2024 Summer Olympics Thread

The Game Room
41

I hate to burst your bubble, but I woke up early this morning and watched to highlights of the entire 24’ Olympics in Paris*

So I’m going to spoil it for everyone.

  • Uruguay takes gold in soccer
  • The Finns dominate the distance running events (especially Nurmi and Ritola)
  • Abrahams and Liddel win the 100-meter and 400-meter dashes respectively, but there are no chariots in evidence, let alone chariots of fire.
  • Weissmuller takes three golds in swimming plus a bronze in the relay
  • Harold Osborn wins the decathlon with a record number of points, becoming the “world’s greatest athlete”
  • DeHart Hubbard becomes the first African American to win an individual gold medal.

*The 1924 Olympics in Paris on TCM!

42

Uruguay still has a star on their national team shirt because of that gold medal.

43

Should they expire?

44

The problem is that the stars on the shirt are for World Cups, Uruguay claims that FIFA specified the Olympic tournament (before the first World Cup in 1930) as equivalent of a “World tournament title” and thus it counts, other countries disagree and use those two “Olympic” stars (they also won in 1928) to make some (usually gentle) fun of them.

45

Okay, opening ceremonies on.

The start sketch featured Zidane, a bunch of Citroens in a trafic jam, the catacombs and, apparently, the Phantom of the Opera.

Boat parade under way. Smaller countries do multiple countries per boat. (OK so Bahrain got their own private little boat).

46

Bahrain got a little boat all by their lonesome.

Now it’s Lady Gaga singing.

47

The feather bosoms are a choice.

48

It’s very French!

49

“And because we know Americans will get bored, let’s cut to Snoop”

50

The backdrop is frequently undecorated street furniture, concrete and graffiti. When London had it in 2012 every street light had a flag on it - even in the outer suburbs. Here I can spot ugly undecorated lamp posts in the background of the opening ceremony! Bit underwhelmed at the moment but hopefully as it gets darker there will be something a bit more spectacular. The Eiffel Tower is always a lovely sight when it’s lit up.

51

Wow that boat with Canada, CAR, Chile, and China is huge! It’s a wonder it can navigate the Swine at all.

Can-can!

52

I assume much of the torch relay is pre-taped?

53

Oh for sure.

Aerialists in construction outfits hanging off the scaffolding of Notre Dame… nice touch.

OK… Les Miz, beheaded Marie Antoinette, and operatic heavy metal. THAT I did not expect.

54

What heavy metal band is that performing? It’s cool.

55

Death metal + opera turns out to be a great combo. Especially if you can get Marie Antoinette’s decapitated head to kick it off.

56

Oh, wow, it was Gojira. That…is actually a big band.

57

I am liking the parade, er, regatta of nations broken up by performances. Helps alleviate some of the boredom waiting for your favorite country.

58

“We don’t need to spiff it up. It’s Paris.”

59

Minions?!

60

I don’t get it either. Though I think they’re produced by the same company that owns NBC

And I have to say; the French have an awesome national anthem.