TorchbearerSydney

Social media has really galvanised anti-Olympic bids. Small noisy minorities can hijack the agenda so much easier these days,and disseminate hysterical fake news or just noise. As for London 2012, glad you enjoyed it, but I see it now as the most tarnished Games ever, with at least 29 medallists (13 Gold) being stripped of their medals, and more to come.

The IOC seems now to be rushing for only bids from super safe countries for both Summer and Winter Games - USA/Canada/ UK/ France/ Germany (referendums?) / Spain/ Italy/ China/ Japan/ Korea and Australia. No new frontiers, no controversy, long lead times etc...it is a smaller and smaller pool of bidders.

This is really odd- Ukraine is basically at war with Russia and the Belarus President has basically said he wants to rejoin Russia (including handing over foreign affairs and rejoining the rouble soon)....one is Russia's biggest enemy from the former USSR, and the other is the biggest friend. ????

I am not finding a consistent graphical theme (in shape, colour, style, design) in the logo, torch, uniforms....there is indigo blue, block shapes, circle shape, pink metal, flower shape, red stripes etc etc.... I am just a bot anally retentive I think!

That shoots ninja stars?

That's a bit unforgivable..I hope their is some indigenous acknowledgement at the very least. I saw a small exhibition about the Ainu in Osaka- they are a very interesting ethnic people.

Not feeling the US uniforms- except the all white podium suit...all seems a bit like red and white and blue vomit, in a huge array of patterns...US uniforms are usually neat, with a simple clear graphic design and striking...

Tahiti is just dumb....France has surf beaches. I actually think surfing is just dumb at the Olympics. It is an elite sport, not wildly practiced, confined to those with access to appropriate shorelines. Remember this is the IOC that (briefly) dumped wrestling- a national sport of rich and poor through much of the world.

Interesting with Jakarta, they have announced the move of the capital of Indonesia to East Kalimantan....that would be be a bigger construction and logistics priority over the next decade I would have thought...as well as sorting out Jakarta's diabolic transport and flooding issues.

Those Japanese uniforms make the athletes look like old-age pensioners on a bus tour....ill fitting and unflattering. I would rather they be dressed like Astroboy!

I thought the idea of the YOG was that they were smaller, much cheaper than the Olympics..so they could have different host cities/ countries...and spread the love....Of course at tthe first chance they went to China (who can host the real thing and they spent a fortune) and started with 2 Asian Games in a row. Should be going to places like Hungary, Poland, New Zealand, Thailand, India, Turkey etc...

Good pick up...this is obviously really bad. An advanced country doesnt have a day to waste when preparing for the Games (looking at Athens and Rio)....a developing country even less. I

Thats true too...the usual suspects like Baku, Dubai, Qatar, Istanbul, Shanghai etc... have been quiet. Madrid is making some noise apparently.

I know the IOC is getting panicky, but it will piss off many other cities and countries if it rushes into secret deals 12 years before the actual Games. I think the pendulum has swung too far the other way, from a rigid, flawed system 7 years out, to the almighty rush 12 years out, long before most people would consider bidding. Brisbane/ Gold Coast will host easily though- they had a hugely successful World Expo and 2 great Commonwealth Games already., plus all the Sydney experience to keep things on track and relatively cheap.

Brisbane had some big floods too not so long ago!