The spectacle of the Olympic opening ceremony is something every Olympian remembers for the rest of their lives.
With tens of thousands of people watching from the stands and tens of millions more watching from their living rooms, it's by far the biggest spotlight in all of sports. The lighting of the flame, the parade of athletes, the colors from 206 nations flying on their flags, all to celebrate the spirit of competition.
Olympic gold medalist Ann Cribbs, of Palo Alto, recalls the 1960 ceremony in Rome. She remembers standing in line in the heat, waiting to enter the stadium - and then the moment of glory.
"We burst out into the crowd of 110,000 people, and they saw the United States delegation, and there was a big cheer that went up," said Cribbs, who won a gold medal in the 4x100 swimming relay. "It was so magnificent. I can still hear that."
On Friday, there will be 300 dancers and 12,000 costumes. Cribbs says for people in Rio and at home, it's a chance to join in the Olympic spirit.
"If all these athletes can get together in celebration of their sport," she said, "then maybe we can celebrate the things that bring us together rather than the things that tear us apart."
