Rio 2016 torch relay

[jawnbc]

My thinking exactly!

The relay should be a mechanism to excite and unite BRAZILIANS behind the Games. I vote national relay.

And if the flame visits Foz do Iguaçu, it should go to the Marco das Três Fronteiras, so it will not only symbolically visit Argentina, but also Paraguay.

I also expect the flame to sail the Amazon River on a typical indigenous boat.

[intoronto]

I guess the IOC wouldn't mind a drop by in Lisbon with Belém Tower as a backdrop. The tower holds deeps meanings both to Brazil and Portugal and that would be too epic to miss. If the IOC were kind enough to allow visits to Luanda, Maputo, Bissau, Praia, Goa, Macau and Dili I'd be a happy man.

Then you can't forget Sri Lanka. Equatorial Guinea and India to complete the Lusophony countries!

[Victor Mata]

Then you can't forget Sri Lanka. Equatorial Guinea and India to complete the Lusophony countries!

Thinking again, even Goa (hosts of the next Lusophony games in India) Macau and Dili would be a strech... I guess a leg in Lisbon would be enough for an international relay.

[Baptista]

Thinking again, even Goa (hosts of the next Lusophony games in India) Macau and Dili would be a strech... I guess a leg in Lisbon would be enough for an international relay.

Who knows... I will send a letter to the BOC, IOC and POC!!

[olympiaki-agones]

I think the most convenient relay route for Rio 2016 is throughout South America. It's more likely to be all over the southern part of the Americas than a Lusophone worldwise route. Besides the card they played while bidding was the 1st South American Games.

What could be appealing is to have a stopover in the ancient area of Portus Cale ("Beautiful Port" coming from ancient greek and latin etymologies) and Douro region (currently Porto's surroundings) and where it comes from the name of Portugal and the portuguese language, also having some links with Ancient Greece. Then from Lisbon could be re-created Ferdinand Magellan's maritime route to Brazil. I'm sure if they'd go for a whole South American route, the Olympic torch would visit every South American Capital and Pan-Am host cities like Cali, Mar del Plata and Lima among others.

That is really meaningful for the first "South American" Olympics.

[baron-pierreIV]

I think the most convenient relay route for Rio 2016 is throughout South America. It's more likely to be all over the southern part of the Americas than a Lusophone worldwise route. Besides the card they played while bidding was the 1st South American Games.

What could be appealing is to have a stopover in the ancient area of Portus Cale ("Beautiful Port" coming from ancient greek and latin etymologies) and Douro region (currently Porto's surroundings) and where it comes from the name of Portugal and the portuguese language, also having some links with Ancient Greece. Then from Lisbon could be re-created Ferdinand Magellan's maritime route to Brazil. I'm sure if they'd go for a whole South American route, the Olympic torch would visit every South American Capital and Pan-Am host cities like Cali, Mar del Plata and Lima among others.

That is really meaningful for the first "South American" Olympics.

I doubt it. The IOC is putting its foot down. The little Ireland trip was a dispensation for the UK and it's not like it had to travel 1,000 mi away. A Torch Relay around SA wouldn't be worth the expense and the headaches. They'll know there will be an Olympic Games happening in Rio.

[Olympian2004]

I doubt it. The IOC is putting its foot down. The little Ireland trip was a dispensation for the UK and it's not like it had to travel 1,000 mi away. A Torch Relay around SA wouldn't be worth the expense and the headaches. They'll know there will be an Olympic Games happening in Rio.

True. And regarding the vast size of Brazil, a domestic torch relay would consume enough time already. Just think of the comparatively tiny United Kingdom (roughly 244,000 square kilometres) taking more than two months for its domestic relay. Brazil with its roughly 8.5 million square kilometres is 35 times bigger than the UK, and it has a population at least more than three times bigger than the British.

And actually, the "South America has never hosted Olympic Games" argument of Rio in 2009 was only a kind of tearjerker, but I doubt that it had a real "we as continent" meaning behind it. Brazil simply wanted to get the Games to its own country, and not to the whole continent, I guess.

So I deem it possible that the torch makes a short stopover in Lisbon on its way from Greece to Brazil, as a nod to Brazil's past. But I don't see a South American relay happen - and neither a longer relay segment in Portugal.

What could happen, though, is that they'll have a nod to the whole South American continent in the opening ceremony. Just like South Africa did it in the 2010 World Cup opening ceremony.

But: South America, unlike Africa in 2010, has hosted some of the biggest sports events in the world before: namely the FIFA World Cup. And so it will again this summer. So I have some doubts whether the fact that South America plays host to the Olympics for the first time ever will have a symbolism like Africa hosting its first "huge one" in 2010.

[baron-pierreIV]

Yeah, maybe Lisbon. But with an Olympics every 2 years now, the Greeks also tend to overdo their own end of the Torch Relay. I mean, a tiny country of 11 million people? They don't have to have a Torch Relay every 2 years. I think the HOC just does it as it gets scads of torches and uniforms for free; and I know there is a person or 2 in the HOC who makes a ton of money selling those gratis torches and uniforms on eBay every 2 years.

And then remember, the Paras will have their own overseas leg in one flame coming in from Stoke-Mandeville. Besides, Brazil is the ONLY Portuguese-speaking country in that continent.

[olympiaki-agones]

I agree, but the purpose of my comment was that I see pointless to take the Olympic Torch around lusophone countries when they could run it throughout SA in case the IOC allow it. And yes, Portugal is the link between Greece and Brazil in terms of history and culture. They can still take Magellan's route.

[Sir Rols]

Yeah, Beijing took the global relay thing overboard and it backfired on them, but I do think there should still be scope for a regional relay. It would certainly be appropriate for Rio's relay to take in South America - it is a significant event for the continent, and one not likely to come again any time soon.

[runningrings]

Call me overboard - but I'd love to see a big relay for 2016.

Athens > Lisbon > Mexico City (site of last Latin American Olympics) and from Mexico it ventures south into South America. A day in each country is really all that needs to be done.

[baron-pierreIV]

Call me overboard - but I'd love to see a big relay for 2016.

Athens > Lisbon > Mexico City (site of last Latin American Olympics) and from Mexico it ventures south into South America. A day in each country is really all that needs to be done.

Are you financing it, Rings??

[olympiaki-agones]

I'm sure even those South American Olympic Committees would finance it. It means publicity at least for Buenos Aires 2018 and Lima 2019 to warm up people at their hometowns. Anyway, there are only 12 sovereign South American states.

I don't find important to take the torch to Mexico City, anyway the flame has been part of the route for the 2004 SOG and 2010 YOG, plus being the site where the Pan-Am is lit. They've seen other torch relays in 1954, 1955, 1968, 1975, 1979 (Universiade), 1990, 2011 and will see a new one in 2014. They are really overdone with it. Then Rio better takes it to the neighboring countries which happen to be 10 of them.

About the Beijing Olympic torch I think it was quite a non-sense.

[zekekelso]

Torch relays *make* money.

[baron-pierreIV]

Torch relays *make* money.

Yeah. APRIL FOOLS!! They don't.

The insurance alone burns a big hole in the corporate poclets.

[Victor Mata]

I agree, but the purpose of my comment was that I see pointless to take the Olympic Torch around lusophone countries when they could run it throughout SA in case the IOC allow it. And yes, Portugal is the link between Greece and Brazil in terms of history and culture. They can still take Magellan's route.

You mean Cabral's route I suppose.

[olympiaki-agones]

You mean Cabral's route I suppose.

No, I really meant Magellan. Even when Cabral discovered Brazil, Magellan set sail from the epicenter of Portuguese soul and spread Portuguese language and culture worldwide, besides he was the first one who did a circumnavigation around the globe and bordered a huge portion of South America going then to Asia, where the next Olympics will be held In 2004 a replica of Victoria ship sailed the world and reach Japan. So it's a good way to link all those Olympic lands.

[Baptista]

True. And regarding the vast size of Brazil, a domestic torch relay would consume enough time already. Just think of the comparatively tiny United Kingdom (roughly 244,000 square kilometres) taking more than two months for its domestic relay. Brazil with its roughly 8.5 million square kilometres is 35 times bigger than the UK, and it has a population at least more than three times bigger than the British.

And actually, the "South America has never hosted Olympic Games" argument of Rio in 2009 was only a kind of tearjerker, but I doubt that it had a real "we as continent" meaning behind it. Brazil simply wanted to get the Games to its own country, and not to the whole continent, I guess.

So I deem it possible that the torch makes a short stopover in Lisbon on its way from Greece to Brazil, as a nod to Brazil's past. But I don't see a South American relay happen - and neither a longer relay segment in Portugal.

What could happen, though, is that they'll have a nod to the whole South American continent in the opening ceremony. Just like South Africa did it in the 2010 World Cup opening ceremony.

But: South America, unlike Africa in 2010, has hosted some of the biggest sports events in the world before: namely the FIFA World Cup. And so it will again this summer. So I have some doubts whether the fact that South America plays host to the Olympics for the first time ever will have a symbolism like Africa hosting its first "huge one" in 2010.

Totally agree with you.

[mr.bernham]

I would like to see a South American capitals and then Brazil as a country torch relay in 2016. As for when Africa hosts, I want to see a big ass world relay (ala Athens 2004) to celebrate the games finally reaching the 5th continent.

[Victor Mata]

Magellan's was much more significant worldwide but not enough decisive to Lusobrazilian historical links as Cabral's first landing in Bahia. A Lisbon games, however (which I do hope too see becoming possible in my lifetime) can have a strong The Lusiads/Message inspired narrative behind it. After the Greeks, the Portuguese are arguably one of the civilizations whose identity are most closely related with the Ocean, specially in a poetic sense.

This is, OTOH, the first lusophone games, and as legend says Lisbon was founded by Ulysses, a vessel carrying the flame from Greece to Portugal by sea and then to Belém Tower will be very special... if the IOC even allows it.

[Baptista]

Interesting:

http://whirlwindodyssey.org/rio-odyssey/

[baron-pierreIV]

Interesting:

http://whirlwindodyssey.org/rio-odyssey/

well, yeah...except who will see the flame at sea?

Dolphins and barracudas won't buy Coke or Samsung TV sets...

[Athensfan]

IMO, 2004 was the only time a global relay made sense. I like the idea of a South American relay with a Lisbon stopover for Rio and I think it's justifiable. I'd limit it to a continent wide relay for Africa whenever they get their first Games. Everybody else should stick to simpler, more direct routes.

[ofan]

I think it's appropriate for a quick stopover in a neighbouring country, like London and Vancouver. Surely we'll see some of that for the first South American Games. And if Sydney chose to visit all countries in Oceania, why can't Rio do the same for their continent?

[baron-pierreIV]

I think it's appropriate for a quick stopover in a neighbouring country, like London and Vancouver. Surely we'll see some of that for the first South American Games. And if Sydney chose to visit all countries in Oceania, why can't Rio do the same for their continent?

Because the rules have changed. The IOC doesn't want it as one big circus.