Olympic Games ceremony Olympic Games ceremony Olympic Games ceremonies of the Ancient Olympic Games were an integral part of these Games; the modern Olympic games have opening, closing, and medal ceremonies. Some of the elements of the modern ceremonies harken back to the Ancient Games from which the Modern Olympics draw their ancestry. An example of this is the prominence of Greece in both the opening and closing ceremonies. During the 2004 Games, the medal winners received a crown of olive branches, which was a direct reference to the Ancient Games, in which the victor's prize was an olive wreath. The various elements
2002 Winter Olympics opening ceremony President's Olympic delegation, which featured four future members of their respective sport's Hall of Fame: 2002 Winter Olympics opening ceremony The opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics took place at the Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, on 8 February 2002. U.S. President George W. Bush opened the 2002 Winter Olympics, which took place five months after the September 11 attacks, with: "On behalf of a proud, determined and grateful nation...," then the standard opening formula followed. Prior to the ceremony, the turf inside the stadium was removed and a giant, abstract shaped ice rink, designed by