Olympic Opening & Closing Ceremonies
The opening ceremony begins with the host country's head of state entering the stadium, to be greeted by the president of the International Olympic Committee and the president of the Organizing Committee. They show him to his box in the official stand.
The parade of athletes then begins. Greece leads the parade and the host country brings up the rear. Between them, the national delegations march in alphabetical order, according to the language of the host country. Each delegation may include up to six officials, as well as the participating athletes. One member of the delegation carries the national flag and another carries a name-board bearing the name of the nation.
After completing the march, each delegation goes to reserved seats, except for the flag bearer, who remains on the field. The host country's head of state, after being introduced by the IOC president, officially proclaims the games open.
The Olympic anthem is then played while the Olympic flag is brought into the stadium and hoisted on the flagpole. Next, relay runners bring the Olympic torch into the stadium. The last runner circles the track before lighting the Olympic flame. The lighting is followed by a release of doves, symbolizing peace.
The flag bearers next form a semicircle around the rostrum and a competitor from the host country, holding a corner of the Olympic flag in the left hand and raising the right hand, takes the athlete's oath on behalf of all competitors. Similarly, a judge from the host country then takes the judge's oath on behalf of all officials.
After a performance of the host country's national anthem, the flag bearers take their seats in the stands to watch the artistic program, followed by the athletes, who are not arranged by nationality. The flag bearers form a semi-circle around the rostrum, while the others take their assigned seats. After the presidents of the IOC and the organizing committee have mounted the rostrum, the Greek flag is hoisted on the right flagpole, to the strains of the Greek national anthem. The flag of the host country is then hoisted on the central flagpole, while its national anthem is played. Then the flag of the host country for the next Olympics is hoisted on left flag pole, to the sounds of its anthem.
The president of the IOC declares the games closed and calls on "the youth of the world to assemble four years from now" at the city where the next Olympic Games are to be held. After a fanfare, the Olympic flame is extinguished. The Olympic anthem is then played while the Olympic flag is lowered and carried out of the arena, followed by the flag bearers.