A place for the discussion of all things not closely related to the sport and its competitive side. (Locked down several times a year during the major championships)
BBTM media wrote:Roger Bannister will be part of the in-stadium cauldron lighting. Love the irony of the man who ran the world's most famous Mile (a non-Olympic event) being part of the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Go Sir Roger!
Anybody know how Sir Roger's health is these days? Is he up to a cauldron lighting task?
On the hand, if Ali could do it in 1996, anybody could.
<<The guesswork veers wildly between the sensible and facetious. In a Huffington Post online poll, for instance, the options include David Beckham, Sebastian Coe, Daniel Craig as 007, Steve Redgrave, Margaret Thatcher, Roger Bannister, Albus Dumbledore (“it is a cauldron after all”, as the poll’s blurb usefully reminds), and Kelly Holmes.>>
Ron Clarke, lit the cauldron as a wee lad in 1956; then came back many years later to compete in the games as one of the world's elite runners. He won a bronze in '64, and was one of the favorites in '68 but the altitude got him.
I just had a loonnngg belated aha! moment re the political/competitive subtleties of carrying the torch. In 1996, I was nominated/selected by two local network TV affiliates to carry the torch when it passed through Oklahoma City. I readily accepted and received duplicate bags of goodies. Soon thereafter, I was interviewed by a local affiliate as the only Oklahoma T&F official selected for the Olympics and got my 2 minutes of edited fame . Soon thereafter, I was notified by both of the sponsoring affiliates that as an official I was not eligible to carry the torch and please return the goodies. I just realized, apparently, I was DQed because I naively allowed the non-sponsoring affiliate to "scoop" the others. Ironically, other T&F officials left the Trials for a day to carry the torch in their home towns. They are still waiting for their goodie bags back.
I've been saying for a while now that the Olympic flame-lighter will most likely be a left-field choice. All along, Locog have done things differently - the logo, the mascots, the opening ceremony, etc. I'd be VERY surprised if they went with one of the 'obvious' choices (Redgrave, Thompson, Holmes, Bannister, etc). Besides which - as was pointed out in the previous discussion - the person who lights the flame is not always the nation's best Olympian/sportsperson. Given what some articles are saying, I think London will go the more symbolic route.
If it were entirely down to me, I'd choose Jean Pickering (nee Desforges). The London 2012 slogan is "inspire a generation", and Jean Pickering has quite literally single-handedly done that to several generations of athletes in the No.1 Olympic sport. Through her charity (The Ron Pickering Memorial Fund, set up in the wake of her husband's death), she has handed out more than £1million pounds in grants to up-and-coming athletes. Almost all the athletes on the British team (from Ennis, Farah, Ohurugou, right down to the alternates in the 4x100m squad) will have benefited from the charity at some point or another. Pickering is an Olympic medallist herself (1952 4x100m), and was born & raised in the East End of London, where the Games are taking place. She is very frail now having had a few heart surgeries and being due for more, but she has been desperately holding on for the London Olympics as it means so much to her.
I know that she won't even be on the radar of those who make such choices, but I'd much rather see her light the flame than Thompson, Redgrave or (heaven forbid) Bannister.
Completely agree with all of that Jon. Mary Rand is staying with her at the moment and is presumably going to be involved in some way. Would be great if Jean was part of the ceremony.
I'm also very much hoping Dorothy Tyler is used in some capacity.
Of course, then there will be several days of second-guessing the decision, criticism of the lighter's form, and bragging on who predicted it right.
The clock is down to six hours now.
As for this topic staying alive with the second-guessing, criticism of lighting form and bragging, I guess it won't be for long if TFN shuts down this forum! (Unless GH sets up a "Torch ceremony" thread as the first "event" in the new OG area). Surely Nakamura will have some statistics ready on it.
As for this topic staying alive with the second-guessing, criticism of lighting form and bragging, I guess it won't be for long if TFN shuts down this forum! (Unless GH sets up a "Torch ceremony" thread as the first "event" in the new OG area). Surely Nakamura will have some statistics ready on it.
Your comment on some Nakamura-style statistics on the Opening Ceremony reminded me that it was the LA Games in 1984 that likely was the first to actually report time/splits for each of the elements of the Ceremony (host-country national anthem, athletes march, speeches of Ueberroth and Samaranch, declaration of President Reagan, torch lighting, etc).
I would love to Bannister and some 6-year-old girl up there together. Sir Roger brings the torch to the child and hands it to her. The child lights the cauldron.
Who the hell are these guys, SportsBeat? "...athletics legend, who famously ran the first sub four-minute mile in 1953. ... But he focussed himself on setting a historic athletics landmark, which he famoulsy did at Iffley Road on May 2nd 1953" !!!!!
We're watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics on TV here in Egypt, and just as the Israeli team/delegation are announced, the TV goes black, 15 seconds pass, and we're onto the next country--we don't get to see them parade by because our host channel prefers not to recognize them as a country: interesting...
<<will be the biggest negative story imaginable if it does. OC running late. Train service ends 0100. Tens of thousands stranded? Hope I'm not one of them.>>
Trains are not supposed to shut down until 2.30 a.m.
The kids chosen to light the brilliant flame design were nominated by a few well known athletes, Kelly H, Mary Peters, Daley T, Hemery. So much more interesting than all the suggestions and stuff on this thread for the last year.
Loved the ceremony ; so much more individualistic and very British we thought than the brilliant but humourless, nationalistic approach by the Chinese.
I heard the part about Daley and others nominating so and so..... Did Daley ever carry the torch (literally!) in any part of the ceremony, possibly even before entering into the stadium?
and please return the goodies.
