Olympics 2024

Outstanding

Annoying all the right people, might give it a watch myself.

 

Much better to watch on catch up so you can fast forward though a lot of the dullest stuff!

 

Yes definitely

It's a crypto group...

 

Noted!

 

MAGA the least of yer worries

 

Mate I hope Trump wins.. I'll make more money.. world's * anyway might aswell make a few quid

 

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_...-2024-fifa-dock-canada-six-points-spy-scandal

 

Dutch Olympic team are protecting a convicted child rapist by stopping him from doing media duties.
He should be banned or the Dutch team disqualified.
Absolute disgrace

 

I’m finding myself oddly invested in the Women’s Team Archery final

 

Just read the details of this. Find it incredible that he’s allowed to compete.

 

What I want to know is why the French authorities allowed him to cross into France

 

What a come back from Murray & Evans there.

 

Cant stand this Adam Peaty guy for some reason. Just seems a right *

 

I never used to mind him, probably more ambivalent than anything, but I think it was at the last Commonwealth Games where one of his teammates beat him to win the gold medal (I think Peaty himself ended up outside of the medal positions) and then later, when he was being interviewed after the race, he made a remark about not really caring because the Commonwealth Games aren’t a big deal - all the while the guy who won the gold is apparently standing just off camera waiting to be interviewed.

Regardless of how people feel about the event in general, it came across as a right * thing to say when it obviously meant something to his teammate.

 

Canadian team actually do deserve the points deduction.
The team did use the information gained from the drones so the team deserve the punishment.

 

Olympics has just never really interested me..

Never really watched it bar some of the boxing..

 

Gender and sexuality inclusivity may not affect you and me in our everyday life, but is a massively important issue for sexual minorities. I'm all for openly supporting oppressed minorities.

My problem with the ceremony is it failed to tackle the issue of xenophobia in France (or throughout the world for that matter). It focused on certain aspects of identity politics in order to portray France as an accepting country whereas in fact xenophobia is on the rise. Ethnic and religious minorities are marginalized including french citizens of african descent. No mention about the humanitarian catastrophe of the refugee crisis. Refugees are victimized throughout the western world. No mention whatsoever about the ongoing wars in Palestine, Ukraine and Sudan. Btw, Russia and Belarus are banned from the games, but Israel isn't! That's the epitome of hypocrisy!

Loved the Imagine rendition. It's one of the most famous songs ever written. Wonder how many people actually focus on the lyrics instead of just listening to yet another song.

 

So interestingly I couldn't suffer the Imagine rendition. I found it clichéd, I'd seen it 100 times, and its not French (and I dont like the song). La Vise en Rose or Non Je Ne Regret Rien felt the the more obvious but far better songs to sing in that spot. As I said earlier, the Red Terror stuff felt odd to me but at least it was 100% French and reflected a take on French history. And the trans stuff felt like a ridiculous clown show to me.

Its just what different people want from an Olympics opening ceremony. I've nothing against promoting a diversified france as long as it's within an actual celebration of France. I don't like the idea of turning a ceremony into a commentary reel about every war in the world, refugees, religion or macro politics. It would feel preachy and inevitably it would turn every western world ceremony into the same thing.

 

Every ceremony has to reflect the current values of the nation with a significant nod to its history in there as well. Historic France is grand, the home of world class composers and artists, incredible architecture, empire building, exploration, fine dining alongside peasant revolts
etc.

Modern France stands out for individualism. Some nations have a token nod to it, but the French do seem to live and breath it. The trans thing fits in here for me, even if I don’t get anything from the display/artistry itself.

Concepts like Libertè are kinda cliche as almost every nation under the sun would argue it’s a value they hold dear (certainly every western nation). For me, it’s a concept that straddles old and modern France and arguable accurately reflects the French way of life more so than any other singular word. I think that was well demonstrated by having the ceremony among the streets or Paris, as opposed to a closed stadium, only for the few.

But it is all individual preference. If your preference is stadium shows then I think we peaked in Beijing, and countries are only going to fall short if they go down a similar path.