cfm Jeremie

I have been saying that for months... The Global Torch relay, despites its great success, was supposed to be a one time thing.

The only recent ceremonies I can remember where only the host nation language was used are LA 84's (and it was English, so pretty common language). I would be very very surprised if only Chinese were to be used during the ceremonies (that would be very, very dumb from BOCOG: isn't one of the goal of the Olympics to present China to the world?)

B*llshit. China needs European technology as much as Europe needs access to Chinese market. Hint: if China buys planes, trains and nuclear powerplants overseas, it's because they need to.

What's the purpose of life and everything?

Actually yes. The Federal Development Programme which was approved and launched before Sochi was elected included the development of Sport venues in Sochi and Krasnaya Polyana: the ski resorts are all existing (although most needs major development), the bobsleigh and luge track was planned and two indoor arenas were planned as well. The development of these venues are just going to be moved forward because of the Olympics. The ski jumps and two indoors arenas were bid dependent.

You are the one who mentionned White Elephants Again, you kindly overlook the fact that PC was pretty much at the same stage as Sochi just 10 years ago (everything to be built). Can you please explain to me why what is legitimate for Korea (i.e. developing a winter sports centre) is not legitimate for Russia?

Sure, I bet all seats of Stadium Australia are weelchair accessible This picture doesn't mean that part of the stadium is not accessible.

Goody, the torch would therefore head to Myanmar... That should go well

Way too early to tell. Russia is in bad need of a national training centre for most winter sports so most of these venues should be used after the Games. Anyhow time will tell.

Actually, Beijing did use this card for 2000. "A more open China awaits the Olympics" was the bid's motto. But 1989 was closer, Sydney had an incredible bid (and it was Australia third consecutive bid), Beijing's bid was not as strong technically as the 2008 one (I do agree that Beijing 2008 was not as good as Paris and Toronto but it was more than decent) and the Chinese were rockies in the bidding process.

IOC Financial Statements for 2001-2004

Might I remind everyone that the whole Olympic Movement (NOCs, IFs and Organizing Committees) takes benefits of 93% of the money generated by the Games. So yeah, money counts and it does contribute to sending athletes from 205 NOCs to the Games! Not saying that awarding the Games on money alone is right. But that things are a tiny more complicated than "money = bad" that some tend to think.

Here you go you ask for it, you get it. Once more, total inconsistency in your post...

OMG!!! Baron and tolerant in the same sentence!!! That's unheard of

For Christ sake, learn to read/think before you post! I specifically did not say that scrapping the torch relay was the solution. I even did say that I was not against having a few international stops on the way to the host country. What I said is that if developing countries (China can hardly be compared to most developing countries) were to stage the Games sometimes then whatever little cuts (be it ceremonies, smaller stadia and arenas, fewer accredited media) was the way to go.

James, you are once again completely inconsistent: you cannot one the one hand claim that the Olympics should be spread among developing nations and on the other hand disregard the fact that the cost of staging the Games keeps increasing. Yes a global torch relay is fine but it has a cost. If one is serious about developing nations hosting the Games someday, then one has to to do whatever it takes to keep the Games cost under control. Smaller budget for ceremonies and torch relay is clearly a way to achieve that. I think the key to achieving substantial cost reduction is to save a few tens of millions anywhere it is possible. That is not to say that there should be no international stop in the torch relay. But going back to something like Sydney did, where the Oceania countries hosted the torch on its way to Australia, is probably the most appropriate things to do. I could foresee that whenever a South-American or African city finally host the Games, the torch would visit the whole continent (that was what was proposed by both Buenos Aires and Cape Town for 2004).

I know very well this report thank you very much, which was aimed at controlling the complexity and cost of staging the Games. Hence the recommendation of keeping the torch relay "short". One has to make distinction between the recommendations of the Olympic Games Study Commission and what came out of it. The current version of the Olympic Charter does not include any specific instruction about the Olympic Torch Relay besides that the Torch Relay is in charged of the OCOG and should be approved by the IOC. I am not denying that the Athens Torch Relay was a great success. I also know people who worked on it: it was a logistical nightmare and the IOC is not too keen on such global torch relay as it is in complete contradiction with keeping the cost under control. Proof of that, to go back to your 2012 candidate cities statement, is that the 2012 Evaluation Report states that "all torch relay project will have to be discussed with and approved by the IOC". I am not saying an international torch relay won't happen again. It has happened before: Berlin, Tokyo, Mexico, Barcelona, Lillehammer, Sydney all had international segments in their torch relay. Global Torch Relay a la Athens/Beijing are very unlikely. Last word of advice, don't believe what the IOC President says when he is being polite.

100 % false. The IOC has never had specific instructions about the number of days for the torch relay. Never did the IOC said a global torch relay a la Athens was a great idea for the future. The global torch relay was supposed to be a one time thing and the IOC was not especially keen on having further global torch relay.

It's a demonstration event in the Olympics so no medal to be won.

Good old Brundage was at least as comfortable.

A man shouldn't be held accountable for his father behaviour. I have to say I was very sceptical about Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior skills but I have been quite pleasantly surprised. To suggest that either of the Samaranch would support Doha is dumb.

It's the cauldron used in the Torch Relay not ZE cauldron.

I apologize, it is indeed a trauma

Yea, on the other hand he had 7 years to see it coming and nobody begs him for running for IOC Presidency (and no one told him it was going to be an easy job). I would have had no problem with this stance months ago. But after b*llshiting us about how politics and sports are not linked, to come with this statement is the very very least he could do.

Your continuous French bashing (or obsession about bringing back France in every topic) is fascinating... Clearly some childhood trauma involved.