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But Japan has very healthy pro-volleyball leagues. So the new Ariake volleyball-only-dedicated venue won't go to waste. It will see lots of use + for international competitions since Japan always hosts them.

You do know there is a special relationship between Japan and Brazil. After the Portuguese and Poles, the Japanese are the 2nd largest group of non-Western immigrants to make a new homeland in Brazil (and to a certain extent, Peru, as well. Alberto Fujimori?). And those ancient Incas did worship the sun as well.

Hey, long time no see. Try the IOC's website www.olympic.org They may have the full OC up already.

Am aware of the seasonal considerations. Am giving the hosts a hard time. And those look like carnations (fake chrysanthemums), too.

Of course not. They will NOT reuse the monstrous 2008 cauldron. That was already taken down. They will use a new one -- and hopefully a little greener than the 2008 one. .

But the winner is a home-grown kid who did even have to travel overseas. So what are you talking about??

Re the medals podia, I don't like them. Basalt black? Is that how their Bento boxes are made? I mean, how many shades of black can there be? And does the black convey the "sad" circumstances under which these Games are being held? And the bouquets? What happened to the chrysanthemums, the national flower of Japan? Or cherry blossoms? But I guess there's a little tribute to Van Gogh with mini-sunflowers!! Go Vincent!!

Well, Skateboarding too, may NOT have minimum age reqs. I mean I don't think you will see 27-year olds participating in Skateboarding or Snowboarding maybe?

Probably so. But it's only one of 44 made for that give-away; and it's different from the "official" one used in the Relay and by Ali. Re Helsinki '52 torch, only 22 were made; only 3 are in private hands -- and the last one sold at auction in May 2015, went for $545,000, the highest price ever paid for an Olympic torch in an open, public auction -- and is still the record to date.

Interesting. I wonder how the medals will look.

I like the smoky reds and crimsons for the, I believe, indoor arenas. Not too distracting from the action and livens up the empty building a lot. Really looks good on color TV.

Why are posting everything twice? Are you getting senile? Why are posting everything twice? Are you getting senile? Nope, the big hurdle for the Salt Lake 2030 candidacy is the USOPC itself. Aside from LA 2028, there is United Bid 2026 PLUS elections. The USOPC fears that Salt Lake 2030 follows LA 2028 and United 2026, its main corporate sponsors will be tapped out -- even allowing for a recession. "Olympic fatigue" will set in. Nope, the big hurdle for the Salt Lake 2030 candidacy is the USOPC itself. Aside from LA 2028, there is United Bid 2026 PLUS elections. The USOPC fears that Salt Lake 2030 follows LA 2028 and United 2026, its main corporate sponsors will be tapped out -- even allowing for a recession. "Olympic fatigue" will set in.

One of the dumbest posts here since the Games opened.

I was thinking more of the zeitgeist of "peeling off a piece of the flame and giving it as a 'take-home' keepsake --which the little-known Atlanta '96 exercise was. While I'm sure it was covered in the Athens press and IOC press at the time, I've only seen mentioned in Atlanta Official Records of the Games -- but I have seen the special miners lamp and commemorative torches given at the event, put up for auction -- only 20 miners' lamps for that were made (spares to ACOG and the IOC Museum) and only 44 torches.

Yeah, it's like "spreading your seed" to the winds -- all over the place. Actually, Heatherwick may have gotten the idea when Atlanta gave away its flame when it invited the 17 previous Summer host cities to pick up a piece of the 1996 Flame from special lanterns and torches at the Athens airport before the '96 flame flew to Los Angeles. And Atlanta in turn was inspired by Lillehammer 1994 sending part of its Morgedahl flame to Minot, North Dakota, where Sondre Nordheim is buried.

Hard to judge "best" of cauldrons. They are really of different schools. Here's my take on a few of the more outstanding cauldrons: PC 2018 - totally unimaginative and predictable London 2012 - beautiful when first lit, but too difficult to create -- and where is it now? Barcelona 1992 - was memorable NOT because of the cauldron which was meh! but because of the flying arrow that was used to light it. Sydney 2000 - breathtaking when it first rose from the waters; but after getting stuck - trying too hard. This and Barcelona still top the "where did they hide?/how will they light it" category! Vancouver 2010 - another "trying too hard" category Rio 2016 - that was NOT a cauldron. It was an attachment to the back of one, like an earring just reflecting the flame in the simple bowl in front. Wasn't even an original design--off the rack of Anthony Howe's catalogue. Take away the damn sculpture and you still had the bowl in front of you. Athens 2004 - That was all they could come up with? A reed? And only because it was all that could fit into that space. But "cauldron" consistent with its torch design. Atlanta 1996 - A total, UGLY disappointment! Beijing 2008 - another of those TRYING TOO HARD to impress. Also, Torino 2006 - beautiful design but WAY TOO HIGH for anyone to relate to. Salt Lake 2002 - Nice design; not too ostentatious. The best to manifest the theme of its Games - Light the Fire Within. Tokyo 2020ne is a nice design; modest but where will it end up? I think LARGEST CARBON FOOTPRINT and biggest WASTER of natural gas: 1. Beijing 2008 (of course, it's China) 2. Vancouver 2010 (out in the harbor no less) 3. Atlanta 1996 - Just wait until India gets a shot at having its own cauldron!! Torino and Salt Lake were probably the last 2 which fulfilled the IOC's Charter of what a cauldron should be (which was written for a Summer Games, not a Winter Games).

We'll see how the Sapporoans?/sites?/nese? respond to the walk races and the marathons held in their city. I bet the most ardent critics and most vocal supporters will put up a show for the TV cameras.

The Plague Love in the Time of Cholera One Hundred Years of Solitude

Probably still a big secret. Maybe there will en an app like a GeoSearch / Treasure Hunt for it??

USA Men/s Volleyball Indoor clobber tough French team 3-0. In same category, IRAN dealt #2 Poland a surprise defeat!

Such a sour drip.

Didn't say it wasn't. Edo might be too. I'm just stating a very odd juxtaposition vs. the host city named Tokyo. And why doesn't she go by her father's name, Francois?

Obviously, they did NOT consult you. Try again next time.

It's NOT going to Marie Jose Perec for 2024. She will already be a has-been by then. It will be some new French sensation (hopefully sports) who's burst into the scene over the next few years and will still be a hot name by 2024. If there are NO breakout French sports stars, they might dip into those with humanitairian records -- like maybe the founder of Medecins Sans Frontieres or something like that.

Question about Naomi Osaka: so, if her father is Francois, why is she using her, I imagine, her mother's surname? Yet, she seems to have a continuing relationship with M. Francois. Just curious. (If the City of Osaka were the host, I imagine she could not have been chosen to light the cauldron if her last name wasn't "Tokyo"? First time in history that the final lighter has the surname of the host city's main domestic rival city. )