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Gervásio Alves was the first football player from Rondonia to play in the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro. He represented the national side ahead of the memorable 1970 World Cup. "I am sure the opening ceremony in the stadium will be beautiful," he says.

Behind the scenes of the torch relay, city hall employees help to make sure the path is clear for torchbears in the community of São Sebastião, in Porto Velho. "Happy to be able to help," they said.

The Rio 2016 Olympic Torch Relay is passing through Porto Velho, the capital of the rainforest state of Rondônia. The city, which stands on the Madeira River, an Amazon tributary, was founded during the Brazilian rubber boom over 100 years ago.