Gamesbids’ Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony Live Chat™

[PikyoK]

On 2/24/2026 at 7:27 PM, StefanMUC said:

If there’s enough people who want to do the work for free, fine. 

But at least also provide accomodation for free to them - instead they had to organise it themselves, which I find disgraceful. OK, they still applied under those conditions, but providing a bed for them should be the minimal “perk” here.

I agree as well.

[baron-pierreIV]

3 hours ago, PikyoK said:

Thank you for writing this! I've always wanted to know what volunteering at the Olympic Games is like

It all depends on the hand you're dealt with; the circumstances you end up with -- and I think, one's overall attitude to whatever situation you end up getting assigned to.  And each COJO doles out its "freebies & perks for the volunteers" differently.  

AustralianFan had a good experience at Athens 2004 and I can sense his attitude played a big part in making it worthwhile for him.  (I probably would've collapsed due to Athens' heat.  The 3-4 days I was in Athens in late June, 2010 (split up into 2 portions -- as I took a few days' outside-Athens tour then, the heat was JUST unbelievable -- not in a good way.  That it was a little dry made it somewhat bearable.)  

Edited February 25 by baron-pierreIV
xx

[cfm Jeremie]

It was actually not too bad during the Athens 2004 Games: yes it was hot but there was always a relatively  cool breeze in the evening, which definitely made the heat bearable.

[krow]

21 hours ago, Sir Rols said:

competitive medal tally’s

to be fair, they they used to discourage this. i don't know what changed. it's weird combining individual medals + team medals anyway. 

on one hand country tallies seem to go against the spirit of friendly competition but on the other there is an 'olympic champion' (fencing 1976) and an anthem played so maybe it's not too far off. 

[Sir Rols]

1 hour ago, krow said:

to be fair, they they used to discourage this. i don't know what changed. it's weird combining individual medals + team medals anyway. 

on one hand country tallies seem to go against the spirit of friendly competition but on the other there is an 'olympic champion' (fencing 1976) and an anthem played so maybe it's not too far off. 

Tally’s are all just national flexing. I guess the IOC just gave up, realising resistance is futile when everyone did it anyway.

if the IOC was serious about internationalism, they’d take a leaf out of the Universiades and have people competing as individuals, not as national reps. Of course, then they’d be as popular as the Universiades.

[baron-pierreIV]

28 minutes ago, Sir Rols said:

if the IOC was serious about internationalism, they’d take a leaf out of the Universiades and have people competing as individuals, not as national reps. Of course, then they’d be as popular as the Universiades.

But that's what differentiates the OGs from the Universiades.  What would you do with all the flags & anthems?  You couldn't do that with the United Nations.  😉 

[Sir Rols]

56 minutes ago, baron-pierreIV said:

What would you do with all the flags & anthems? 

They’d have to go too. “Imagine there’s no countries”

But that’s the point. Nobody would care for them if they didn’t have all the national trappings.

[baron-pierreIV]

9 minutes ago, Sir Rols said:

They’d have to go too. “Imagine there’s no countries”

But that’s the point. Nobody would care for them if they didn’t have all the national trappings.

Then every athlete would be a bland -- what is it? INA? Individual Neutral Athlete -- from NOWHERE? 🤪  How can I cheer or JEER for someone coming from nowhere?  Viewership and following would fall off.  

[BigVic]

Planet Funk will be the headliner for the Closing Ceremony. Their song "Chase the Sun" is popular with darts fans