Rio de Janeiro: Capping her long and successful career, Brazilian supermodel and national icon Gisele Bundchen stole the show at the Rio Olympics' opening ceremony on Friday night as she sashayed across the Maracana Stadium to strains of popular bossa nova track "Garota de Ipanema", or "The Girl from Ipanema" performed by the original composer's grandson.
<img title="Supermodel Gisele Bundchen at Rio on Friday." src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/aug/07Supermodel-Gisele-Bundche.jpg" alt="Supermodel Gisele Bundchen at Rio on Friday." /> Supermodel Gisele Bundchen at Rio on Friday. Pic/AFP 
Clad in a long-sleeved, gold-sequin spangled shimmering dress, Gisele essayed her most ambitious catwalk across the stadium, with the trail of her 500 feet walk, formed into contours of iconic works by one of Brazil's greatest architects, Oscar Niemeyer.
<img title="RAFA&rsquo;S THE MAN: Caroline Wozniacki posted this picture on Twitter and said: &ldquo;Tennis flag bearers!! ???? #Olympics #rio @RafaelNadal&rdquo;" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/aug/rafawoz.jpg" alt="RAFA&rsquo;S THE MAN: Caroline Wozniacki posted this picture on Twitter and said: &ldquo;Tennis flag bearers!! ???? #Olympics #rio @RafaelNadal&rdquo;" /> RAFA&rsquo;S THE MAN: Caroline Wozniacki posted this picture on Twitter and said: &ldquo;Tennis flag bearers!! ???? #Olympics #rio @RafaelNadal&rdquo;
"Tall and tan and young and lovely/The girl from Ipanema goes walking/And when she passes, each one she passes/Goes 'A-a-a-h'/When she walks she's like a samba/When she walks, she's like a samba/That swings so cool and sways so gentle/That when she passes, each one she passes/Goes 'A-a-a-h'," seemed written for the 36-year-old model, despite she not being from Ipanema, a swanky beachfront locale in Rio.
<img title="one for our family album: Brazillian sports enthusiasts take a selfie during the opening ceremony on Friday. Pic/AFP" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/aug/brazil8.jpg" alt="one for our family album: Brazillian sports enthusiasts take a selfie during the opening ceremony on Friday. Pic/AFP" /> One for our family album: Brazillian sports enthusiasts take a selfie during the opening ceremony on Friday. Pic/AFP
Earlier reports had hinted Gisele would play a mugging victim before the young thief is chased and apprehended, but it seems the organisers had second thoughts and chose a better option for her appearance.
<img title="gisele&rsquo;s not the only star: Brazilian singer Anitta aka Larissa de Macedo Machado enthralls the crowd during the opening ceremony at Maracana Stadium. Pic/Getty Images" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/aug/Anitta6.jpg" alt="gisele&rsquo;s not the only star: Brazilian singer Anitta aka Larissa de Macedo Machado enthralls the crowd during the opening ceremony at Maracana Stadium. Pic/Getty Images" /> gisele&rsquo;s not the only star: Brazilian singer Anitta aka Larissa de Macedo Machado enthralls the crowd during the opening ceremony at Maracana Stadium. Pic/Getty Images
"The Girl from Ipanema", written in 1962, was inspired by Ipanema resident Heloisa Eneida Menezes Paes Pinto, then 17, who would daily stroll past the Veloso bar-cafe, from where music composer Antonio Carlos Jobim, popularly known as Tom Joabim, and lyrics writer Vinicius de Moraes saw her. However, Heloisa was not always going to the beach ("each day when she walks to the sea" as per the song), but in the everyday course of her life.
<img title="watch those steps: Samba dancers at the ceremony. Pic/AP,PTI" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/aug/dance6.jpg" alt="watch those steps: Samba dancers at the ceremony. Pic/AP,PTI" /> watch those steps: Samba dancers at the ceremony. Pic/AP,PTI
It became internationally famous when an English version, with American jazz musician Stan Getz and Brazilian singer and songwriter Joao Gilberto collaborated on album "Getz/Gilberto".
This won the album of the year award at the Grammys in 1965, while the song itself, rendered in English by Gilberto's wife, Astrud, won the award for the record of the year.

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Brazil supermodel lights up Rio Olympics' opening show with 'Girl from Ipanema' playing in the background

Gisele Bundchen sweeps Rio hearts

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Gisele Bundchen sweeps Rio hearts

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