Ex-professional footballer José Santos played for Botafogo, Sport Recife and teams in Belgium and China. "It's an undescribeable feeling, better than scoring a goal, better than stepping out in front of a packed Maracanã. I ended my career in 2010 and this has been a celebration of a career I am very proud of," he said on carrying the torch.

Manoel José "Lie" das Graças, 89, and José Firmino, 91, dressed in gibão, typical traditional costume of the Sertão, the arid region in Brazil's northeast. They mounted their horses and went to town to see the passage of the Olympic torch. "I've never had so much fun. I'm going to remember this for the rest of my life," said Firmino.