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Hello guys and gals! I am enjoying life very much - in this more and more crazy world... I still watch Eurovision Song Contest and the Olympic Games, but the negative referendum in Hamburg for 2024 was very disappointing for me and antagonised my interest in Olympic Bids a lot. The new "host selection" process is a kind of last coffin nail for my interest in Olympic Bids... In my point of view it is very nibulous!!!

Grab yourself a Dublin 2036 mug before they sell out

I will pop in during Paris definitely - I took off from the office for the whole games to watch them live.

I have a problem with the concept of Logo B: it uses the copyright-protected Olympic rings to create the Logo, pictograms and the branding... In my point of view it looks great, but opens pandoras box in the mean of protected Olympic symbols... Logo A looks very colourful and there is movement in the image - the imagery reminds me on the rainbow which leads us to a pot of gold...

My first logo comp was in 2008 and this is entry number 17 for me. To those who have voted for logo A Thank you and for those undecided your vote would mean more that you could ever know to me. For 18 years this site has been a pert of my life and i still can't seem to give it up VOTE for LOGO A Thank You x

Hard to believe it's 4 years since Lausanne 2020 just before COVID hit and disrupted the next two normal Olympics in Tokyo and Beijing. We were lucky to get through to the 2020 W YOG. Will be looking forward to this. Brings me back memories to PyeongChang 2018 which seems like an eternity six long years ago. Let the YOG begin!

Alexa, we've done the south twice, we've been north, we're going east, so now play me a song of the west: Noooo, not the Sheeran! That's more like it! The real sound of the streets (and the pubs) in the busking capital of Europe - welcome to Galway! It's also one of the wettest places in Europe, but with shelters like Sonny Molloy's, who cares? We're here to drink dance vote, because we've gone all the way to the one-on-one finale. Here's how we voted up in Stroke City: A: 5. B: 4. C: 4. Oh dear. This is a tie at the bottom, which means I have to make a decision - which is the last thing being in charge is supposed to be about. Still, as I don't have a John Coates available to make my decisions for me, I need to turn voter - and I have decided to cast my decisive vote in favour of C over B. With apologies to @corn_zxl, If it's any consolation I try to avoid having to do this but I'm afraid I had to knock someone out as the rules say - you've still had an amazing debut :). Talking about rules, here are the final round RULES: This voting round will be open for (approximately) 48 hours - it will close at 10pm UK time, Saturday January 20. Voting will now be conducted in rounds until one entry has an absolute majority and is declared the winner. As there are only two left, that must happen in this round. Again, it's the final round with only two candidates, so whoever gets more votes wins it all. As I explain below, if they're level, I reserve the casting vote. Vote in the poll for your favourite logo. You have ONE vote, so make it count. Your vote is public and can be seen by all. Entrants MAY NOT vote for their own logo. For transparency, I will not vote unless required to break a tie. Votes are valid if cast by members of GamesBids as of January 1 2024 with a bona fide posting record. I will rule on the validity of any suspicious or disputed votes, or who constitutes a bona fide voting member. I will not vote in this, or any subsequent rounds. However, if a tie-breaker vote is needed, I will reserve my right to vote in order to break it. Be fair and sportsmanlike, this is meant to be fun and the entrants all deserve RESPECT. We will gather one last time on Saturday night in Dublin's fair city, to crown the champion. Until then, good luck!

I'm drunk. I have been battling cancer. I lost a nut. Finally came out to my family a couple years ago. Yes, I am aware I shouldn't be drunk given current health circumstances. Idgaf currently. I just started my first open relationship a few months ago. I wish I was 16 again getting made fun of from @krow with a little more insight. 2004 was a nice year. Did I mention I am drunk. Love y'all. Lesverts.

This is it, the last 23.5 hour call for 2024

Yes we missed you and totally understand not wanting to disturb your friend. Glad you got to see it anyway and agree with everything you saus, especially the connection between the two venues was a missed opportunity. Thanks for the info too re the footage from the Dome being uploaded, I’ll watch out for that.

Yes, love the font and the musical clef imagery, and the shamrock feel to it.

Great continuation of the programme. loved that dream factory segment. Kpop was astounding!!! cauldron was a bit unexpected but simple and convenient

Not complaining with this lineup so far

4+4=

Yes it is … it’s good … speeds up the usually very long parade

Remember how cold it must have been in 2018 sitting outside fully in the open, so really great they are all under cover tonight

So the flame begins its journey from PyeongChang Dome over to the Opening Ceremony

Loving that opening segment with the classroom dancers. I have to admit... I was dancing too.

half an hour to go

Just realised something. For Australian viewers, you have a choice of watching the Youtube Live Stream from the Official Olympics channel OR Watch the ceremony on 9Go (Channel 93) with coverage starting from 9:55pm AEDT.

I might be a bit late to the live chat so I may start the ceremony from the beginning instead of following it live with everyone else. I'll keep you updated.

For those with access to Instagram, a sneak peek has been uploaded: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2RFytxri3H/

May the best win!!

Well, for me I like the feeling of movement in A - it feels the more “kinetic” of the two. I also like the subtle shamrock nod, and that as someone pointed out, it also suggests a musical key signature. Not to mention, one of the best fonts I’ve seen produced fr the comps. It’s been my favourite from the very beginning.

i just really like the idea of B being projected onto the stadium floor at the OC and the NBC announcers lifelessly reading off a screen that the logo takes inspiration from celtic knot design and symbolizes and athlete in celebration incorporating the olympic rings. and here come two dozen jigging school children driving the snakes out of ireland. the snakes symbolically represent the english occupation until 1900.... but i digress. this is just a winning concept from start to finish, no pun intended.

and now here its reversed with the legacy of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics being a springboard to a Youth Olympics

Thanks Yoshi. I always dreaded to have to do the tiebreak, it’s something you want to avoid. But that’s the hard part of the job - it’s not all fun and lining up entertainment acts you like (Oh, that’s right… Ed Sheeran??? Sack Alexa Yoshi and go with your gut). Sorry to see you go @corn_zxl. You’ve really made quite an impression in your debut season. Really, really hope you’re a regular now. Remember, the comp is always back each December. And that was sure a nail biter of a third round! With last minute drama to boot! And what a come from behind story - Round 3’s C (this round’s b) was so close to dropping out after the second round, only saved by another last minute vote. Best of Irish Luck to our two remaining contestants! To wrap up, enjoy the craic here at Sonny Molly’s, we’ve got a few more musical treats later on for our stay here. Try to promote, but DON’T SPAM. Sonny, pint’s of Guinness to the house. Yoshi’s buying the first round!

It’s worth reviewing this very telling report below on the failings of the current ageing embaressing Gabba. The current Gabba is in a prime central location within walking distance of Southbank, CBD and other entertainment and hospitality options. But ……. (read on) The endless gripes of a cantankerous Gabba traveller On the brutal south-western ascent, a bon mot from somewhere far below: “Are we at base camp yet?” the man shouts. Chuckles from the schlepping masses. Too true! Me, I can only grin. It is a 54-step climb to Gabba’s upper concourse, and I’m starting to pant. 54 Steps At least we have our (relative) youth and health. A teenage girl hobbles behind us in a moon boot. Just ahead, an elderly couple are causing a bottleneck. There is no designated disability access here. Just the freight lifts. Nearest Train Station We’ve come from the nearest train station – 20 minutes away. The incoming humanity at Stanley Street and Ipswich Road consumed the intersection and made traffic lights meaningless. Police tried to hurry people along, but there was nowhere to move. Very Limited Parking There is limited parking for the average punter since the Brisbane City Council began policing its “Gabba traffic area” – curiously, about the same time as the stadium’s first rare NRL game this year. Train services only run every half hour on weekend game days and are distant, so it is no wonder others opt for the chaos of the buses. Good luck to you, especially if you’ve brought kids. Toddler Sized Spectator Seats But we’re nearly there now. A few steps to go. Once at “camp”, we’ll catch our breath and squeeze through the narrow, heaving concourse to our toddler-sized seats up another set of stairs. No Wifi Connectivity Any breaking team changes? Don’t bother checking the news. There’s no connectivity. Welcome to the Gabba. The only good thing about the place is that the Lions keep winning. East Brisbane State School The stadium precinct will be rebuilt in time to host the 2032 Olympics. And not without controversy and genuine heartbreak. The build will force the historic East Brisbane State School to move. There’s also the $2.7 billion cost, which may not have been so outrageous had the government not so amateurishly put it at $1 billion only a couple of years ago. No Female Changerooms But Brisbane deserves a modern home for AFL and cricket. There are currently no female change rooms. Opposition male AFL players rank the away change rooms among the competition’s worst. Brisbane has missed cricket Test matches because the ground has slipped down the rankings of “preferred venues”. At the quarter-breaks in the football, blokes breeze through the toilets, while women usually have to choose between interminable lines and the restart. Electrical Blackouts at the Ageing Gabba There are more technical infrastructure issues, too. What Lions fan could forget the lights going out mid-game earlier this season? Don’t let anyone tell you the Gabba only needs “a lick of paint”. It seems even stadium management has given up on trying to keep certain elements of the game-day experience modern. Is the Gabba where bakeries dump their stale buns? Food is subjective, but this cantankerous footy traveller puts the Gabba’s unimaginative 20th century fare at the bottom of the pile. This assumes there’s any grub left. I sometimes wonder at half-times if those responsible for supply in our section remark to their colleagues in bewilderment that it always seems to get so busy halfway through the shift! Exclusionary Gabba Sport is unifying, inspiring. Fun! Everyone should be able to share this. The present stadium is exclusionary. A new Gabba will have escalators and disability access. The new version will seat 50,000 people – a meagre ambition, perhaps, leaving it mid-sized in the scale of Australian stadiums. But the atmosphere will be exponentially improved. Current Gabba Capacity: 37,000 AFL and 34,000 Cricket Its current capacity of 42,000 is misleading because the ground configurations accommodate only 37,000 for AFL and 34,000 for cricket. The new Gabba will have a capacity of 50,000. Public Transport - New Woolangabba Train Station As for transport, a pedestrian bridge will link an expanded concourse to the new Woolloongabba train station. Team facilities will have direct access to pitches and practice wickets. More broadly, the whole precinct will be “enlivened 24/7″ with new homes, retail and, potentially, art galleries and museums. This is a good thing for a city on the move. Last week’s Brisbane sitting of a federal inquiry into Australia’s preparedness to host the Olympics heard the stadium would be “end of life” by 2030. If there is one problem with this assessment, it is that it supposes the Gabba is not already cooked. Credit: Brisbane Times

Michel Barnier, one of the two co-chair of Albertville 92 was also President of Savoie Department. Jean-Claude Killy, the other Co-Chair, was from Val d'Isère.

It is about the same driving distance. VDI is in the same départment as Albertville. VDI regularly hosted WC races at the time, Chamonix didn‘t. Chamonix wasn‘t used in 1968 either (neither was VDI).

I'm still very much alive. Thanks for checking.

Quite boring Ceremony