The magic moment of the Barcelona Games Opening Ceremony
The Games in Barcelona transformed the proud Catalan city. Twenty-five years ago, the atmosphere for the Games was magnificent, unforgettable. As was this moment of pure magic which concluded the Opening Ceremony – take a look behind the scenes!
It was the climax of the Opening Ceremony of the Games of the XXV Olympiad; the surprise in store for the 67,000 spectators at the Olympic Stadium on Montjuïc Hill and the hundreds of millions watching on television that night of 25 July 1992.
The legendary Spanish basketball player Juan Antonio San Epifanio, nicknamed “Epi”, was the final Olympic torch bearer. He ran across the stadium through the gathered athletes. He reached a platform where the Paralympic archer Antonio Rebollo was waiting for him. Rebollo lit his arrow and… this is what happened.
Rebollo will never forget that instant when the stadium exploded with joy: “I turned back to Epi and I said, ‘Lo hemos hecho! (We did it!)’”. Twenty-five years later, no one has forgotten that magical moment.
Watch more stories from Barcelona 1992 on the Olympic Channel.