BERLIN, Aug 15, 2009 / FW/ — Last night, at the Brandenburg Gate in Pariser Platz, one of the most iconic architectural landmarks of the German Capital, Finnish sensation Sunrise Avenue performed on stage during the opening ceremonies of the 2009 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in Athletics.
While fashionistas have become to expect collaborations between sports companies like PUMA and high street fashion designers like Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney, the mixing of sports, music and fashion is still in its infancy.
Hence seeing the Finnish rock group Sunrise Avenue on stage and its members Samu Haber, Raul Ruutu, Sami Osala and Riku Rajamaa all wearing PUMA sneakers caught the attention of fashionistas.
The two-hour long ‘Welcome Night’ of music, dance and fireworks which attracted approximately 10,000 spectators and hundreds of athletes and dignitaries, was opened with speeches by IAAF President Lamine Diack and Klaus Wowereit, Governing Mayor of the City of Berlin.
Joining the dancers, a Jazz Big Band, pop and rock musicians and singers on the huge stage which spanned the entire width of the Brandenburg Gate, were eight sports legendst: Sergey Bubka, Sebastian Coe, Frank Fredericks, Armin Hary, Heike Henkel, Wilson Kipketer, Nawal El Moutawakel, and Willi Wülbeck.
The evening ended with the playing of “Foot of the Mountain”, the World Championships title song which was performed by A-Ha, and when this famous Norwegian group finished their short set the sky above Pariser Platz burst into colourful light with a dazzling pyrotechnic display set to music.
Photos by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images for Puma
