All things Olympics and London 2012

[warspite1]

With the Games just a week away I thought I would start a thread for any Olympic related stuff. I will also include any interesting bits and pieces I get from the Olympic book I bought earlier in the week (and mentioned in the book thread).

Three facts of the day:

1. The 1964 Tokyo Games were the first held in Asia. The Japanese chose to express the country's successful reconstruction after World War II by choosing Yoshinori Sakai as the final torchbearer. Sakai, quite remarkably, was born in Hiroshima on the very day the first nuclear bomb was dropped on that city [X(]

2. Italy (Rome) hosted the games for the first time in 1960. However, they were down to host the 1908 Games, but decided (understandably) to pull out after the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 1906. London came to the rescue - which brings us to our third and final fact of the day.

3. Next week London becomes the first city to host the (official) Modern summer Games three times:

London - 3 (1908,1948 and 2012)
Paris - 2 (1900 & 1924)
Athens - 2 (1896 & 2004) (also hosted the 1906 "Intermediary" Games, but these are not official - more about this to follow).
Los Angeles - 2 (1932 & 1984)

Others:

St Louis (1904)
Stockholm (1912)
Antwerp (1920)
Amsterdam (1928)
Berlin (1936)
Helsinki (1952)
Melbourne (1956)
Rome (1960)
Tokyo (1964)
Mexico City (1968)
Munich (1972)
Montreal (1976)
Moscow (1980)
Seoul (1988)
Barcelona (1992)
Atlanta (1996)
Sydney (2000)
Beijing (2008)

Berlin was to have held the 1916 games. But the First World War put a stop to that.
Tokyo was to have held the 1940 games. After their invasion of China, the honour was given to Helsinki, but Hitler kind of put an end to that.
London was to have held the 1944 games.

[Orm]

3. Next week London becomes the first city to host the (official) Games three times:

I would claim that Olympia, Greece, have hosted more games than London. During 1200 years Olympia hosted the games at least 239 times. London has to host a few more games to reach the top spot. [;)]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Orm

3. Next week London becomes the first city to host the (official) Games three times:

I would claim that Olympia, Greece, have hosted more games than London. During 1200 years Olympia hosted the games at least 239 times. London has to host a few more games to reach the top spot. [;)]

Warspite1

Okay Mr Picky [;)] - original comment duly amended [:)]

[Neilster]

When did Melbourne stop being in Asia?

Cheers, Neilster

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Neilster

When did Melbourne stop being in Asia?

Cheers, Neilster

Warspite1

I guess when Australia became a continent all by herself - which as far as my school learning is concerned - has been forever. Do you really count Oz as part of the Asian continent?

[warspite1]

Another (albeit very tenuous) link to WWII..sort of...

Next Fact

4. When Greece were given the Games in 1896, it was decided Olympia was unsuitable as a venue and so the Games were staged in the capital Athens. The Olympic stadium was built thanks largely to funds provided by wealthy businessman Georgios Averoff. Averoff was quite a guy. He died a few years later but in his will left a large wodge of cash with the stipulation that it be spent on the Royal Hellenic Navy. That money was used to buy an Italian-built armoured cruiser named after Averoff. Georgios Averoff was the most powerful ship in the Balkans and helped Greece in her struggles with the Ottomans. She has her own counter in World In Flames; survived the Second World War and is currently a museum ship.

[Neilster]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Neilster

When did Melbourne stop being in Asia?

Cheers, Neilster

Warspite1

I guess when Australia became a continent all by herself - which as far as my school learning is concerned - has been forever. Do you really count Oz as part of the Asian continent?

There's no such thing as an Asian continent, and yes, Australia is generally considered part of Asia. You can just about see Indonesia from some bits. Admittedly though, in 1956 we were very British. It took a while for people to realise that the "Far East" was actually the "Near North" [:D]

Cheers, Neilster

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Neilster

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Neilster

When did Melbourne stop being in Asia?

Cheers, Neilster

Warspite1

I guess when Australia became a continent all by herself - which as far as my school learning is concerned - has been forever. Do you really count Oz as part of the Asian continent?

There's no such thing as an Asian continent, and yes, Australia is generally considered part of Asia. You can just about see Indonesia from some bits. Admittedly though, in 1956 we were very British. It took a while for people to realise that the "Far East" was actually the "Near North" [:D]

Cheers, Neilster

Warspite1

Wow [X(] That makes every geography book I've ever read wrong then.......not to mention the Olympic book I've just bought [;)]. I think I'll stick to the traditional seven continents.

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Neilster

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Warspite1

I guess when Australia became a continent all by herself - which as far as my school learning is concerned - has been forever. Do you really count Oz as part of the Asian continent?

There's no such thing as an Asian continent, and yes, Australia is generally considered part of Asia. You can just about see Indonesia from some bits. Admittedly though, in 1956 we were very British. It took a while for people to realise that the "Far East" was actually the "Near North" [:D]

Cheers, Neilster

Warspite1

Wow [X(] That makes every geography book I've ever read wrong then.......not to mention the Olympic book I've just bought [;)]. I think I'll stick to the traditional seven continents.

Even if you only recognize 4 continents Australia is considered a separate continent. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continent# ... continents

Here is a picture with the traditional 7 continents used in most of Europe.

[Neilster]

Continent smontinent. The original statement was about Asia and Australia is in Asia.

Cheers, Neilster

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Neilster

Continent smontinent. The original statement was about Asia and Australia is in Asia.

Cheers, Neilster

Warspite1

[X(]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzlG28B-R8Y

[Neilster]

[:D]

I doesn't matter anyway.

Cheers, Neilster

[Lieste]

Australia is in (and the biggest part of) Australasia...
Deffo not part of 'Asia', being the landmass connected at the Urals to Europe.

Proximity of the boundaries isn't sufficient - Africa and Europe are "practically visible" at Gibraltar, and Africa and Asia are contiguous in the Middle East (with Europe and Asia contiguous also.. It would be ludicrous to claim from that that London was in Africa or Asia, or that Beijing was a European City.

[Onime No Kyo]

Since Warspite started this thread I know this link will be appreciated (too lazy to check if it was posted prior).

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/olympics- ... --oly.html

[uncc]

I like watching the opening ceremonies, especially lighting the cauldron. Think you Brits will be able to top Barcelona 1992? Though Sydney and Turin were both pretty cool too.

Here are the Cauldron lightings for the 1968-2010 Olympics (Winter and Summer games). No pressure guys....[;)]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: uncc

I like watching the opening ceremonies, especially lighting the cauldron. Think you Brits will be able to top Barcelona 1992?

Warspite1

I don't know - just hope its a good show. It was reported in the press this week that, for security reasons, they have cut the opening ceremony short at late notice - which is a little unfortunate to say the least for the guys and girls that have been practicising. Not sure who was affected and how much has been lost.

I am proud to say though that my eldest daughter is playing in the opening ceremony! [:)] I hope we get to see her - needless to say we will be setting to record!!

[uncc]

Congrats to your daughter (and her Mom and Dad of course)! make sure you post some pics!

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: uncc

Congrats to your daughter (and her Mom and Dad of course)! make sure you post some pics!

Warspite1

Thank-you. We won't be there at the stadium to take pics though [:(]. The parents are invited to a "holding pen" in central London from where we will watch the OC on a big screen!!

[warspite1]

Oh, its Olympic o'clock so it must be Fact Time [:)]

5. Before 1908, competitors entered individually; not as part of a national team. A few team medals in the early years were won by competitors from a mix of countries.

6. Gold, Silver and Bronze medals for 1st, 2nd and 3rd, were introduced from the 1904 (St Louis) Games onwards.

7. The first Male Modern Olympic Champion was an American; James Connolly, who won the triple jump in 1896 (Athens).

8. There were no female competitors in Athens, and the first female champion was crowned four years later at the 1900 (Paris) Games; Charlotte Cooper of Great Britain in tennis.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo

Since Warspite started this thread I know this link will be appreciated (too lazy to check if it was posted prior).

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/olympics- ... --oly.html

Warspite1

Yes it has - see the Australian Beauties thread.