2012 Olympic Games in London

[Iluvbertie]

As he is competing the next day it is highly unlikely that he would light the torch - and I suspect that that person was chosen some time ago.

It is normal for all athletes who are competing on the first official day of competition (soccer will have already been going for a couple of days before the Opening Ceremony) to not particpate in the Opening Ceremony. I believe that Zara has already said that she will be missing the Opening Ceremony because she is competing on Saturday.

[Tudur rose]

Is the opening ceremony on Friday ? If so then the next day is the women's road cycling. Men's is on Sunday .

[Lumutqueen]

Originally Posted by Tudur rose

Is the opening ceremony on Friday ? If so then the next day is the women's road cycling. Men's is on Sunday .

Yes.

And I'm still routing for a 1948 Olympian to light the torch.

[EIIR]

No-one could name a 1948 British Olympian, either in the UK or anywhere else. I suspect it'll be Chris Hoy or Steve Redgrave.

Originally Posted by Tudur rose
Is the opening ceremony on Friday ? If so then the next day is the women's road cycling. Men's is on Sunday .

The Opening ceremony is on Friday 27th. The men's road racing is on Saturday 28th, and women's is on Sunday 29th. http://www.london2012.com/cycling-road/

Is the lighting of the cauldron always at the very end of the ceremony? The Olympic village is right beside the Stadium in London, so there won't be much of a journey for most of the athletes after the opening ceremony.

[Lumutqueen]

Originally Posted by EIIR

No-one could name a 1948 British Olympian, either in the UK or anywhere else. I suspect it'll be Chris Hoy or Steve Redgrave.

Actually I'm pretty sure lots of people can, myself and the people themselves included, so you're quite wrong. I hope the same fate befalls this crop of athletes who win gold, that they're forgotten in years to come. The 1948 Olympics was incredible, and the achievements secured were amazing, many deserve that honour. Steve Redgrave won 5 golds, but it wasn't after a World War in a destroyed country. I'm expecting to be disappointed by the next month or so of events, it's already set in but the cauldron lighting will seal it. Roll on 2016!!

[ghost_night554]

I can officially confirm that practically the whole royal family will be at the opening ceremonies.

[Mirabel]

I wish the Summer and Winter games still took place the same year; somehow it seemed more special then.

[TortillaChips]

Originally Posted by Mirabel

I wish the Summer and Winter games still took place the same year; somehow it seemed more special then.

Absolutely (although it is good now that we only have to wait 2 years for next Olympics but yes, totally)

[NGalitzine]

Another suggestion for flame lighter might be a junior olympian to represent the future athletes of the nation, or possibly a group of wounded veterans of the Afghan/Iraq wars such as the group the Prince Harry is patron of.

It is certainly a well kept secret which in this day and age almost deserves a gold medal itself.

[Lumutqueen]

I bet it'll be decided on the day, I'll be surprised if people know and it hasn't got out.

[Tudur rose]

Originally Posted by EIIR

No-one could name a 1948 British Olympian, either in the UK or anywhere else. I suspect it'll be Chris Hoy or Steve Redgrave.

The Opening ceremony is on Friday 27th. The men's road racing is on Saturday 28th, and women's is on Sunday 29th. http://www.london2012.com/cycling-road/

Is the lighting of the cauldron always at the very end of the ceremony? The Olympic village is right beside the Stadium in London, so there won't be much of a journey for most of the athletes after the opening ceremony.

That's odd. I have it in my diary for sat. As I have tickets to the women's road event. Better go home and check them .

[FanofMonaco]

I'm glad they separated the Olympic years. If you're a big fan it's too much tv to watch in 1 years time. I need the break. Can't wait for it to start. Wishing that all athletes will have personal bests.

[EIIR]

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

Actually I'm pretty sure lots of people can, myself and the people themselves included, so you're quite wrong. I hope the same fate befalls this crop of athletes who win gold, that they're forgotten in years to come. The 1948 Olympics was incredible, and the achievements secured were amazing, many deserve that honour. Steve Redgrave won 5 golds, but it wasn't after a World War in a destroyed country. I'm expecting to be disappointed by the next month or so of events, it's already set in but the cauldron lighting will seal it. Roll on 2016!!

Most people don't remember where the Olympics were held in 2004, let alone 1948. It's always a great achievement for an athlete to make it to an Olympics and to win a medal. The real heroes of the 1948 Olympics, in my view, were the organisers and volunteers who ensured the Games were a success despite the fact the UK was basically bankrupt following the War.

I just feel they're likely to pick a well-known figure with Olympic pedigree. Steve Redgrave is one of only 4 athletes ever to have won a gold medal at 5 consecutive Olympics. He managed to do it in an incredibly difficult endurance event, unlike swimming or track cycling where athletes have multiple chances to win medals. In addition, he did all this despite suffering from Type 1 diabetes (the most serious kind) and ulcerative collitis, which is a disease which can lead to sufferers having diarrhea almost constantly, and having bowel movements up to 10 times per day. This is the disease that has prevented Darren Fletcher from playing football for Man Utd for over 8 months and increasingly looks like putting an end to his playing career at the age of only 28.

If Steve Redgrave is not considered the ideal candidate to light the flame, I don't know who is.

[cepe]

Originally Posted by EIIR

I just feel they're likely to pick a well-known figure with Olympic pedigree. Steve Redgrave is one of only 4 athletes ever to have won a gold medal at 5 consecutive Olympics. He managed to do it in an incredibly difficult endurance event, unlike swimming or track cycling where athletes have multiple chances to win medals. In addition, he did all this despite suffering from Type 1 diabetes (the most serious kind) and ulcerative collitis, which is a disease which can lead to sufferers having diarrhea almost constantly, and having bowel movements up to 10 times per day. This is the disease that has prevented Darren Fletcher from playing football for Man Utd for over 8 months and increasingly looks like putting an end to his playing career at the age of only 28.

If Steve Redgrave is not considered the ideal candidate to light the flame, I don't know who is.

Sir Roger Bannister who ran the 1st 4 minute mile would be a great candidate

[LadyFinn]

David Beckham to take a last-minute role in the Olympics opening ceremony | Mail Online

[Lumutqueen]

Originally Posted by cepe

Sir Roger Bannister who ran the 1st 4 minute mile would be a great candidate

Best idea i've heard in this thread.

Originally Posted by EIIR

Most people don't remember where the Olympics were held in 2004, let alone 1948.

Again I disagree, even this Olympic Committee has made a deal out of reminding people we held the Olympics in 1948. I'm surprised by the apparent ignorance of people that you claim, it's unbelievable for me that people can forget the past so easily.

[Iluvbertie]

The people in Britain might have been reminded about the games in 1948 but that doesn't mean people remember where the games were in 2004.

Unless you are actually into the games it isn't something that people remember. Some of the people I know know the games are starting next week but actually don't know where - it is the games they know about not the city or country that is hosting them - unless it is their home country.

[EIIR]

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

I'm surprised by the apparent ignorance of people that you claim, it's unbelievable for me that people can forget the past so easily.

It's much worse than not knowing where the 1948 Olympics were held. 20% of teenagers believe that Winston Churchill was a fictional character. A quarter, when asked who Churchill was, say the nodding dog who sells car insurance on the TV. 27% of those under 20 believe that Florence Nightingale was a mythical figure. A third of British children also think that Winston Churchill was the first person to walk on the moon.

It's also not just young people. Two thirds of undergraduates could not name the English monarch at the time of the Armada and 84 per cent didn't know the British commander at the Battle of Waterloo. When asked to identify who helped destroy the Spanish Armada in 1588, 13% of 16 to 24-year-olds credited Horatio Hornblower, CS Forester's fictional Royal Navy hero from the Napoleonic wars. And 20% said it was Christopher Columbus, while 6% thought it was Gandalf, the wizard from Tolkien's fantasy novels.

In light of all this, I'd be very, very surprised if many Britons could name a medalist at the 1948 games.

[Lumutqueen]

Well then I do hope the same fate befalls the medallists of this century. Apparently history means nothing nowadays.

[Artemisia]

Originally Posted by EIIR

It's much worse...

Going off topic, but that's pretty shocking statistics.

I could bet most Armenians known Winston Churchill, Wellington, Nelson, Drake (Gandalf, really?), or Elizabeth I. Granted, most of my generation studied English history at school (along with Russian and World histories, which are different subjects), but surely you just have to know important figures like that? If people don't know their own greats, those who saved the country and its values many times over, where is the country going to? It'd be like Armenians not known who Mamikonyan or Marzpetuni were - names entirely unfamiliar to foreigners, but engraved into our memories.

Sorry, the history lover in me needed to vent.