The Games begin! Greece offers big 'Welcome Home'

ATHENS, Greece — With a sweeping bow to the glory of ancient Greece and some ultramodern flourishes, the XXVIIIth Olympiad opened Friday to the theme "Welcome Home."

And the United States team did feel welcome, although the roar of the crowd of 72,000 at the Opening Ceremony was louder for Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine during the Parade of Nations.

"I thought it was a very warm welcome, for us and the Iraqis and other troubled places in the world," said 800-meter runner Derrick Peterson, who said he shook hands with some Iraqi athletes when they passed in the stadium infield.

As the world's greatest sporting event returned to the birthplace of both the ancient and modern Games, the Olympic flame arrived at precisely midnight.

A security presence was unnoticeable inside the stadium, but the top-secret cauldron resembled a giant missile as it pivoted downward to accept the fire that symbolizes the Olympics.

Nikolaos Kakalamanakis, who won a sailing gold medal at the Atlanta Games, was the final torchbearer. World champion sprinter Konstantinos Kenteris was rumored to be the original choice, but he missed a doping test Thursday night, then was in a motorcycle accident that put him in the hospital.

The cauldron looked like a huge cigar as it headed skyward. The flame then ended its journey around the world by resting more than 150 feet in the air.

As organizers raced to finish preparations for the Athens Olympics, critics had speculated that the Games would have as many gaping holes as the Parthenon. Yet when spectators approached the stadium, no workers were seen hammering nails or adding a final coat of paint.

Greek-American Dean Mesologitis was brimming with pride as he watched the ceremony on a warm but not oppressive night.

"You have to remember this is a little country of about 10 million people, and they kept trashing us in the American papers," said Mesologitis, who lives in Hartford, Conn. "It's like the Greek dance 'sirtaki.' You start slow and it ends quickly. It's a metaphor for the way the Greeks do their work."

The shopping and dining district known as the Plaka, which had been packed Thursday night, was nearly empty during the ceremony as Greeks gathered around televisions to watch a show celebrating their history and culture. And, unlike a young country like the United States, they have 3,000 years to draw from.