Winter Universiade underway in Trentino. Part 1
The Opening Ceremony of the 26th Winter Universiade was held in the evening of December 11 in Piazza Duomo in Trento, Italy. The Italian President Giorgio Napolitano declared the event officially open. Klaus Obermaier, a choreographer of Venice's La Fenice Theatre, was the artistic director behind the amazing projection and music performances of the Opening Ceremony. The show was followed by the parade of nations. Ekaterina Galkina, the leader of the curling team, was the flagbearer for the Russian delegation, as is reported on the official website of the Olympic Committee of Russia.
The Winter Universiade is traditionally held at the beginning of the year, but due to the transfer of the organisation of the 2013 Games from Maribor (Slovenia) to Trentino (Italy), it was decided to move them to a later date as well. And for the first time, the Universiade serves as an prelude for the Winter Olympics: in less than two months Sochi will host the major event of the year 2014. The Opening Ceremony was attended by President of the International University Sports Federation (FISU), Claude-Louis Gallien. He congratulated the guests of the event on the opening of the Games and wished athletes plenty of brilliant victories. Remembering the outgoing year, Claude-Louis Gallien recalled the previous World University Games in Kazan and called them the best in history of FISU.