounds."

1811 GMT: Britain's culture minister Jeremy Hunt takes to Twitter after earlier providing a comedy moment when a bell he was asked to ring during the torch relay flew off its handle, nearly taking out a bemused spectator. He tweets: "The world will be blown away by Danny Boyle's opening ceremony. Can't wait to see it -- and everyone's reaction."

1800 GMT: AFP's Talek Harris is at the Olympic Stadium and says excitement is palpable. "Sense of anticipation inside Olympic Stadium," he says. "People arriving are greeted by some very unusual props on the stadium floor. Media seats nearly full already, spectators are slowly coming in now."

There will, according to organisers, be at total of 12,956 props featuring in the three-hour spectacular. That's along with the 100-plus farmyard animals.

1754 GMT: Among those known to be attending later are 70 heads of state and at least 10 royals. US First Lady Michelle Obama will be there along with Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie and Britain's young royals Prince William and his wife Kate and brother Harry.

1745 GMT: Chief Olympic organiser Sebastian Coe says "there won't be an empty seat in the house tonight". He wants audiences to "come out the stadium smiling".

1728 GMT: The queen goes on to speak of the excitement the Olympic torch relay has generated on its 70-day journey across the British Isles which comes to and end today. She says: "Over recent months, many in these islands have watched with growing excitement the journey of the Olympic torch around the United Kingdom. As the torch has passed through villages and towns, it has drawn people together as families and communities.

"To me, the spirit of togetherness is the most important part of the Olympic ideal, and the British people can be proud of the part they have played in keeping the spirit alive."

Earlier the flame was rowed up the River Thames in the queen's ceremonial barge past some of London's most historic sites. Next stop: the Olympic Park.

1722 GMT: The queen and her husband Prince Philip are welcoming world leaders at Buckingham Palace at an Olympic opening night reception. In a televised statement, she says: "I hope that you will enjoy your time in the United Kingdom and I'm sure that you will find a warm reception awaiting you, your athletes, and the visiting spectators.

"This will be the third London Olympiad. My great grandfather opened the 1908 games at White City, my father opened the 1948 games at Wembley Stadium, and later this evening, I will take pleasure in declaring open the London Olympic Games at Stratford in east London."

1715 GMT: Not every athlete will take part in the ceremony later. US swimmer Ryan Lochte, who faces a standoff against 14-times Olympic gold medal winning teammate Michael Phelps in the 400m individual medley on Saturday, will be getting an early night. He writes on Twitter: "I am not walking in opening ceremony because I swim in the morning. Gotta rest. I'm ready!"

1705 GMT: A giant bell will in three hours' time ring in the start of the ceremony, which will see athletes from all of the 204 participating nations parade into the stadium.

Britain?s Queen Elizabeth II, as head of state, will declare the Games open in line with tradition and the ceremony is set to climax with the lighting of a cauldron with the Olympic flame by a mystery torchbearer -- the identity of whom remains a closely-guarded secret, despite feverish speculation.

Cyclist Chris Hoy, who will carry the flag for Britain later, tweets: "Just arrived in the village, it looks amazing. Everyone is buzzing, can't wait for this evening!"

1700 GMT: Oscar winning film director Danny Boyle, the mastermind of the ceremony, was earlier buzzing with excitement as he prepares to see his showpiece creation broadcast to more than a billion people around the world. The "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Trainspotting" creator said his only nerves were for the 10,000 volunteers due to perform. "The excitement I feel about it is obviously the excitement I think they feel," he told reporters.

Boyle, who this week begged rehearsal spectators to "save the secret" and keep stum about the details, has said his ?27-million ($42.6 million, 34.5 million-euro) spectacular will attempt to "capture a picture of ourselves as a nation, where we have come from and where we want to be." The theme, "Isles of Wonder", is inspired by Shakespeare's play "The Tempest".

WELCOME TO AFP'S LIVE REPORT on the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. Seven years after it won the bid for the Games, the host city is ready to welcome the world with a three-hour extravaganza designed to showcase the best of British culture past and present. Follow our live report for all the build-up to the show which kicks off at 2000 GMT.

With organisers promising that no seat will be left unfilled at the 80,000-seater Olympic stadium, huge crowds have already started pouring into the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London. They will be treated to pre-ceremony entertainment from the symbolic local time of 20:12 before the real action begins.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/olympics-2012-opening-ceremony-live-report-165809750--oly.html

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