IOC President’s Speech at the Opening Ceremony the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad

Dr.Jacques Rogge

Mr President of the Hellenic Republic,

Dear Greek Friends,

Tonight, the whole world is paying Greece a triple homage.

Humanity owes you this marvellous adventure that is the Olympic Games, created 28 centuries ago in Olympia.

The world is also honouring you for having revived these Games in 1896, here in Athens, following the call of Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games.

Above all, the world is honouring and thanking you tonight for the organisation of the Olympic Games, which are coming back to their roots.

Our warmest thanks to Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki and her enthusiastic team. Our thanks also go to the Greek public authorities, who have created an urban legacy that has transformed Athens.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the Olympic Games, and special thanks to the wonderful volunteers, without whom nothing would be possible.

Athletes, I turn to you now. This is the moment you deserve to enjoy, the culmination of your hard work and dedication. Through your conduct, give us reasons to believe in sport that is increasingly credible and pure, by refusing doping and respecting fair play!

Our world today is in need of peace, tolerance and brotherhood.

Athletes from the 202 countries, show us that sport unites by overriding national, political, religious and language barriers.

May the Games be held in peace, in the true spirit of the Olympic Truce that was created here.

Thank you Athens! Thank you Greece!

I now have the honour of inviting the President of the Hellenic Republic to open the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad of the modern era.