News Nation Logo

Rio 2016 Olympic: Gustavo Kuerten who was to light the cauldron in place of Pele

Gustavo Kuerten Is Regarded As The Face Of Brazilian Tennis, He Is A Three-time French Open Winner In 1997, 2000 And 2001 - And Also Quarter-finalist At Wimbledon And The US Open.

News Nation Bureau | Edited By : Prakhar Sharma | Updated on: 06 Aug 2016, 12:30:56 PM
Gustavo Kuerten

New Delhi :

Gustavo Kuerten is regarded as the face of Brazilian tennis, he is a three-time French Open winner in  1997, 2000 and 2001 - and also quarter-finalist at Wimbledon and the US Open. 

His 1997 Roland Garros Grand Slam win was the first one from a Brazilian and, at the time, came from the second-lowest ranking ever. 

Just hours before the Opening Ceremony, it was reported that Pele would not be attending the ceremony due to health reasons. Rumors were about Gustavo to light the cauldron in place of Pele. At the games Gustavo was one of the last one to carry the torch, he handed it off to runner Vanderlei Cordeiro at the end, who is a former long-distance runner who specialised in marathons.

For all the Latest Sports News News, Olympics News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.

First Published : 06 Aug 2016, 12:19:00 PM

Videos