Gisele Bündchen set to be mugged in Rio
You have to give the Brazilians points for honesty.
At a time when the nation is under fire for its preparedness, security, crime and environmental standards on the eve of the Olympic Games, its opening ceremony will feature a mugging scenario featuring none other than its best-known supermodel Gisele Bündchen.
Bündchen, formerly the world’s top-paid model and longtime Victoria’s Secret ‘Angel’, was recently reported to be hosting the opening ceremony, although it is still not clear how large her part will be.
After a rehearsal that was supposed to be kept a secret, the internet lit up with leaks about the ceremony, including the bizarre scenario of the long-legged beauty being robbed in a disarmingly honest reflection of life in colourful Rio de Janeiro.
According to social media posts, an intense police chase follows, before the leggy brunette prevails and we learn that good will always be the winner.
A call for peace
It’s all part of a wider theme that will reportedly look at the struggles the world faces, and call for peace during the current climate of fear.
Reports from the rehearsal claimed the ceremony will begin with indigenous Brazilian jungle tribes, before tracing the country’s history and contributions to the world.
A cast of 300 professional dancers and 5000 volunteers will take part in the mass performance, which will no doubt be full of colour and flair.
The ceremony is expected to be watched by up to 900 million viewers about 7am Saturday (Australian time).
According to internet accounts of the ceremony, Bündchen will strut down the catwalk to the iconic samba jazz number, The Girl From Ipanema, before she is held up and robbed.
A police chase then follows through the stadium as Brazilian cops try to catch the thieves.
Another section of the ceremony reportedly features a song describing Brazil’s disproportionately high death toll on the roads.
Memories of Sydney
The opening ceremony will inevitably be judged on past Olympics, with Sydney’s 2000 performance described by IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch as the most beautiful ceremony the world has ever seen.
The ceremony featured the debut of a 12-year-old Nikki Webster, stories of the Dreamtime, The Man From Snowy River and Midnight Oil wearing ‘Sorry’ t-shirts during their performance of Beds Are Burning.
