Rafa

In Africa, the final torchbearer will ride on an elephant towards the cauldron before lighting the flame!

1. I suggested something like this, OG hosts getting preference to host World Champs pre Olympic Games as a test OR 2. Cape Town might be bidding....this is so Greedy of Rio! Greedy!

The CWG Federation really has to take what it gets. Perhaps, maybe perhaps, offering 2018 to Abuja after Glasgow would have been perhaps maybe semi-wise

Golden Games

timing

Will the CWG Federation go for a "safe host" post Delhi 2010?

I could be wrong but the way I see it, bidding cities get venue approvals from the IF's from the bidding phase until the final venue design is approved, in technical terms. The IOC has very little say in the technical aspects of the venue as these specs have to be tailored to the IF's wants and needs.

I applaud Delhi for the increase pace and the new venues that have opened but its difficult to be optimistic 5 months before the Games when the roof sheeting is still going up at some venues, while the roof fabric of the main stadium has not been installed yet.

bulldoze them.

stupid democracy. bulldoze them.

He spot on.

Its the bidding cities themselves that create these expectations...yes the IOC is to be blamed in some areas...but its the marketing and splendour of the bid process to actually win the bid that creates these expectations.

Sydney resolved its lost bus driver issue a few days before the Games when Rogge suggested volunteers as guides

Suppose I'm more of a traditional type... keep it simple with the cauldron, tall tall tall structure with a basic bowl on top. imagine the VAncouver skyline with a tall structure with the flame. e.g. Barcelona

Its a winner. I'm quite surprised.

I don't get it. There were powerful segment during Beijing's ceremony but it for all the money and expectation it was not the best I've ever seen so not sure that its appropriate to compare other ceremonies to that of Beijing. In fact there were simple and elegant scenes in the Paralympic ceremony which in some cases were far better than the Beijing Ceremony, because they were so simple, understated etc. e.g. the blind guy playing the piano as the seasons changed was not going to blow you away but was memorable and timeless. The Sarah Brightman song was good on paper but did not traslate very well...woohoo they were standing on top of a giant globe.

spent the day listening to Joni Mitchell's "Both sides now"

So awesome they used the "both sides now" song. Its one of my favourite songs...ah amazing. The ending was an anti-climax, 1. Select one cauldron lighting person 2. Select one cauldron

The venue overlay translates really well on television. The consistent branding is so refreshing.

told you so!

Thought the inflated roof could have been used more to create different moods. It was a ceremony inside a theatre inside a stadium rather than a ceremony making use of the stadium as theatre.