Friday, February 17, 2006

2006 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony

The Olympic flame burns over a cloth panel showing the Olympic rings after the opening ceremony for the Turin 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, Friday, Feb. 10, 2006. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

AP Photo/Eric Gay

AP PHOTO/CP, Andrew Vaughan

Italy's cross country skier Stefania Belmondo lights the Olympic flame during the opening ceremony of the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, February 10, 2006. REUTERS/Max Rossi
AP Photo/Greg Baker

REUTERS/Daniele La Monaca

REUTERS/Daniele La Monaca

AP Photo/Chris Helgren, Pool

AP Photo/Chris Helgren, Pool

AP Photo/Chris Helgren, Pool

AP Photo/Massimo Pinca

AP Photo/Massimo Pinca

AP Photo/Paul Chiasson

REUTERS/Daniele La Monaca

REUTERS/Andy Clark

REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

The Olympic Rings frame the Olympic flame after it was lit at the end of the opening ceremony for the Turin 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, Friday Feb. 10, 2006. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Clive Rose

Chris Helgren

(AP Photo Massimo Pinca)

Fireworks explode over the Turin Olympic Stadium after the lighting of the Olympic flame (R) during the opening ceremony of the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy February 10, 2006. REUTERS/Mike SegarOlympic gold medalist Alberto Tomba carries the torch into the stadium during the opening ceremony for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Friday, Feb. 10, 2006. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)



The Olympic flame glows after being lit during the opening ceremony for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Friday, Feb. 10, 2006. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)



An artist performs during the opening ceremony of the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy February 10, 2006. REUTERS/Shaun Best

An artist performs during the opening ceremony of the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, February 10, 2006. REUTERS/Petr Josek

Fireworks light up the Olympic Stadium during opening ceremonies for the Turin 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, Friday, Feb. 10, 2006. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)

Italy's cross country skier Stefania Belmondo lights the Olympic flame during the opening ceremony of the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, February 10, 2006. REUTERS/David Gray

The Olympic flame burns at opening ceremonies for the Turin 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, in this Friday Feb. 19, 2006 file photo. The Olympic flame will continue to burn full force Thursday Feb. 16, 2006 in its cauldron in Turin despite an appeal by environmental groups to have the blaze temporarily reduced or extinguished. (AP Photo/Gene J. Pusk
The Olympic flame burns over top of the Olympic stadium during the first day of competition at the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy February 11, 2006. REUTERS/Shaun Best

The flame of the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games burns on the first day of competition in Turin, Italy, February 11, 2006. The games run until February 26. REUTERS/Andy Clark

Children play in a local playground as the nearby Olympic Flame burns in the background in Turin, Italy February 11. 2006. The Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games runs until February 26. REUTERS/Andy Clark

A skater performs during the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics at the 35,000-seat Stadio Olimpico in Turin. The Olympic flame burned brightly over Turin as fireworks sparked the start of the 20th Winter Games which were welcomed back to Italy after 50 years in a star-studded opening ceremony(AFP/Odd Andersen)

(Jerry Lampen/Reuters)

(David Gray/Reuters)

Yuri Chechi, an Olympic gymnast from Italy, starts the ceremony by pounding an anvil during the opening ceremony of the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy February 10, 2006. (Kevork Djansezian/Pool/Reuters)

(David Gray/Reuters)

(David Gray/Reuters)

Fireworks spin from the backpack of a performer during the opening ceremony of the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy February 10, 2006. REUTERS/Kevork Djansezian/Pool

A performer roller blades during the opening ceremony of the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy February 10, 2006. REUTERS/Kevork Djansezian/Pool


Fireworks are seen during the opening ceremony for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Friday, Feb. 10, 2006. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

The Olympic flame is seen during the opening ceremony for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Friday, Feb. 10, 2006. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Sun silhouett

Birds are silhouetted by the morning sun at the Vendanthangla bird sanctuary, about 80 km (50 miles) from the southern Indian city of Chennai February 2, 2006. REUTERS/Babu

Flag Dance

A Chinese man dances during the Daguanyuan Temple Fair in Beijing February 2, 2006. People in China continue to enjoy their annual week-long Spring Festival holiday after welcoming the Lunar New Year on January 29. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Raindrops Super Bowl XL

The Super Bowl XL logo is reflected in raindrops in Detroit, Michigan February 4, 2006. The Pittsburgh Steelers will play the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL's Super Bowl XL on Sunday. REUTERS/John Gress

Tight-rope walk

An Indian girl walks on a tight-rope during spring festival in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh February 5, 2006. REUTERS/Ajay Verma

3.6 foot beard

Artist Marco Figgen poses with his 1.10-metre-long (3.6-foot-long) beard, which he uses to paint, at his studio in Pattaya City, in Thailand's Chonburi province, nearly 110 km (69 miles) east of Bangkok, February 3, 2006. The 51-year-old German citizen, who first came to Thailand nine years ago, describes his unique paint brush as an extension of his soul, and has been growing his beard for 13 years. REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang