Paris 2024

[baron-pierreIV]

/\/\  That's not as bad as when diver Greg Louganis hit his head on the concrete platform in Seoul.  OUCH!

I hope this guy did not break or fracture his cocyx.  

[sebastien1214]

We expected it but it has been confirmed: the Olympic rings will be installed between the 1st and 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower*. They will be put in place at the end of the month.

There were also details revealed today** on the trans-Atlantic crossing of the Olympic flame which will be done aboard the sailboat Maxi Banque populaire XI "skippered" by Armel Le Cléac'h (winner of the Vendée Globe). Marie-José Pérec will participate in the Atlantic crossing with him (Brest - Point-a-Pitre), and between Guadeloupe and Martinique there will be a crew of 4 athletes all from French overseas territories (Laura Flessel, Coralie Balmy, Kéni Piperol-Dampied, Thomas Debierre) accompanied by a certain Tony Estanguet.

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* https://www.francetvinfo.fr/les-jeux-olympiques/paris-2024-les-anneaux-olympiques-seront-installes-sur-la-tour-eiffel_6474896.html

** https://presse.paris2024.org/actualites/le-relais-des-oceans-un-chapitre-unique-du-relais-des-eclaireurs-de-paris-2024-f402-e0190.html

[FYI]

"accompanied by a certain Tony Estanguet."

A certain someone around here should enjoy that little tidbit. lol

[baron-pierreIV]

26 minutes ago, FYI said:

"accompanied by a certain Tony Estanguet."

I'm positive a body-double -- just to be safe.  

[Sir Rols]

C’mon Manu, put your swim trunks on and put the fears to rest…

Olympic triathlon swimming leg could be cancelled over Seine water quality

[Guilga]

2 hours ago, Sir Rols said:

C’mon Manu, put your swim trunks on and put the fears to rest…

Olympic triathlon swimming leg could be cancelled over Seine water quality

Hoo boy, hope Pasteur is on watch here. An E.coli epidemic at the games would be a new thing, or there is a precedent for this? Hopefully most of them wont give the diseases, but still... Reminds of the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas story about pollution concerns in Rio 2016.

[baron-pierreIV]

COJO'24 should have realized that l'eau Seine 2024 is NOT the same as 1924.  Not to mention terrorists who can throw some pollutants into the Seine a few hours before all these open-water swim events.  Have they thought of that?? 

[sebastien1214]

1 hour ago, baron-pierreIV said:

COJO'24 should have realized that l'eau Seine 2024 is NOT the same as 1924.  Not to mention terrorists who can throw some pollutants into the Seine a few hours before all these open-water swim events.  Have they thought of that?? 

Paradoxically, the Seine will probably be cleaner in 2024 than in 1924. Moreover, the ban on swimming in the Seine dates from... 1923.

There was a time "not so long ago" when the Seine was truly the trash can of Parisians. Under Louis XIV for example, it was a horror.

Over the past ten years, water quality has definitely improved as more and more species of fish have been seen returning to the river. But that doesn't mean that it has become completely swimmable. There is still work to be done.

There will be a huge wastewater collector which will come into service in May, which will be used in particular for heavy rains (because when it rains too much; like now; the sewers overflow and dump everything into the Seine). There is also a vast program, still in progress, of connecting buildings to sewers (because yes, there are still buildings which today have a pipe system which discharges everything into the Seine).

Afterwards, we can always debate, make predictions, but we will only really know what is going on on the D-Day. We know that it is possible that there will be days when the water quality is good; last summer, there were a few days where it was OK, even though everything was not in place. If there is an episode of drought (= no rain) during the Olympic Games, there is no reason for it to go badly.

As for possible terrorists who would dump harmful substances there... I want to say that this is in any case a risk that arises during freestyle swimming events, regardless of the location chosen. There is no doubt that the authorities are thinking about it (I saw that there would also be "pollution control devices" planned but I don't see what that involves)

[FYI]

Paris 2024: World Athletics to become first federation to award prize money at Olympic Games
 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/68778225.amp

[Sir Rols]

1 hour ago, FYI said:

Paris 2024: World Athletics to become first federation to award prize money at Olympic Games
 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/68778225.amp

In before Baron…

So, when are they going to hand the money over? Will they wait 10-12 ears until all the doping appeals are sorted out?

[baron-pierreIV]

What?  It's taken 25 centuries for everything to come full circle? 

I'm surprised Paris did not reinstate the competitions for Painting, Sculpture and I think Poetry as they did up to London 1908 or Stockholm 1912.  Instead they have dumb things like "Breaking" and "Rock-Climbing" -- two of the most ABSOLUTELY STUPID events I can think of.  

[Bear]

The live stream for the Flame Lighting Ceremony is now set up on YouTube ahead of Tuesday's proceedings:

 

[sebastien1214]

A slightly closer view of the Eiffel Tower Stadium which is progressing very quickly (and with nature returning to its green color!)

[Guilga]

4 hours ago, sebastien1214 said:

A slightly closer view of the Eiffel Tower Stadium which is progressing very quickly (and with nature returning to its green color!)

Yeah, this is becoming beautiful!! Hope the gold shine brighter for my country there, both when this field sports sand and when it fields grass for the Paras. (Gotta get that beach volley and blind football medals!)

[baron-pierreIV]

What is the designated Olympic Family Hotel for Paris?  The Peninsula?  The Pullman-Eiffel Tower?  

[cfm Jeremie]

Three hotels: OFH (i.e. the one for the IOC members) will be at L'Hôtel du Collectionneur whilst OF2 and OF3 (IF, NOCs, other guests) will be the Hyatt and Méridien at Porte Maillot.

[Bear]

On 4/12/2024 at 5:54 PM, Bear said:

The live stream for the Flame Lighting Ceremony is now set up on YouTube ahead of Tuesday's proceedings:

 

Less than an hour to go for those interested

[TorchbearerSydney]

Fencing 1976 is up now.......yawn!!!!

[TorchbearerSydney]

And he is still going...................................so many words signifying nothing.......

[TorchbearerSydney]

He spoke so long, the 'celestial virgins' waiting to light the flame are no longer virgins! 

[TorchbearerSydney]

From what I can see the flame was 'lit earlier'....presuming it was too overcast today.

 

[yoshi]

If Bach put half the effort into getting bids for the Olympic Games as he puts into his bid for the Nobel Peace Prize, we might have a functional bid process & shorter speeches...

[cfm Jeremie]

1 hour ago, TorchbearerSydney said:

From what I can see the flame was 'lit earlier'....presuming it was too overcast today.

 

Yes, they used the back-up flamme lit yesterday during the rehearsal... just like for Sydney 2000 ;-)

[TorchbearerSydney]

Q:  just like for Sydney 2000 ;

 

Someone once said this is a good omen! Sydney turned out just fine!

[yoshi]

Trust the Olympics to choose a day in April when it's lovely & sunny (if chilly) in Britain (well parts) while it's cloudy & windy in Greece  Didn't know that about Sydney, it didn't turn out badly for them - hopefully it goes just as well. At long last, an Olympic torch is on its way to Paris