To my (American) understanding, Great Britain is the island upon which England, Wales, and Scotland are. Those countries plus Northern Ireland comprise the UK.

So, why is the UK represented as Great Britain in the Olympics since it is 1) a physical landmass rather than the name of a country, and 2) does not entirely include the country that resides on it?

Is it just tradition, or is there some other interpretation of Great Britain that I’m unaware of?

Istanbul (Turkey) and Ahmedabad + few other cities (India) are the candidates most expected to win to host the 2036 Olympics. What would you expect to happen if either of these cities obtained the right to host the Olympic Games?

Here is what I expect, feel free to comment or contribute

If Istanbul hosts 2036:

-Having an Olympics between Asia and Europe will be the key branding repeatedly emphasized. The slogan will be something like 'Continents Connected'. The Olympic cauldron may be located on the sea.

-The opening ceremony will be Paris style, the participants will march across the Bosphorus Sea and choreographies will be public, blending with the city's landscape and historical sites.

-Like in Paris, needed infrastructures will be built temporarily in different suitable areas of Istanbul. There may be some events in Ankara, Cappadocia, Antalya, and Istanbul's neighboring cities.

-Some events like cricket and surfing may be in Africa, thus IOC will also reach new markets and emphasize continents once again.

-The mascot will be cats. There will be acts on diverse Anatolian civilizations legacy, Ottoman history, Turkic mythology, Turkey's Westernization and Ataturk era. Yusuf Dikec will play a role in the ceremonies, there will be a performance of Tarkan and Turkish series actors. They Might Be Giants may be a guest performance.

-The main international controversy may be whether they will portray events like the Fall of Constantinople, or the Greco-Turkish war.

-One of the main sponsors will be Qatari, and the name Qatar will be very visible throughout the events.

-Depending on if and how Hellenistic/Byzantine heritage is depicted there may be either a diplomatic tension or gesture between Greece and Turkey.

-The media may excessively talk about the expected Istanbul earthquake and what might happen if it happens during the Olympics. As well as the heavy traffic, Turkey's economy, and tourist scams.

If Ahmedabad (and satellite cities) hosts 2036

-India's growth, diversity, and energy will be emphasized in the branding. It will be seen as the moment 'India proves its potential'.

-There will be a lot of work to ensure all the infrastructures, hotel capacity, city metro, and airline connections, which will grab a lot of attention in the media until 2036. Exclusive train lines might be ensured between Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bhubaneswar, Pune, etc. which will be heavy work.

-Many infrastructure in Ahmedabad will be permanent, but some may later be revised as temporary due to time limitations and sustainability concerns.

-The opening ceremony will be in the stadium but very grandiose and carefully directed, like in Beijing 2008. It will be supported by technological equipments of 2036.

-Religious history (especially Hinduism and Buddhism), and Bollywood performances may play a prime role in the ceremonies. The main acts may be played by the leading Bollywood actors. There will be many large-scale performances on India's history until India's independence campaigns. There may be guest performances by Coldplay and other singers inspired by Indian music.

-Pakistan may boycott the event. At least in the Islamic world, to what extent they portray India's Islamic heritage may be controversial. Another possible controversy is whether they will mention Kashmir.

-I expect the event to be in autumn if not in winter.

-The media may excessively talk about air pollution or possible extreme heats in India. As well as poverty, the athletes' safety, white elephants and the heavy traffic in Ahmedabad and between Indian cities with Olympic venues.

There will be some backlash for both due to their political affairs and human rights concerns as well as distrust of their delivery. Turkey might get louder voices in political stuff, I especially would expect protests during LA28 and statements by several organizations against certain policies of the Turkish government. For India, the biggest controversies will be on their 'incompetence', income inequality, or incoming white elephants. But there will also be many positive reactions as both will be found exotic/different/exciting.

How easy is it to volunteer and what are some perks? Would I need to be there early? (Prior to Olympics starting?) Do they have lodging accommodations for volunteers? Any and all info would be helpful and appreciated.... thanks!

I've been working on making a mascot to represent the Olympics as a whole, not every four years.

This mascot should, IMO:

• Have a timeless look

• Represent the Spirit of the Olympics and the values of friendly competition

• Be a trickster (a la Bugs Bunny or Yakko Warner)

• Should not represent a specific animal

Thoughts?

Does anybody know where I can find the official version of the victory ceremony music they played at medal plaza? https://youtu.be/wgm1FJd-fJQ?si=lpy-R2fQySe1PQLm

https://youtu.be/i6MczWg81KU?si=h8vpOMun2w518tqU&t=107

The version on internet which they usually played at the venues are different, which excluding the part I mentioned above with the 'recessional' music piece.

For context, most Olympics events usually have a website open while the Games are planned. They usually contain news, information, and other Olympic-related things. However, after the Olympics of that year finish, the entire website stops working. Fortunately, the Wayback Machine can be used to see a bit of what it used to look like before it got deleted.

Atlanta 1996

Nagano 1998

Sydney 2000

Salt Lake 2002

Athens 2004

Torino 2006

Beijing 2008: English, Chinese, Français, Español, عربي

Vancouver 2010

London 2012

Sochi 2014

Rio 2016

Pyeongchang 2018

Tokyo 2020

Beijing 2022

Paris 2024

Given the set up of two different cities miles apart and the upcoming ticket draw, anyone have any ideas on what events they hope to see? Will most stay only in one city and see events only in that city or make hotel reservations in different cities and try to see one set of events in one city then check out and go to the other cities or commute back and forth from Milan?

Hoping to see figure skating. I've been waiting many years for this :( Didn't realize draw sign up was mid Jan and not late Jan.

Am I totally screwed, or do you think there will still be tickets to the main events (womens in particular) in the April release? I appreciate any advice because I'd be devastated to miss this.