All manner of banners hung along the byways of Torino, Italy, for the 2006 Winter Olympics. Some covered the city's eyesores. Others simply added a splash of color to a metropolis hoping to hide its gray, industrial roots.
Stretched across rundown shacks and flapping from light poles, in shades of red and orange, many banners conveyed the Games' theme, "Passion Lives Here." These banners hung in the city's center and outer edges. Inside the Olympic venues, where athletes applied their signatures to Olympic history, the same color scheme added to the drama.
About Vicki
Vicki Michaelis is the lead Olympic reporter for the USA Today newspaper. She has covered sports for 17 years, with assignments ranging from tennis to the NBA. Vicki lives in Denver with her husband Barry Allen and their son Connor.