(Combined Sources)–The 20th Winter Olympics began Friday night with a spectacular opening ceremony in Turin–Italy. The show marked the start of 16 days of competition–in which about 2,600 athletes from 84 countries will participate.
A delegation of five athletes and three coaches will represent Armenia in the games. The head of the Armenian delegation is the secretary general of the Armenian Skiing Sport Federation–Gagik Sargsian.
The five participating Armenian athletes include Vazgen Azroyan–Anastasia Grebenkina–Abraham Sarkakhyan–Hovhaness Sargsyan–and Edmon Khachatryan.
Head of the Armenian National Olympic Committee Gagik Tsarukian and head of the Armenian State Committee of Physical Culture Ishkhan Zakarian also left for Turin to participate in the opening ceremony of Winter Olympic Games.
At the Opening Ceremony–International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge urged the athletes to "inspire and motivate the future generations."
"Our world today is in need of peace–tolerance–and brotherhood and the values of the Olympic Games can deliver these to us.
"May the Games be held in peace and in the true spirit of the Olympic truce. Show us how sport unites by overcoming political–religious–and language barriers and you will show us the world we all long for."