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Rio 2016: Who lit the Olympic torch?

By Cody Williams

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 05: Former athlete Vanderlei de Lima lights the Olympic Flame during the Opening Ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Maracana Stadium on August 5, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 05: Former athlete Vanderlei de Lima lights the Olympic Flame during the Opening Ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Maracana Stadium on August 5, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) /
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Taking a look at who it was that lit the Olympic torch at the 2016 Rio Olympics

When it came to the Olympics Opening Ceremony in Rio on Friday night, there were many questions about what would happen. Sure, people wondered if there would be any kind of debacle given how things had gone in the preparations for the Olympics, but people also wondered about the events at the ceremony itself. The biggest question that everyone was asking was who would be lighting the Olympic torch.

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Though the IOC or host nation never officially reveals it beforehand, all of the rumors leading up to the Opening Ceremonies indicated that it would be Brazilian soccer legend Pele that would have the incredible honor of lighting the Olympic torch.

When Pele announced ahead of the Olympics Opening Ceremonies that he was ill and would not be able to be in Rio for the festivities, though, it was really anyone’s guess as to who it’d be.

As it finally came down to be time to light the Olympic torch, though, the question was answered as Brazilian marathoner and former Olympian Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima took the torch, climbed the stairs while carrying it briefly, and then lit the Olympic torch:

Cordeiro de Lima may be familiar to some Olympics fans as the runner who was attacked by a spectator during the marathon event at the 2004 Olympics. He went on to finish that race still, winning bronze.

Though he may not have near the same star-power as someone like Pele, you can’t deny that this was well deserved for de Lima in this huge moment with the Olympic torch.

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