Gamesbids™’ Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games™ Opening Ceremony Live Chat

[JMarkSnow2012]

Just now, Ikarus360 said:

 

Winter Olympics Opening  🤝 Winter Paralympics Opening
Ruining the most iconic italian song not only once but twice. 

Aha! So that's why we're seeing commercials in the UK

[Bear]

naw u guys hate whimsy this is kind of fun

[yoshi]

Not only does 4 make you appreciate the BBC generally, it even more makes you appreciate Hazel Irvine and John Hunt

Even if the general tradition of Paralympic openings being better than their Olympic ones is over, Channel 4's tradition of cutting off early goes on lol

Edited March 6 by yoshi

[AmaniS]

I have not been in a good mood for the last few days.  This did not help. I felt like they tried, but were not up for the challenge 

[Olympian2004]

Apart from the shambolic parade of nations, it was an "okay" ceremony. I liked the Italian flag segment, the Italian anthem and the "Volare" performance at the end. The virtual flame in Verona was also quite nicely done. But all in all, it was a rather forgettable ceremony, just like both its Olympic counterparts.

[JMarkSnow2012]

2 minutes ago, yoshi said:

Not only does 4 make you appreciate the BBC generally, it even more makes you appreciate Hazel Irvine and John Hunt

I think Krishnan Guru-Murthy would also have done a better job

[Cyriln]

I hope anyone who is still alive in the 2030 OCOG has watched the ceremony, because there are a lot of lessons to be learned from this.

[yoshi]

And I hope anyone still alive in the 2032 OCOG gives Adam Hills a role in their ceremony

[JMarkSnow2012]

UK Channel 4 features "The Last Leg" at 10pm- the show which was created to accompany the 2012 Paralympics and just kept going

[yoshi]

1 minute ago, JMarkSnow2012 said:

UK Channel 4 features "The Last Leg" at 10pm- the show which was created to accompany the 2012 Paralympics and just kept going

Possibly the most enduring legacy of the 2012 Paralympics tbf 

[yoshi]

Also there wasn't really anything there that couldn't have been done in Cortina. However good the artistic sections were, they can't make up for like 90% of the athletes not getting the opening ceremony experience at all. A real letdown given how the Olympic parade went.

[DamC]

Just now, yoshi said:

Also there wasn't really anything there that couldn't have been done in Cortina. However good the artistic sections were, they can't make up for like 90% of the athletes not getting the opening ceremony experience at all. A real letdown given how the Olympic parade went.

Well they would've had to build a venue there, which wouldn't have made sense financially.

[rio2016man]

Love when they bring out all the performers on stage like this

[JMarkSnow2012]

1 hour ago, JMarkSnow2012 said:

UK Channel 4 features "The Last Leg" at 10pm- the show which was created to accompany the 2012 Paralympics and just kept going

Update at 22-45 UK time. "The Last Leg" chose not to devote too much time to discussion of the opening ceremony.

[yoshi]

For 28, they should provide a red button stream with Adam, Alex & Josh commentating on the ceremony 

[Sir Rols]

2 hours ago, yoshi said:

And I hope anyone still alive in the 2032 OCOG gives Adam Hills a role in their ceremony

He’d be a shoo-in for the 32 Para OC, even if he is more famous here for Spicks and Specks than The Last Leg

Edited March 6 by Sir Rols

[Olympian2004]

4 hours ago, DamC said:

Well they would've had to build a venue there, which wouldn't have made sense financially.

They have a venue there, namely the Curling Olympic Stadium which will even host the Paralympic closing ceremony. So it could have been done, maybe with some tweaks in order to not disturb the curling events there too much. Or they could have simply used the streets of Cortina, just like for the Olympic parade of athletes.

[BigVic]

Adam Hills worked on ABC's Paralympic coverage back in 2012. Love they bring out Tina and Milo during the Parade of athletes with the former being a star last month 

[BigVic]

Watching the OC on Stan in Australia without commercials this afternoon here. A beautiful ceremony at an ancient ampitheatre 

[DamC]

10 hours ago, Olympian2004 said:

They have a venue there, namely the Curling Olympic Stadium which will even host the Paralympic closing ceremony. So it could have been done, maybe with some tweaks in order to not disturb the curling events there too much. Or they could have simply used the streets of Cortina, just like for the Olympic parade of athletes.

I don't think that would have been possible since the curling schedule is so busy.

I also think Verona was used because it seats 12,000 people and they could sell these tickets to cover some of the cost of the opening ceremony. 

[baron-pierreIV]

Am just watching/catching up on the highlights of the Para OC on YouTube. I'm sure it's probably been noted above-- but this is the WTF? Opening Ceremony?  It's held in a "compromise city" which didn't host ANY sport whatsoever in either the regular WOG or the Para -- and for this Para OC, they left even more athletes at the Milano & Cortina Villages (and I understand the reasoning & logistics behind it) -- but WHY then insist on Verona? 

So by leaving many athletes in their Villages, you just create MORE EMPTY seats at the Arena -- in addition to it already NOT being a sell-out and that they couldn't induce the regular Veronese to show up and fill the empty seats -- not to mention the nations boycotting the OC.  And then, of course, staging some of the Ceremony at the Teatro Filarmonico??? 🤔 Did Italy just get stupider a 2nd time around? DUUHHH!!

I guess the whole mojo of having the athletes all "break bread together" is just out the window and let's break'em up where we can.  I guess hints of how things will happen in 2030 and with 8-10 Swiss cities in 2038?  Worst, un-focused Paralympic OC in a while.   

Edited March 11 by baron-pierreIV
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