thepianoman

The party was straight after the fireworks- I think the BBC were expecting it to be broadcast, since their commentators introduced it and then were cut off unexpectedly as the OBS feed ended!

That would be a great way to remember the ceremonies- isn't the giant Mischa balloon in a museum somewhere? I wish more of these things would be preserved- it would be amazing to see some of them up close rather than on TV or from a distance at a stadium- for example that beautiful tree from the London opening. Wonder what became of that.

They don't have names- they're just called "Leopard", "White Bear" and "Hare". The BBC anchor mistakenly called the bear Mischa! Quite the opposite- I think it took balls to use the moment to address the issues and he chose to do so rather than ignore it, and did it in a very classy way. He has to be passive in the sense he's supposed to be neutral! Is that documentary on You Tube? That's a good point- what happens to all the huge set pieces after these ceremonies? It seems with the exception of the cauldron a lot of them are dismantled- but it seems a crying shame for such beautiful pieces not to be preserved in some way.

I thought it was a great ceremony- I enjoyed it far more than the opening in fact! Seemed to have a lot more energy and precision, whereas to me the opening seemed slightly cold and looked a little uncoordinated in parts. I thought the final sequence with the mascots was actually extremely well thought out, with a nice reference to 1980, even using the same music! Speaking of the mascots, whether you found them creepy or not, you've got to admit they're a fantastic piece of engineering. Does anyone have any links/images/video etc. on how they were made or how they work? Would love to find out more about them.

I'm pretty sure that the problem was due to a computer error and not a mechanical issue. If you watch the footage you can clearly see the point where it breaks, it stops quite abruptly and shakes a bit.

I initially thought there was booing when Germany came out, but I'm pretty sure it was just the music, there's some kind of bass/drone it uses which sounds like that.

There's also a commentary free option on that stream if you're able to access it

Where was there a red centaur? Must have missed that

What are those four long coloured things (the red/green/yellow/blue strips on the right of that satellite image)? I've seen them in a few photos and I'm not sure what purpose they serve, are they just walkways?

All the petals have been given to the delegations now, so there's only really the base and stems left. I would assume it's probably in storage somewhere? Can't imagine they would just destroy it but it's not anything attractive to display on its own. Discovered this picture of the cauldron hiding under the stadium floor waiting for it's petals to be attached I still think it's amazing how well LOCOG managed to keep it a secret, especially in this day and age when everything leaks out eventually!

So: my first post in the Sochi board after finally tearing myself away from the London page ... I have to say I'm very impressed with how the venues are looking. What stands out to me is the way they all seem to have a cohesive design, the colours and shapes etc all go together with the design for the games. I can't really remember seeing another Olympics where this has happened?

Thanks for the photo! I must say it looks a bit lonely and unloved out there in a car park- I guess it was never the most popular of designs? I personally think the cauldron itself isn't too bad, but its been completely ruined by putting it on top of that ugly metal tower. Do people use the stairs?

Wow, thanks Kenadian! Definitely answered a lot of my questions and more! I must say I'm surprised that Atlantas is still there, tower and all- I don't seem to remember seeing any photos or mentions of it post games- in contrast to Sydney and Vancouver, who seem to have made good use of theirs.

I know I asked this earlier in the thread- but there were some really interesting answers so I'll ask again: what has happened to Olympic Cauldrons of past games? There's a few I know of now, but it would be interesting to find out more. 2012: I assume the cauldron will no longer exist beyond the copper petals- given what the designer said about it being a "one off moment" etc. I think it's unlikely that we'll see any kind of replica- my guess is the base may just be kept in storage/destroyed? 2010: The outdoor cauldron is still there as far as I'm aware- obviously the indoor one was only ever temporary. 2008: I've seen photos of the cauldron being taken off the roof after the games, but I've not seen anything of it since. I'm sure I read somewhere that it was going on display somewhere?? 2004-2006: Not sure on these- can someone enlighten me? (pun intended) 2002: The tower and cauldron is still on display. 2000: The cauldron is now a fountain, without the central stem. 1996-1998: Again, not sure on the whereabouts of these. I'm especially interested in Atlanta's. I assume they took down the supporting tower etc, but did they keep the cauldron itself? That's as far back as I'll go for now- but any information which could fill the gaps would be very interesting

The BBC commentators mentioned during the parade that the petals would "play an important role later", which made it quite obvious that they were related to the cauldron!

I think that's just one of the rings being used earlier in the show

The cables are more than capable of lifting a cauldron. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17905304

Personally I was thinking more along the lines that if the cauldron was in fact there, it could be hidden under the observation deck then slide out onto the platform which has been added.

That's a very good find Cody- it's difficult to tell from that photo. But a few of us have said all along that the Orbit would be a great spot for the cauldron- so perhaps this is where it will be!

I think I see where you mean Cody- the underside of the Orbit observation deck?

I saw this too- but on my TV it looked like it could have been a still image/placeholder being shown on the video screens on the roof?

Slightly off-topic in terms of this years cauldron I know, but something that's always interested me is what happens to the cauldrons AFTER the Olympics. The only one I know about is the Sydney Cauldron, which is now part of a fountain in a park nearby. Does anyone have information or even better, any pictures of other cauldrons post-Olympics?

Am I right in thinking that the last cauldron to be visible only inside the stadium would be Seoul's in 1988?

The only explanation I can think of is that the method of lighting the cauldron can only be done inside the stadium?

Ah good point- I'd forgotten all about the canals! So a journey from Tower Bridge to the stadium by boat is very possible!