The honor to officially start the Games was given to former long-distance runner Vanderlei de Lima, who won bronze at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, Greece, while also receiving the Pierre de Coubertin medal for his showing of sportsmanship.
NBC Olympics showed the moment after de Lima brought the Olympic torch's long journey to an end:
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 6, 2016
De Lima, 46, earned the Coubertin medal when after facing hardships in Athens while running the marathon. Holding the lead, he was attacked by a fan and pushed off course, which resulted in his finishing in third:
The torch entered the stadium with former world No.