Who Will/Should Light the Torch at the London Olympics?

[astorian]

I happen to think the person who will light the torch and the person who SHOULD light the torch are one and the same.

Since Sebastian Coe, one of the people who'll decide, was a miler himself, and...

Since nobody better exemplifies what's best in British amateur athletics...

It HAS to be Dr. Roger Bannister, the first man ever to run a 4 minute mile.


Any other likely candidates come to mind? Or anybody you think is more worthy?

[runner pat]

Couldn't agree more. I can't think of a single achievement in sports that held more world-wide interest than the 4 minute mile.

[Rilchiam]

Bannister's still alive? Cool!

But I thought it was going to be someone who'd been told they would never walk again. Just hearsay, apparently.

[astorian]

Originally Posted by Rilchiam

Bannister's still alive? Cool!

But I thought it was going to be someone who'd been told they would never walk again. Just hearsay, apparently.

Dr. Bannister is 83 years old, and a retired neurologist. So, for him, the 4 minute mile was NOT the high point of his life.

If he's in decent health, I'd hope he'd be the torch lighter.

[Wargamer]

If not Bannister, then Daley Thompson would be a suitable representative to light the torch, what with being a gold medal decathlete.

[hammos1]

As long as it's not Beckham in a pimped-up tracksuit, I don't mind, really.

Steve Redgrave (also in that video) seems a likely choice. But I quite like the idea of Bannister.

[Folacin]

Bannister was my thought before I opened the thread.

Granted I'm an American and by definition somewhat unaware of the rest of the world, but I really can't think of another British athlete, except Beckham.

I recognize the name Daley Thompson, but I wouldn't have pegged him as British.

[zamboniracer]

Tony Jacklin, the golfer, would be a good choice IMHO.

[Tapioca Dextrin]

How about someone totally out of left field? David Bond is the only living British Gold medallist from the 1948 games (the last time they were held in Britain).

[glee]

Although Bannister is a worthy suggestion, I feel strongly that we should have an English icon, who has been a success for over 40 years (and generated lots of dosh for the country.)
Plus it was all foreseen.

I refer of course to this episode , where Doctor Who saves the day - and carries the torch.

[hajario]

Bannister didn't have any Olympic success at all. He came in fourth in the only event in which he participated. It needs to be a successful Olympian.

[mkecane]

I think Bannister is a great choice. If they go with a dark horse, how about Derek Redmond?

ETA: Or Eddie the Eagle?! Or does the IOC not allow him within 100km of an Olympic host city during the Olympics?

[panamajack]

Originally Posted by Tapioca Dextrin

How about someone totally out of left field? David Bond is the only living British Gold medallist from the 1948 games (the last time they were held in Britain).

That would actually go well with the whole James Bond theme the Queen wants.

[That Don Guy]

The first name that came to my mind was Daley Thompson, although Bannister would be a good choice as well (although the lack of Olympic medals doesn't help his case). Thompson is one of few Olympic athletes from the early/mid-1980s whose achievements can't be tainted by "Well, the best athletes weren't there in (choose: 1980, 1984)" as he won both of those years' decathlons.

If they want one with a royal connection, how about Captain Mark Phillips? (He won a gold in 1972, and he's the biological father of two of The Queen's grandchildren, although he may not be on "the best of terms" with the Royals.)

I wouldn't be surprised if they end up going "old school" and choosing some anonymous person(s) to light it. Having a former (or current, for 2000) Olympian do it is relatively new; was it ever done before Rafer Johnson in 1984? (Even four years earlier, the Lake Placid torch lighter was just one of the no-name torchbearers selected by his fellow runners, if I remember correctly.)

[Evil Captor]

JK Rowling and LD James!

[Baron Greenback]

It's be Steve Redgrave - five gold medals at five consecutive Olympics is hard to argue against.

[Intelligently Designed]

For those interested in keeping up with Roger Bannister, Sports Illustrated ran this interesting piece last summer.

[MacTech]

Some say that, as a young boy, he built a street luge that broke the sound barrier, and that he broke said sound barrier riding his homemade luge UP a steep hill

All we know is, he's called The Stig

[Really Not All That Bright]

I thought of Daley Thompson and Bannister in that order. I bet it will end up being a footballer, though. Britain is still the land of the pikey (more so now that I'm gone). Is Jack Charlton still breathing?

[Sarabellum1976]

I don't mind seeing David Beckham in the stadium, running with the torch, but please GOD let them choose someone else to actually light the cauldron! He's too Hollywood these days.

Some other possibilities - Princess Anne (competed at the '76 games) or her daughter, Zara Phillips (qualified for TWO different Olympics but couldn't compete in either because her horse was injured) or the previously mentioned Capt. Mark Phillips, though I don't know how cordial they all are, post-divorce. Again though, having any of those 3 actually light the cauldron will smack of nepotism and they probably just won't go there. I think they should keep it down to ONE royal torch-carrier plus the Queen declaring the Games "open".

How about Tom Daley, the very young and cute diver that's widely considered a medal contender this summer. He's got a certain Justin-Beiberness about him that might pull some ratings. I doubt they'll have someone who hasn't actually medalled light the cauldron, but I bet they'll spotlight that kid somehow, if they get the chance.

I like the idea of JK Rowling either carrying the torch or acting as a flagbearer.

Louis Smith was kind of a "surprise" medalist at the last Olympics, and as far as I know, the only British gymnast to medal in an individual event, though it was only a bronze. Also a nice-looking kid. I haven't heard whether he's definitely qualified for the 2012 Olympics though I suspect that he did or will be.

Oh, I've got it - Kelly Holmes! Why did I not think of her first? She won TWO gold medals in Athens, and has not done anything too embarrassing since retirement. Actually she's Dame Kelly Holmes these days. Yep. She's my pick.

[Baker]

I wonder who's the oldest British Olympian who can still walk and carry a torch?

Or at least wheel a chair up to the cauldron, while carrying a torch. The archer who shot the arrow that lit the flame in Barcelona was not a "regular" Olympian, but was a Paralympics archer.

[Sarabellum1976]

Originally Posted by Baker

I wonder who's the oldest British Olympian who can still walk and carry a torch?

Or at least wheel a chair up to the cauldron, while carrying a torch. The archer who shot the arrow that lit the flame in Barcelona was not a "regular" Olympian, but was a Paralympics archer.

The Barcelona archer! Man, that was an Olympic Moment. Hard to top that one.

[glee]

Sadly the Barcelona Archer did not light the flame (for safety reasons):

(he) deliberately overshot the cauldron; though some sources claim it was done for the safety of the spectators, in fact Rebollo's arrow did not light the natural gas rising from the cauldron. This was done by a Reyes Abades technician via remote control in all rehearsals and the ceremony itself, as Abades explained in an interview with his local newspaper 'globalhenares.com', "...he created the mechanism for lighting the Olympic flame".

[Jenaroph]

Originally Posted by glee

Although Bannister is a worthy suggestion, I feel strongly that we should have an English icon, who has been a success for over 40 years (and generated lots of dosh for the country.)
Plus it was all foreseen.

I refer of course to this episode , where Doctor Who saves the day - and carries the torch.

I have considered for a while starting a petition to this effect, but I'm not a Brit and it would probably be ignored. Besides, I'd hate to volunteer David Tennant if he's not in favor of the idea himself.

[Alessan]

Also, that episode sucked.

[Rilchiam]

Tennant's not the Doctor any more, so you'd be volunteering Matt Smith.

[Smapti]

Originally Posted by Rilchiam

Tennant's not the Doctor any more, so you'd be volunteering Matt Smith.

"I light torches now. Torches are cool."

[Rilchiam]

And looking at this, I'm wondering if Tennant would even be allowed. Probably not in character, at least.

[PandaBear77]

If we go by sheer media coverage/worldwide attention, Pippa Middleton's ass is a shoo-in.

[BobLibDem]

Originally Posted by PandaBear77

If we go by sheer media coverage/worldwide attention, Pippa Middleton's ass is a shoo-in.

I was thinking of her for that same reason. Design the cauldron so she has to bend way over to light it...

[Mahaloth]

Stephen Fry

Just after going on a lot about some curious historical fact about Olympic torches and so forth. Besides, I'd like to see him run 400 meters first.

[Jenaroph]

Originally Posted by Rilchiam

Tennant's not the Doctor any more, so you'd be volunteering Matt Smith.

But it was the tenth Doctor who lit the torch in the episode.

[Mahaloth]

Originally Posted by Jenaroph

But it was the tenth Doctor who lit the torch in the episode.

I think people are forgetting/don't realize there was an episode where David Tenant's Doctor lit the torch.

I have to admit, that would be awesome.

[Really Not All That Bright]

Originally Posted by Mahaloth

Stephen Fry

Just after going on a lot about some curious historical fact about Olympic torches and so forth. Besides, I'd like to see him run 400 meters first.

Alright, but there will only be a day or two left for actual Olympic events.

[Rilchiam]

Originally Posted by Mahaloth

I think people are forgetting/don't realize there was an episode where David Tenant's Doctor lit the torch.

I have to admit, that would be awesome.

No, I've seen the episode. Just saying, I don't know if Tennant's allowed to appear in character any more.

[BobLibDem]

Originally Posted by PandaBear77

If we go by sheer media coverage/worldwide attention, Pippa Middleton's ass is a shoo-in.

They could use Camilla's ass to snuff it out.

[Zebra]

It's England! Don't you guys have some fire breathing dragons and shit?

[dotchan]

Originally Posted by Zebra

It's England! Don't you guys have some fire breathing dragons and shit?

St. George made them all extinct, unfortunately. It's hard to admire them as majestic creatures when they're burning down your thatched roof cottages and eating the peasants.

[Tom Scud]

Eh, St. George was Greek. Just like the Elgin Marbles.

[Zebra]

Then have Harry Potter fly by on his Nimbus 2000 and drop the torch in! Get some sense of theatre people!