paul92 Posted August 1, 2012 Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 The Paralympics return home on 29th August. (Wikipedia): The Paralympics have grown from a small gathering of British World War II veterans in 1948 to become one of the largest international sport events by the early 21st century. Some information on the ceremony was released in May and describes the event as "spectacular and deeply human at the same time" Do we know any more about the ceremony? Will Mr Bean return, will Mary Poppins once again save the day or will Voldemort finally beat the sick children on those illuminated beds... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runningrings Posted August 1, 2012 Report Share Posted August 1, 2012 I'm curious to what we might see at the Paralympics Opening - I have a deep feeling the mainstream might prefer it over the actual Olympic opening depending on how it plays its cards. Who's the director? Will they be using the same cauldron, but with less petals? Or is it an entirely new cauldron? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul92 Posted August 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 Well in previous Olympics/Paralympics - anyone know if they have used the same cauldron? From what I've read it seems to be more 'artsy' - with this acrobatics. So people who liked that boring drawing scene from Beijing Olympic OC may like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiroamorim Posted August 2, 2012 Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 and the cauldron? do you think they will follow the same in the olympics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juso Posted August 2, 2012 Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 IN previous paralympics the existing cauldrons are usually used, they're method of lighting is usually more modest or different. In Sydney the same cauldron was used, but due to its height in the stands and the waterfall and hydraulics being replaced by seating during the olympics it could not be lit the same way as the games.. instead it was symbolically lit from a cauldron in the centre of the field. In athens I recall the cauldron dipped the same way as the olympics. In Beijing they had an extraordinary wheelchair athelete who pulled himself all the way up to the cauldron on a rope (amazing to watch). In vancouver they only used the central column of the internal cauldron, and lit the external cauldron the same way as the olympics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juso Posted August 2, 2012 Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 The problem in London is the nature of the disassembly of the cauldron. I guess either they could have a smaller one to count all the countries participating in the paralympics (as im sure people on this forum have suggested, or possibly they may keep only the petals on those countries on the existing cauldron (might look a bit weird). Either way I doubt it will be moving, ie retracting, it will be in its final position and static. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runningrings Posted August 2, 2012 Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 I just got thinking about who is going to light it after reading this article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/paralympic-sport/9344470/London-2012-Paralympics-77-bomb-victim-Martine-Wiltshire-announced-in-GB-women-sitting-volleyball-team.html You have got to admit, a 2012 Paralympic athlete who lost their legs the day after London won 2012 is surely a frontrunner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord David Posted August 2, 2012 Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 IN previous paralympics the existing cauldrons are usually used, they're method of lighting is usually more modest or different. In Sydney the same cauldron was used, but due to its height in the stands and the waterfall and hydraulics being replaced by seating during the olympics it could not be lit the same way as the games.. instead it was symbolically lit from a cauldron in the centre of the field. In athens I recall the cauldron dipped the same way as the olympics. In Beijing they had an extraordinary wheelchair athelete who pulled himself all the way up to the cauldron on a rope (amazing to watch). In vancouver they only used the central column of the internal cauldron, and lit the external cauldron the same way as the olympics. Umm... nope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juso Posted August 2, 2012 Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 Fair enough, I stand corrected. Come to think of it, its makes sense because when the fireworks were used in torino to light the cauldron, I felt like I had seen it done before. Thanks for the video, I loved the tree in that ceremony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brekkie Boy Posted August 2, 2012 Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 Athens did the "firework" lighting much better than Torino though - they could just about argue the flame ignited the process, clearly not the case with Torino. IIRC Sydney was lit in similar fashion too. If London's cauldron is reused I wouldn't be surprised if it is in it's "final" place throughout the ceremony and lit in rather routine fashion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted August 2, 2012 Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 and the cauldron? do you think they will follow the same in the olympics? What's on the Para OC ticket? Still those things. So maybe they will have another, what 160, or so slightly different petals?? ALtho the whole m.o. would look tired by then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olympian2004 Posted August 2, 2012 Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 I bet they will give the cauldron lighting a new twist for the Paralympics - they always did. Beijing and I believe also Atlanta had their final torchbearers pulling themselves up to the cauldron, Sydney and I believe also Torino had the cauldron being lit from a mini cauldron on the infield, Athens had the pyrotechnical lighting, Vancouver only had the central pillar being lit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brekkie Boy Posted August 2, 2012 Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 One large petal is my hunch, though I fear that might look like a bit like Atlantas McDonalds cauldron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nacholympic Posted August 2, 2012 Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 Barcelona '92 Paralympics Cauldron lighting!! Sydney 2000 Paralympics Opening Ceremony footage!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nacholympic Posted August 2, 2012 Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 Athens Paralympics Cauldron lightiing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nacholympic Posted August 2, 2012 Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 Beijing 2008 Paralympics Cauldron lighting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olympian2004 Posted August 2, 2012 Report Share Posted August 2, 2012 Adding to this, some pictures of Salt Lake's Paralympic opening ceremony. Apparently, they didn't give their cauldron lighting a new twist there (just like Barcelona, as can be seen above): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4ALmZbpCDw And in this clip you can at least see the lighting of the mini cauldron in Torino. I remember that they lit the big cauldron only for the Paralympic opening night and then extinguished it because they had a mini cauldron on Medals Plaza and obviously didn't want to waste gas on the big cauldron. And you can see a snippet of the Atlanta Paralympic cauldron lighting at 0:55 in this clip: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted August 3, 2012 Report Share Posted August 3, 2012 After viewing some of those Paralympic clips, again, my main impression is...why da hell do they have to make it sooooooooo difficult for the final Lighter(s) to light the friggin' cauldron?? It almost seems mean to me. (BTW, this is pretty much a rhetorical question, so not needing a real answer.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olympian2004 Posted August 3, 2012 Report Share Posted August 3, 2012 After viewing some of those Paralympic clips, again, my main impression is...why da hell do they have to make it sooooooooo difficult for the final Lighter(s) to light the friggin' cauldron?? It almost seems mean to me. (BTW, this is pretty much a rhetorical question, so not needing a real answer.) I'll give you one anyway. It's the old "overcoming all obstacles" story - and I can't understand either why it has to be represented in the cauldron lighting. I felt so sorry for the Paralympian who had to pull himself up to the cauldron in Beijing. One could see how strenuous that was and additionally, it made the lighting totally lengthy and anti-climatic. At least we know that with London's cauldron location, we won't see anything like this this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted August 3, 2012 Report Share Posted August 3, 2012 I'll give you one anyway. It's the old "overcoming all obstacles" story - and I can't understand either why it has to be represented in the cauldron lighting. I felt so sorry for the Paralympian who had to pull himself up to the cauldron in Beijing. One could see how strenuous that was and additionally, it made the lighting totally lengthy and anti-climatic. At least we know that with London's cauldron location, we won't see anything like this this year. That was the same m.o. as Atlanta's. A wheelchair athlete too, had to hoist himself near the top of that thing and then light the flame. But of course, since not too many people saw it, Beijing felt free to use the same m.o. (That's the first time I've seen any Atlanta Paralympics OC footage. I still want to see the use of a real eagle there -- predating the use in Salt Lake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattygs Posted August 3, 2012 Report Share Posted August 3, 2012 I think the whole para cauldron lighting thing is representative of the stale theming for Para ceremonies as a whole, I really want one that doesn't have the whole *triumph over obstacles* as the main concept. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brekkie Boy Posted August 3, 2012 Report Share Posted August 3, 2012 The way London has treated the Olympic Cauldron wouldn't be surprised if for the Paralymics they just light a candle. It'll look bigger on the big screen though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runningrings Posted August 5, 2012 Report Share Posted August 5, 2012 The way London has treated the Olympic Cauldron wouldn't be surprised if for the Paralymics they just light a candle. It'll look bigger on the big screen though! Maybe a candle thrown into a 44-gallon drum is something you could suggest to Madrid 2020 as a way to further cut costs... As for some of that footage - I was quite suprised at how empty the Atlanta Paralympics were - even the Ceremonies. It's the first footage of any Ceremony, Winter or Summer, Paralympic or Olympic, that I've seen a half empty stadium for a ceremony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olympian2004 Posted August 5, 2012 Report Share Posted August 5, 2012 Well, the Paralympics still had a pretty weak recognition back then. They were often also organised in a less professional way than the Olympic Games, partly because they were still staged by two separate organising committees. I think that the Paralympics from Sydney on (especially Beijing, which was praised for its extremely professional organisation and the great atmosphere for the athletes) did a lot to raise the attention and recognition for that event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwissO Posted August 15, 2012 Report Share Posted August 15, 2012 Do we have the confirmation they will use the same cauldron than for the Olympic Games ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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