Who will light the Brisbane Cauldron in 2032?

[Sir Rols]

Possibly still way to early to identify any particular favourites for the honour, but time enough to start nominating names to the list. 

Speculate away!

I’m guessing Peter Bol is out of the running now…

[yoshi]

Steve Harmison 

(More seriously, it's Queensland - it's got to be a swimmer or surfer)

[Sir Rols]

There’s one obvious contender…

John “Do What It Takes” Coates 

[TorchbearerSydney]

Emma McKeon is a possibility - she is at 11 Olympic medals, if she gets another 5-6-7 at Paris (she got 7 in Tokyo) she could be the most successful female Olympian in history (or a least female swimmer) ....

 

 

[Gonzo]

King Wally Lewis

[ulu]

Definitely not.

[TorchbearerSydney]

I dont think  sportspeople in non-Olympic,  fringe sports played in a couple of countries like league or cricket will be anywhere near the Gabba....

[Australian Kiwi]

The Matildas 2023 squad?

Salt Lake 2002 style.

[fusilli]

What about Thorpe? Surprised no one mentioned him yet.

[Australian Kiwi]

On 8/13/2023 at 9:27 PM, fusilli said:

What about Thorpe? Surprised no one mentioned him yet.

He could be an interesting choice as the first LGBTIQ Olympic athlete (that we know of ) to light the cauldron.

However personally (and I say this as a gay man myself) there is something a bit "done before' about him. He's our past success, and very much rooted in Sydney 2000 (although it could be a nice way to connect 2000 and 2032).

I'm lukewarm on Thorpe. I want something more out of the box . I could see Brisbane going down the path of Salt Lake 2002 and London 2012 with a 'group' of torch bearers as opposed to a single person like we saw in 1956 and 2000.

[Sir Rols]

46 minutes ago, Australian Kiwi said:

He could be an interesting choice as the first LGBTIQ Olympic athlete (that we know of ) to light the cauldron.

However personally (and I say this as a gay man myself) there is something a bit "done before' about him. He's our past success, and very much rooted in Sydney 2000 (although it could be a nice way to connect 2000 and 2032).

I'm lukewarm on Thorpe. I want something more out of the box . I could see Brisbane going down the path of Salt Lake 2002 and London 2012 with a 'group' of torch bearers as opposed to a single person like we saw in 1956 and 2000.

Yeah, that echoes my feelings pretty closely.

In the lead-up to Sydney, I was of the view Dawn Fraser was the obvious choice. She was our most famous, successful and loved Olympian and a Sydneysider through-and-through. But as soon as Cathy Freeman took the final torch, it was pretty clear that she was the perfect choice indeed (although apparently Dawn still disagreed and felt slighted). I can’t imagine anybody but Cathy doing it now.

Your Matildas suggestion is an extremely appealing one. A widely diverse group of women, indigenous representation in the form of Mary Fowler, a few Queenslanders, a number of openly but not militant queer members (including Sam Kerr herself), have made the medal round semis at the Olympics, and are basically just so utterly besottedly beloved by Australia right now. If they go all the way now, I’d almost say they’d be red hot favourites, and still strong contenders even if they don’t.   

Postscript. Funnily enough, literally seconds after I posted this, I came across…

 

Pretty well sums it up

Edited August 16, 2023 by Sir Rols

[Australian Kiwi]

Same stadium too!

[Australian Kiwi]

18 hours ago, Sir Rols said:

Yeah, that echoes my feelings pretty closely.

In the lead-up to Sydney, I was of the view Dawn Fraser was the obvious choice. She was our most famous, successful and loved Olympian and a Sydneysider through-and-through. But as soon as Cathy Freeman took the final torch, it was pretty clear that she was the perfect choice indeed (although apparently Dawn still disagreed and felt slighted). I can’t imagine anybody but Cathy doing it now.

 

Yeah I think we got it right. Dawn was also very part of that moment in my memory (especially when the golden girls of 1956 put a blanket around here after she did the honours). I saw their involvement as a passing of the baton from Melbourne 1956 to Sydney 2000. Which is why I'm inclined to hope the stars of 2000 (including Thorpe) are central to the ceremonies in 2032 (maybe carrying the Olympic flag?). 

[Sir Rols]

You know, Cathy’s actually a Queenslander. Would it be appropriate to see her become the first two-time cauldron lighter? Or maybe be half of a cauldron lighting duo, maybe partnering with a white male? Thorpe?  

[Australian Kiwi]

18 hours ago, Sir Rols said:

 

Your Matildas suggestion is an extremely appealing one. A widely diverse group of women, indigenous representation in the form of Mary Fowler, a few Queenslanders, a number of openly but not militant queer members (including Sam Kerr herself), have made the medal round semis at the Olympics, and are basically just so utterly besottedly beloved by Australia right now. If they go all the way now, I’d almost say they’d be red hot favourites, and still strong contenders even if they don’t.   

 

I'm still on board. Maybe even more now. 

I think it sends a VERY strong message about the spirit of trying and celebrating achievements even when they don't amount to a technical win. It would communicate to the athletes of 2032 that legendary status not always defined by medals or runs on the board. Its more than that. Kind of an antidote to the 'WON X GOLD MEDALS AT 1984, 1988" vibe that can overwhelm these kinds of honours.

[Australian Kiwi]

Just now, Sir Rols said:

You know, Cathy’s actually a Queenslander. Would it be appropriate to see her become the first two-time cauldron lighter? Or maybe be half of a cauldron lighting duo, maybe partnering with a white male? Thorpe?  

Nah. Brisbane will be keen to bat away any suggestions of a "Sydney 2000 Version 2.0" so I think they'll avoid that. 

[Sir Rols]

Well, maybe not Thorpe. But there’ll surely be some other young, white, male Queenslander athlete who’ll emerge by 2032. I could see some nice symmetries there - old and new, legacy and the future, female and male, black and white.

[TorchbearerSydney]

Melbourne had a young white male, Sydney had a mature Black women......

 

Maybe an African immigrant like Peter Bol could give a nice balance.....who knows what will happen by 2032!

 

And as an aside- as the flame extinguished in Atlanta, I said to my partner if Cathy Freeman is World Champion in 2000, she will light the flame in Sydney.

 

 

 

[Brekkie Boy]

Maybe Cathy Freeman, Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett and Steve Hooker could all run towards the cauldron with a torch each, trip over and then get overtaken by Stephen Bradbury who gets to light the flame.

[TorchbearerSydney]

Lets sort out where first!..

[StefanMUC]

5 hours ago, TorchbearerSydney said:

Lets sort out where first!..

Looking at how the discussion goes, in the end everyone of those five will have a stadium each and they do it simultaneously.

[Victorian]

Dame Jessica Fox OAM who will be 38 at the time. Brisbane may be her final Games then I think it is inevitable that she will become an IOC Member.

[Australian Kiwi]

1 hour ago, Victorian said:

Dame Jessica Fox OAM who will be 38 at the time. Brisbane may be her final Games then I think it is inevitable that she will become an IOC Member.

On what basis?

[Australian Kiwi]

On 3/22/2024 at 9:22 AM, Brekkie Boy said:

Maybe Cathy Freeman, Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett and Steve Hooker could all run towards the cauldron with a torch each, trip over and then get overtaken by Stephen Bradbury who gets to light the flame.

Fitting as Brisbane is the Bradbury of Olympic host cities!

[Sir Rols]

3 hours ago, Victorian said:

Dame Jessica Fox OAM who will be 38 at the time. Brisbane may be her final Games then I think it is inevitable that she will become an IOC Member.

Depends if she’s interested and/or even gets into sports administration.

I’d say Kieren Perkins or Susie O’Neill would be our most likely members (out of former athletes, that is).

But, yes, her odds of becoming Brisbane’s cauldron lighter have just shortened.