"The Olympics are about building bridges to bring people together," Bach said. "They are not about erecting walls to keep people apart. Embrace human diversity and unity."

 

US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron stayed away from the ceremony, which was attended by 44 heads of state.

 

Putin, the driving force behind the Games, avoided making a political statement as he stuck to protocol by using a single sentence to declare the Games open.

 

Spectators inside the stadium and television viewers worldwide were treated to a glittering show lasting nearly three hours and featuring 22 tonnes of fireworks.

 

There was a minor glitch early on when one of five giant snowflakes failed to open up to form an Olympic ring, leaving the Games' symbol incomplete.

 

However, the ceremony director Konstantin Ernst played down the incident, saying: "Zen buddhists have a saying that if you have the perfectly polished ball, leave a nick in it so you can understand just how perfectly it is polished Dating Service.

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