The Rio 2007 Pan American Games are still making history.  This Friday, June 13, in New York, the Rio 2007 Opening Ceremony won the Emmy award – U.S. TV Oscar - for best costume design.  The Games were also considered for best art direction and best lighting.  The trophy was handed to Rosa Magalhães, the Games opening ceremony artistic and costume design director, who was accompanied by the assistant costume design director, the U.S.-born David Profeta, and by Rio 2007 ceremony general director, Leonardo Gryner.  This was the eighth award won by the Rio 2007 Pan American Games.  The first was awarded by the magazine Sport Business, which elected the Pan American Games opening ceremony the world’s best multi-sports opening ceremony in 2007.  The Games also won six Telly Awards.

The president of the Brazilian Olympic Committee and Rio 2007 Organizing Committee, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, attended the award ceremony in New York and emphasized the importance of the prize.

- Just the fact that the Pan Opening Ceremony was nominated in seven categories and considered in three shows the level of quality the event had for the Emmy jury.  “This is an extremely fought for award and, to give you an idea of how difficult it is to win it, Rosa Magalhães was the only foreign professional to receive the Emmy.  All the other awardees are American and live in New York - he explained.

Nuzman remembered the coincidence that the Ceremony took place on July 13, 2007 and the award was also won on a day 13.

- That was a happy coincidence. This Emmy definitely marks Rio 2007’s story of success and shows the quality of organization of Brazilian sports. That motivates us to go on working to make Brazil greater and greater abroad, through sports - he stated.