TURIN, Feb. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said he was expecting an "exciting" opening ceremony Friday night.

    "The Games in Turin are ready ... and I was told that the opening ceremony will be exciting," Rogge told a press conference hours before the 20th Winter Olympics open in the northern Italian city.

    The ceremony is set to include a performance from Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti, and will feature among other things, fake cows on roller skates, dancing trees and skaters shooting six-foot red flames from their heads.

    The IOC chief underlined his confidence that the upcoming Gamesin Turin will meet the high expectations placed in them, saying the opening ceremony will launch these Games with a generous portion of Italian passion and magic.

    "Each opening ceremony is an emotional moment and transmits the values of friendship, peace and tolerance we are promoting throughout our movement," said Rogge.

    "We are pleased to see athletes from a record number of 80 National Olympic Committees entering the stadium tonight and to offer an inspiring moment to over a million of TV spectators," he added.

    Athletes from 85 countries and regions will parade into Turin¡¯s Olympic Stadium in Friday's opening ceremony, which will herald the start of 16 days of competition.

    A crowd of 35,000 and a television audience of up to two billion worldwide is expected to watch the ceremony. Enditem