# 2024 Summer Olympics Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** olympic-sports-track\ **Created:** [July 10, 2024, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019 "2024-07-10T20:21:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/81 "2024-07-26T21:18:47Z")
Nice soggy opening ceremony. Poor France. They were showing random close-ups of people, and we got to see a fat guy pick his nose, then the most Gold-Medal mustache I’ve ever seen! It was like real-life Bob from Bob’s Burgers. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/82 "2024-07-26T21:20:57Z")
Getting kinda silly now… ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/83 "2024-07-26T21:24:46Z")
So, the cauldron is a Montgolfier balloon? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/84 "2024-07-26T21:26:13Z")
Celine Dion? Wow, I didn’t realize her disability/illness allowed her to still sing. ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/85 "2024-07-26T21:27:45Z")
I’m really glad she still can. ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/86 "2024-07-26T21:28:32Z")
Is it teathered? ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/87 "2024-07-26T21:30:08Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Nice soggy opening ceremony. Water drops on the camera lens just makes everything look like a Monet painting. ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/88 "2024-07-26T21:32:15Z")
No pne seemed to mind the rain that much. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lantern2/32/3010_2.png) [@Lantern2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern2)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/89 "2024-07-26T21:39:29Z")
It was too long and the acts were of variable quality but the highlights were great and the climax with the balloon was spectacular; may have even beaten Barcelona for the most memorable cauldron. Bien Joue Paris ! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/90 "2024-07-26T21:41:06Z")
I thought so. The torch relay seemed to go on forever By the way, how did the balloon rise up? Helicopter? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/91 "2024-07-26T21:41:24Z")
Yeah, when it’s like this who cares if it rains. > [@Sylvanz](#): > > I’m really glad she still can Quite. ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/92 "2024-07-26T21:47:59Z")
I _think_ it’s a hot air balloon. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/93 "2024-07-26T21:52:44Z")
Oh! The Humanity! ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/94 "2024-07-26T21:55:40Z")
OK this is the one news item I can find about the particulars of the balloon cauldron: [Paris Opening Ceremony: Marie-José Pérec and Teddy Riner light the Olympic cauldron - Yahoo Sports](https://sports.yahoo.com/paris-opening-ceremony-marie-jose-perec-and-teddy-riner-light-the-olympic-cauldron-212337436.html) No details of the tethering or fueling (and you only have their word on it being a HAB) I suppose we’ll need to see it in daylight to get a better sense of how it works. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/95 "2024-07-26T22:02:37Z")
I assume it’s going to land soon? It can’t just remain aloft for the duration? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/96 "2024-07-26T22:25:58Z")
As someone who has seen literally thousands of hot air balloons, I’m skeptical that it’s actually a hot air balloon. I would assume helium (tethered, of course). Your average hot air balloon in a modern design (teardrop shape, propane burner, maybe 1000 pounds payload) stays up for maybe two hours. Though some of that of course is not blowing too far away as well as how long people really want to be up. I’ve seen special shapes that were so big and their envelopes so heavy they couldn’t get off the ground except in absolutely perfect conditions. It looks cool, but even with the continual flame below I’m not convinced it can remain bouyant with just hot air in a Parisian summer. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/97 "2024-07-26T22:28:53Z")
And of course that assumes it’s actually floating and not on a pedestal or hoisted. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/98 "2024-07-26T22:38:15Z")
The balloon part looks sealed so you may be right that it is a helium balloon. Though how heavy is the cauldron below? ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/99 "2024-07-26T22:47:38Z")
The local news said something like _floated into the air_ and _ **looks likea** _ _hot air balloon._ ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019/100 "2024-07-26T22:54:18Z")
I’ve recorded the boat parade, and playing it back now (paused around the letter “K”). I know that the countries parade in alphabetical order according to the host country’s alphabet - with Greece always first and the host country last. However - I expected the United States to be listed as “Etats-Unis”, and parading just before Ethiopia. They weren’t there - I’m curious to see where they were placed. (maybe under “U” for “Unis”)? Or maybe near the end since LA will host the next Olympics? Under-represented countries - Bangladesh with 5 athletes for 250 million population - about the same as Brazil who has 250 or so athletes. And DR Congo with 5 or 6 out of 110 million population. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-summer-olympics-thread/1004019.md?page=6)