BTHarner

1. Athens 2. Tokyo 3. Sochi 4. London 5. Atlanta

Totally agree about the Torino lady, here is hoping the 2026 organizers reject her resume. I can't let go of these Games, given how so many were determined to see that they wouldn't take place. I'm watching the replays on the Olympic website. I started the day after the Paralympics ended and I am currently on day two. I might get finished by July 2024.

Just came across this article. An interesting read. https://www.facebook.com/206382352722433/posts/5052133078147312/

Except that it might be a signal of the IOCs intentions should anybody boycott Beijing.

A life well lived on many fronts. RIP.

The Paralympics weren't "imposed" on Atlanta in 1996 either. ACOG wanted nothing to do with them, so an independent group bid for and were awarded the Games. ACOG would offer token financial support, but little else. In fact, I read that when the Paralympians moved into the village they found their beds devoid of linen because ACOG had gathered them up after the Olympics and left the beds bare. I generally defend ACOG, but that just blew my mind that they couldn't let them borrow the bedsheets for a few weeks. Did Billy Payne ever see this report? Don't know. I've seen two different stories about how he got the idea to pursue the Games. One was the desire to replicate the satisfaction he felt after raising the funds and building a new church sanctuary and the other was that he saw an article in the local paper about Nashville's interest in the Games and it was a case of if Nashville can do it, why not Atlanta?

So glad to hear from you again. Your post resonated with me since my wife also received a cancer diagnosis back in February and it has weighed heavily on me ever since. I applaud you for being so open with your own struggles and hope that you are able to have the compassion and support that you need.

NBC cut that segment out of their broadcast.

I'm sure he would have ways of finding out. The IOC is just like any workplace with its snitches and office politicians.

Thomas Bach, Olympic Champion, Fencing 1976, is a little tyrant who has relegated the members who are not part of his inner circle to the point that their only meaningful duties are the presenting of medals (well in Tokyo, they just get to stand around and watch the athletes present the medals to themselves). This new host selection process takes away their voting duties (of course they get to vote on the chosen city. I will be curious to see if any vote against Brisbane this week, knowing that doing so will result in them becoming pariahs within the Movement). There is no longer any healthy debate on any issues, they just rubber stamp any recommendations that he and his cronies propose. There is little to no democracy in Prince Bachiavelli's world.

I'd feel a lot better if the Japanese government had been a little more aggressive with its vaccine rollout and that the public that is footing the bill for a lot of it would actually get to enjoy it in person. I couldn't stand sports without spectators during the past year with the lack of atmosphere and the lame attempt to liven it up with recorded crowd noise. Frankly, it was depressing and did more to remind me of the situation than make me forget it. That being said, I only have so many Olympics left and I'm not going to skip one just because of this. As far as the Games, I just hope all the IOC pronouncements about a 85% vaccination rate among participants is true and that all these playbooks actually work, just to show that this can be pulled off so we can go forward and plan accordingly.

A dream come true. The thought of the USA hosting a World Cup would have been laughable a decade earlier after the collapse of the North American Soccer League. FIFA was willing to take a chance on some virgin territory and it worked out quite well. The rule changes implemented after Italia 90 made for the most entertaining World Cup in several decades. I was able to attend one match, Saudi Arabia vs Morocco at Giants Stadium, probably the least regarded of the group stage matches and it was simply fantastic. I can't wait to do it again in 2026.

I agree when it is said that none of the recent Games have been a mess, many have had organizational and operational challenges, but they all pulled it off in the end. Tokyo will be a success in both areas, but I fear that all the circumstances, albeit out of their control, will leave an empty feeling once they have concluded. Perhaps, emptiness is a small price to pay in the larger scheme of things.

They added a second volleyball venue because this was when the women's tournament expanded to 12 teams. IIRC Beijing is the only other city to use two volleyball venues. As for the rhythmic gymnastics, and this is coming from my reading at a newspaper archive website, a venue was yet to be determined when the volleyball was relocated at the end of July 1994. The related articles mention UGA hosting the volleyball as well as the soccer semifinals and finals, but made no mention of the rhythmic gymnastics.

Cobb County was slated to host volleyball preliminaries at The Cobb Galleria. The county passed a resolution basically stating that homosexuality was not compatible the the county's values. ACOG then relocated that portion of the volleyball competition to the University of Georgia. Atlanta had its issues (Dick Pound never misses an opportunity to trash it, perhaps his wife being cited for jaywalking might have something to do with it). IBM thought pre-testing the results system was a waste of time. The out-of-town bus drivers lacked to enough training to get familiar with the area (GPS would have helped, but that was a few years off). The unique touch to the parade of nations, having them some down the ramp, was a wonderful idea, but poorly executed. Most notably, the decision to allow people to enter Centennial Park without passing through security is something I still can't wrap my head around. You also had the flea market on steroids outside Centennial Park, which can be pinned on Mayor Campbell and his cronies trying to make a few bucks off the Games, ACOG also contributed to the commercialization gluttony by selling sponsorships for almost every category possible in an attempt to raise the funds necessary to meet their revenue goals, but they did succeed, ending up with a small surplus. Otherwise, these Games were the greatest competitions up to that time. The venues have or had served the city well. Centennial Park are revitalized an area once run-down. Atlanta's misfortune is perhaps amplified by the fact that is came between Barcelona and Sydney, two Games held in the highest of esteem. It was my only in-person Olympic experience, so there is no way I can be objective about it. It was a wonderful time and I met wonderful people. Thank you Olympan2005 for starting this retrospective thread, it's bringing back some wonderful memories.