Olympics: Faumuina overcome by emotion at Athens

9.45am

ATHENS - Beatrice Faumuina was overcome with emotion after she led the New Zealand Olympic team into the stadium for the Athens Games opening ceremony today.

Faumuina, 29, the first Pacific Islander to carry the New Zealand flag at an Olympic Games, proudly marched at the head of 151 New Zealanders into the arena where she achieved her greatest sporting feat - the world discus title in 1997.

The occasion was so overpowering that she burst into tears.

"I wasn't going to, but it was just overwhelming and so beautiful," she told NZPA by cellphone from the stadium floor.

The atmosphere in the stadium was electric, she said.

"It's fantastic, just fantastic, this place is absolutely rocking."

Faumuina, wearing a traditionally woven Maori cloak, was one of 95 New Zealand athletes marching in the ceremony. Many athletes missed the event as they have to compete tomorrow (tonight NZ time) and the opening ceremony can be tiring for marchers who have to line up for hours outside the stadium, waiting for their big entrance.

Those who did march were unlikely to reach their beds until about 2am.

New Zealand marching numbers were padded out by officials. Two famous names among them, Olympic gold medallists Murray Halberg and Ian Ferguson, were given a hurry-up by Greek officials as they dragged behind the main New Zealand body, waving and taking photos as they circled the track.

New Zealand was the 130th nation to enter the stadium, after performing a haka in the holding area outside.

Athletes paraded from 202 nations, including Kiribati making its Olympic debut.

Wellington composer John Psathas was one of 18 who penned music for the opening ceremony. The senior lecturer at Victoria University's School of Music has won international acclaim for his work.

The ceremony was topped off by Greek windsurfer Nikos Kaklamanakis, who won a gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games, lighting the cauldron at the end of a slender 31 metre arm that rose slowly over one end of the stadium. Olympic 200m champion Kostas Kenteris had been widely expected to light the flame until being caught in controversy this week.

- NZPA