The fun and Games begin... but Olympians struggle to hide their bemusement as jesters welcome Team GB to athletes village
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Britain's Olympians struggled to hide their bemusement yesterday when they were welcomed to the Athletes’ Village by a troupe of jesters.
Team GB found themselves surrounded by dozens of dancers speaking in tongue and hooting while ringing bicycle bells and blowing whistles.
Poems were read in French and performers wearing pom-poms on their heads jumped around and span in circles to the tune of ‘I want to ride my bicycle’.
Trippy: Performers on stilts and riding a bicycle chariot entertain athletes during the Welcome Ceremony at the Athletes Village, Olympic Park, where performers from the National Youth Theatre welcomed Olympians with a bizarre show
Bemusement: Zara Phillips (centre) and other Team GB sports men and women arrive and take photos of out-there performance
And this has what to do with athletic excellence? Performers dressed as harlequins sing and dance for Team GB
Circus skills: Team GB athletes look on as the brightly dressed members of the troupe stand on each others shoulders and dance around
Joyful: Poems were read in French and performers wearing pom-poms on their heads jumped around and span in circles to the tune of 'I want to ride my bicycle'
Playful: At the end of the ceremony, an enormous wire mesh ‘Queen’ appeared and a woman in red face-paint announced: ‘Follow your queen and follow your dreams'
Wow: Team GB athletes look on agape at the show that has been laid on to greet them
Some of the athletes looked uncomfortable and laughed nervously, while others got into the spirit of it and took photographs of the National Youth Theatre performance on their phones.
At the end of the half-an-hour ceremony, an enormous wire mesh ‘Queen’ appeared and a woman in red face-paint announced: ‘Follow your queen and follow your dreams.
‘We come to the close of our ceremony, but the beginning of our friendship.’
Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg and Princess Anne, president of the British Olympic Association, were among those who attended the ceremony.
Mr Clegg told the Mail afterwards: ‘It was absolutely fantastic. In fact, those of us in the VIP area wanted to jump down off the steps and join in with the dancing.’
Acrobatic: A performer leaps while wearing stilts
It's not just Team GB that had to sit through it: Performers prance as members of the South African Olympic delegation arrive for the flag raising ceremony at the Olympic Village
Someone's having a good time: A performer shows his pearly whites to the camera during the performance
Former Olympians Tessa Sanderson and Kelly Holmes were also there. Miss Holmes revealed that they both have a mystery part in the opening ceremony, saying: ‘We don’t know what we are going to be doing.’
Miss Holmes refused to comment on speculation she may have been chosen to light the cauldron at Friday's opening ceremony, but believes today's show was a promising sign of things to come.
'This is a really nice moment for the athletes,' she said. 'The village can be a bit of a bubble and this is the release from all that focus. It is amazing.
'Let's face it, we are passionate about sport and what we do brilliantly is pomp and ceremony. You'd have to expect we're going to blow them away with the opening and closing ceremony. Everyone is going to be blown away by the details.'
Trooping in: Colin Moynihan, Chairman of the British Olympic Association leads members of Team GB as they arrive for the official welcome to the Athletes' Village
Prime specimens: Team GB members beam as they arrive
Very good: Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, who is president of the British Olympic Association, talks to entertainers
Is he doing the Usain Bolt pose? Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg with former Olympic athletes during the Welcome Ceremony
Ladies' man: London mayor Boris Johnson poses with former Olympians Tessa Sanderson-White, Dame Kelly Holmes and Jayne Torvill at the official Team GB welcome to the Athletes' Village
Erm, lovely... Miss Phillips smiles during the Welcome Ceremony at the Athletes Village
No thanks: Mr Clegg is offered some underpants by members of the National Youth Theatre after their performance
Settling in: Team GB athletes walk past their accommodation at the Athletes Village at the Olympic Park
Boxer Anthony Ogogo was among the athletes to take in the ceremony and was suitably impressed. 'It was amazing,' he said. 'It's hard to explain quite what this feels like, but it's exactly as I expected it would be as a kid.
'It's weird walking around here with so many strangers seeing you in the tracksuit and just saying "well done". I can't wait until my first fight on Saturday to do my thing.'
Mr Clegg, meanwhile, left today's show convinced that the problems which have emerged in recent days over transport, security and border control would soon fade into the background of a successful Games.
'This Olympic Village is a triumph and I've already spoken to some of the athletes, who've said the facilities are the best they've ever seen,' he told BBC News. 'No doubt there will be a few ups and downs along the way but I think people are going to be so proud that Britain has been able to put on such a successful Olympics.
'This isn't just about the athletes, it's about the nation really coming together to support Team GB. This is the greatest show on the planet and I'm clear that the nation is going to love every minute.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2178456/London-Olympics-2012-Olympians-struggle-hide-bemusement-clowns-jesters-fools-welcome-them.html#ixzz21cr2f6mw
