#summer paralympics 2020

[stevebattle]

Miraitowa and Someity Tokyo 2020 Olympics mascot robots, (2019), Toyota, Japan. Miraitowa (ミライトワ) (above left) is the official mascot of the 2020 Summer Olympics, and Someity (ソメイティ) (above right) is the official mascot of the 2020 Summer Paralympics, held in Tokyo and postponed to 2021. "To make this the most innovative and technologically advanced Games in history, Tokyo 2020 and Toyota are working to develop a 'mascot robot'. In addition to welcoming athletes and guests to official venues, Toyota is currently considering plans for a new way for the Games to be enjoyed by children in Japan, via the mascot robot. The mascot robot will both allow expressions of arm movements via a remote-location robot, and share force-feedback from interactions. Via a camera mounted on the robot’s head, it can recognize people nearby, and once recognized, use its eyes to respond with/show a variety of expressions. By equipping the robot with miniature joint units across its entire body, the robot offers flexibility when being controlled, and the users can operate the robot safely and with high operational functionality."

"The Miraitowa and Someity character designs were a vast departure from the forms of standard bipedal robot theories. Compared to humanoid robots based on human proportions, such as the T-HR3 already in development by Toyota, they had extremely large heads and short limbs. While such stocky body shapes may add to the characters’ charm, a head heavy in relation to the body would sway with every motion and make the robot’s movements unstable. Some experts in the field of robotics went so far as to say that a bipedal robot could not be built with this body shape." – "Children's Dreams" a Driving Force behind Robot Mascot Development

[dweemeister]

"Parade" and "Higher", composed by Victor Le Masne, performed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra

This is for those going through Olympic withdrawal. French composer Victor Le Masne was tasked with composing music for both the Olympic and Paralympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies this year as the Paris 2024's musical director. The Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra was also used to play the original music composed for the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.

Here are two pieces you may have heard most over the last two weeks – and will continue to hear during the upcoming Paralympics. The first, "Parade", played over the medal ceremonies across the Olympics. The second piece here, "Higher" (here is a shorter "club mix" that was played at venues across the Games), was played during the extended journey of a masked rider galloping across the Seine on a metallic horse during the Opening Ceremony.

Le Masne wanted to build a musical bridge between contemporary and older pop/electronica/disco (the rhythmic complexities found in the final minutes of this piece) and classical music (the acoustic elements) across his soundtrack to the Olympics and Paralympics.

[barbielore]

Barbie has had tie-ins for the Olympic Games before, including both the Summer and Winter games as well as the Paralympics.

(Finding that post to link back to made me realise that I said I was going to do a post about past Winter games dolls, but I haven't done so.)

As of time of writing this post, there have not been any announced tie-in dolls for the 2024 Paris games, but I think it's highly likely that there will be.

I have recently discovered that there was a bit of controversy over the dolls for the Tokyo games in 2020/2021, and I feel it appropriate to draw attention to it.

This was during a time when Mattel were really pushing diverse line-ups in the Barbie brand. In fact, there was a press release (links to it now dead but it was quoted in some other articles) in which they discussed that the collection was designed to “highlight inclusivity and innovation”.

However, some people subsequently questioned this, as the line does not contain any Barbies of Asian appearance - despite the Games being held in Japan!

Mattel's official statement was that the Skateboarder Barbie was intended to be read as an Asian athlete however that they "fell short".

I am not going to question whether this doll is or is not intended to depict an Asian athlete - however this was a disappointing effort given the promise of inclusivity.

Some Asian athletes have been depicted as Barbies - for example volleyballer Hui Ruoqi has a She-roes depiction.

And snowboarder Chloe Kim has a highly sought after Barbie depiction too.

However going forward Mattel really could do better to ensure that, if they are going to market a brand as being diverse and inclusive, that they actually do follow through on that promise.

[scratchybongvt]

MASCOTS REACT TO FANFICTION ABOUT THEMSELVES! (Sidemascots 2.2)

Starring…

THE SIDEMASCOTS!

Vinicius: Season 2!

DISCLAIMER: This episode is overly exaggerated and DOES NOT reflect the opinions of the author regarding the stories. All but one are from Idea Wiki and original ideas are reserved to respective creators.

Burke: What do you mean we’re reacting to Fanfiction about ourselves?! We’re original characters!

Vinicius: Well Sidemascots does count.

Burke: Ugh…

Sacha: Let’s go binge 5 hours of Sidemascots…

Burke: FINE!

Miraitowa: Miraitowa and the Olympic Spirit is a Japanese anime series based on Miraitowa and Someity, as well as other Olympic and Paralympic mascots. The series focuses on the mascots teaming up to save the Olympics and the spirit from Ares, the god of war, who wants to use them as his own vision of competition and hate. Hmmmm… interesting storyline.

Vinicius: Be careful because it’ll only get worse.

Miraitowa: Haha… what?

Wenlock: Yippee! I don’t have a known fanfiction on Google!

Vinicius: Then go to the basement and watch the Sidemascots.

Wenlock: Ugh… fine.

Borobi: Parade of the mascots? Scroll, scroll, scroll… there’s me in it! And… that’s it mate…

Honohon: No results? I’ll take it!

Vinicius: Ugh… This is lame-o!

Honohon: Why don’t you hire someone? You have three vacant spots after all…

Vinicius: Hmmmmm…

[Technical difficulties]

Someity: I was planning for a walk and suddenly I have a notification and forced to stand with THIS bullsh*t?

Miraitowa: Well… you used to be my friend…

Someity: Let me spell this out: ABCDEF…

Vinicius: CUT! BEFORE SHE ACTUALLY SWEARS SOMETHING!

Olympic Phryge: Para? Excuse me, Vini, try to find a better one.

Vinicius: Why?

Olympic Phryge: SHE’S STILL DRUNK!

Vinicius: … (disappears)

Olympic Phryge: Oh… uhm… The Phryges is an American-Canadian-French Television Shorts series that ran from January 1st 2024 - January 1st 2025 created by The Olympic Quest producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and Paw Patrol and Bob the Builder creator Keith Chapman. The series is produced by Calibara Animation, with animation provided by 9 Story Media Group in Toronto, Canada, the same who made the welcome ad. The series is broadcast during commercial breaks on Cartoon Network, Boomerang, and streams on Max Worldwide and on NBC in the United States.

Scroll, scroll, scroll: The Last Supper: The Phryges, together with Miraitowa and Cobi, are forced to apologize to the IOC due to butchering The last supper. If they don´t do it, they can't go to Chuck E Cheese's?! What do you mean by “butchering” the Last Supper? It’s a piece of art! Oh, bad execution in the opening ceremony… hehehe… STOP TOUCHING ME, PARA!

Vinicius: Powder! Powder?!

Cobi: Cobi is a 2025 American-Spanish film Computer animated sports comedy action and superhero film, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and 20th Century Animation in collaboration with Birdo Studio, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film is based on the 1992 Summer Olympics Mascot, the Paralympic Mascot Petra, and the TV series The Cobi Troupe, and was created to maintain legacy of the 1992 Summer Olympics and 1992 Summer Paralympics? I’m 43 years old!

Director: I don’t care!

Cobi: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-

Miraitowa: It’s 2020 (pfffffffft) Tokyo-san!, The Olympics have come to a start (pffffffffft) for all including Miraitowa and his mascot friends from the Summer, Winter, and Youth Olympics and Paralympics! But, the terrorist named Lance wants to take control of the Olympicverse by stealing the five rings of power! Miraitowa, Someity, Vinicius, Tom, Wenlock, Mandeville, Soohorang, Bandabi, and all the others must find the five rings and save the Olympicverse from being conquered by Lance! Lance? Like… Lance Armstrong?

Someity: I’m outta here.

Miraitowa: SEE YA NEXT MONDAY!

Tina: The Olympic Winter Quest: Rise of the Frozen Queen is a 2026 action-adventure movie directed by Paolo Sorrentino and distributed by Warner Bros., FilmAuro, and IOC Films. It will premiere in 2026, and will feature the Frozen Queen as the main villainess, whom Tina the heroic white stoat opposes, but she only gets bullied due to her size. Her plan is to freeze all of Italy, not just Cortina d'Ampezzo and Milan, and threatens to ruin the Olympics AND Disney. Only Tina and the Olympic mascots will put a stop to her plan? The cold never bothered me anyway…

Olympic Phryge: Oly, the main protagonist and the mascot of the 2024 Summer Olympics. She is a friendly and confident Phrygian cap and likes to help, but she can get angry sometimes, like when all of the past mascots make fun of her for her similarity to a dorito. Phew. As long as they don’t compare me to something that can potientially demonetize this channel!

Sumi: At Sidemascots, Demonetization = Skibidi Ohio Fun!!!!

Vinicius: SUMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!

Olympic Phryge: …STOP GRABBING MY LEG, PARA! DISGUSTING!

Vinicius: Powder?

Director: She’s left.

Vinicius: News already spread about her after her accidental appearance in the last episode.

Director: No one bothered. Fancy hiring me, your director OC IV?

Vinicius: NO!

Olympic Phryge: The Olympic Quest also included an airline safety video?

La’eeb: DID SOMEBODY SAY… AIRLINE SAFETY VIDEO?!

Olympic Phryge: NO, NOT THAT CRAPPY SONG! AND GET OUT OF ME, PARA, I’M NOT A TREE!

Vinicius: Mascotverse Academia?

Sacha: Uh-hm.

Vinicius: It’s f- (Sacha whips bazooka at him) No, it’s great! You should give it a try… #ad

Miraitowa: Crystal Dark Pinkie… (INHALES) Aw, shit, here we go again.

Olympic Phryge: Paralyzed Paralympic Mascots is a American horror drama series based on Paralympic mascots. It was directed by FlurrySnowGirl2006. It tells a story of a group of friends who are shocked by ghosts in a haunted house, and the Paralympic mascots saved themselves from dangerous ghosts? Forget Paralyzed Paralympic Mascots! Let’s make a biopic about Para instead! I’M NOT FOOD, PARA!!!

Vinicius and Miraitowa: Olympic and Paralympic mascots: Kids on stage? (INHALE) Aw, shit, here we go again…

TV: *The Sidemascots Special…Starring the Sidemascots!...What are we supposed to do? Sorry, guys I’ve ran out of ideas…*

Sacha: RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I KNEW IT WAS COMING!

Burke: Chill bro!

Sacha: THAT PTSD EPISODE! I HATE IT SO MUCH!

Burke: Skip to Sidemascots 1.10 I guess?

Sacha: Phew… Gimme gimme!

Olympic Phryge: Vini, you haven’t read any of the fanfiction about yourself!

Vinicius: Sorry, Oly… I’ve already read all of those months ago!

Olympic Phryge: Are they good?

Vinicius: Uhhhhhh… let’s just say they’re… chaotic

(Oly suddenly sees Para with… something that Oly scares of?)

Olympic Phryge: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA- GET OUT OF ME PARA! HELP! HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!

Miraitowa: The corrupted mascot circus? (thanks @jaymewolf999)

(Mirai was kidnapped and sent into a circus dressed as Pomni feeding him like sh*t. He smiled… nervously?, also “Your new home” was played in the background)

THE SIDEMASCOTS!

Vinicius: Season 2!

...

Sumi: So you don’t have something to say before you closes off? Ha, ha, Let me do it!

Vinicius: SHUT UP SUMI!

[head-post]

Macron welcomes Netanyahu, Israeli athletes to Paris Olympics amid incidents of violence

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that Israeli athletes are “welcome” at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, while the decision on the participation of Russian athletes rests with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

In an interview with France 2 TV, which was broadcast live ahead of the Games, Macron emphasised the difference between Israel and Russia, noting that Israel is not waging a “war of aggression.” He emphasised that the IOC will determine whether Russian athletes can compete. Macron also said:

“We are not using the Games to engage in politics. Israeli athletes are welcome guests in our country. They will compete under their (national) colours as decided by the committee… and France is obliged to guarantee their safety.”

Macron reiterated that France recognises Israel’s right to self-defence. He acknowledged that he has “deep disagreements” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has not confirmed his presence at the opening ceremony of the Paris Games. However, he noted that Netanyahu “would be welcome.”

Earlier, a left-wing lawmaker said the Israeli delegation was not welcome at the Olympics and called for protests against its participation. In contrast, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said Israeli athletes would be under 24-hour security.

On Monday, the Palestinian Olympic Committee joined calls to exclude Israel from the Games in an open letter to International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach. The letter accuses Israel of violating the traditional Olympic truce, which is supposed to last from July 19 until the end of the Paralympic Games in mid-September, due to ongoing hostilities in Gaza.

Letter from Abbas

Former US President Donald Trump released a letter from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas late Tuesday night after the assassination attempt on Trump. In his letter, Abbas expressed “grave concern” over the assassination attempt and noted that he had seen footage of the incident. “Acts of violence must not have a place in a world of law and order,” he wrote.

Australian woman raped in Paris

French police have launched an investigation after an Australian woman claimed she was raped by five men in the heart of Paris.

French Alps to host athletes in winter 2020

Meanwhile, The French Alps have been officially named as the site of the 2030 Winter Olympics – a bid backed by President Macron – just days before Paris is set to host the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Read more HERE

[qnewsau]

The LGBT Aussie Paralympians competing in Paris

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/the-lgbt-aussie-paralympians-competing-in-paris/

The LGBT Aussie Paralympians competing in Paris

The 17th Summer Paralympics Games are underway in Paris. Among the competitors are many LGBT athletes including some from Australia.

According to Outsports, there will be 41 publicly out lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer athletes at the Paralympic Games.

Among that group, there are at least five Australian competitors from the LGBT community.

We run through those competing:

Nikki Ayers – Para Rowing

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Nikki is competing at her second Paralympics in the sport of para rowing.

She wasn’t out publicly at the last Olympics, explaining to Outsports that her sport needs to do more to encourage people to be themselves.

“I identified as being gay within the sporting community, and the people who were close around me knew I was,” she says.

“But I wasn’t very open about it. As a sport, rowing is quite conservative, and it’s still learning how to be more inclusive.”

Nikki is the world champion in the mixed doubles scull with Jed Altschwagert and will be hoping to bring home gold for Australia.

Al Viney – Para Rowing

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  A post shared by Al Viney (@al.viney)

Al Viney is an ambassador for Proud 2 Play which advocates for inclusion in sport. It’s something she says is “Creating environments where every participant, athlete, coach, volunteer, and staff member feels safe, included, and supported.”

She will be competing in her second Paralympics in the PR3 Mixed Cox Four Para Rowing.

Maria “Maz” Strong – Para Track and Field

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  A post shared by Athletics Essendon (@athleticsessendon)

Maria or “Maz” is competing in their second Paralympics. In the Tokyo 2020 games, they won a bronze medal in the women’s shot put F33 breaking an Australian and Oceania record.

They will be hoping to bring home another medal for Australia in the same event in Paris.

Anu Francis – Para Triathlon

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  A post shared by Anu Francis (@anu__francis)

Anu will be competing in her first Paralympics after just missing out in Tokyo.

She previously competed in rowing but her classification system found that she would have an advantage over her fellow competitors.

Undeterred, she switched to triathlon and qualified for Paris.

Anu is an ambassador for the Australian Institute of Sport’s Thrive with Pride Program and she hopes she can “utilize my experience as a gay athlete to be a positive role model for LGBTQIA+ individuals.”

Ben Weekes – Wheelchair Tennis

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  A post shared by Benjamin Weekes (@benweekes)

Ben will be competing in his sixth Paralympic Games after debuting in Athens 20 years ago.

Although out to many beforehand, he spoke about his sexuality in an article with the Australian Open website this year.

“For me, I don’t really have a big coming out story, because I have always been myself and I have never made a big deal of it because I always felt so comfortable,” he said.

“My partner Sam has come to a lot of tournaments in the past and everyone has just been so great about it, I’ve never felt the need to hide anything.

The Paralympics take place from August 28 to September 8 in Paris. 

Read next:

Valentina Petrillo set to become first transgender athlete at Paralympics

Our Ambassadors at the Paris Olympics Pride House

Lesbian boxer Cindy Ngamba to become first Refugee Olympic Team athlete to win medal

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[a-modernmajorgeneral]

Viewers turning in for the track and field events at the Summer Games in Paris next week might just do a double-take: Instead of the usual rust-colored reddish hue, the track is purple.

The new, eye-catching color will serve as the backdrop for runners competing at the Stade de France, the country’s largest stadium, located in the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis. The track is made by Mondo, a company based in Alba, Italy, that has made every track used at the Olympics since 1976.

The color was mainly an aesthetic choice, as purple, blue and green make up the palette for the competition venues at this year’s games. The design actually incorporates three separate colors: lavender for the track itself, darker purple for the service areas and gray for the exterior curves at each end.

Even the glue used to adhere the track to its asphalt base—2,800 pots in total—is purple, just in case any becomes visible.

“The big part of the job was to come up with a track that was different from what we had seen … to go a little bit outside the box,” says Alain Blondel, an Olympic decathlete who now serves as the sports manager for the Paris games, to Olympics.com’s Nicolas Kohlhuber.

This is the first time an Olympic track has been purple. But it’s not uncommon for athletics venues around the world to play around with color. For example, since 1986, Boise State University has famously eschewed the traditional green-colored turf for its football field, opting instead for a shocking shade of bright blue.

Color aside, the Paris track is unique for several other reasons. For one, it incorporates the shells of bivalve mollusks, like mussels and clams. Ahead of the games, track-maker Mondo began partnering with a mussel farming and fishing company called Nieddittas to give used shells a second life.

Staff at Nieddittas harvest, clean and prepare the shells—which are made primarily of calcium carbonate—so they can be ground into a powder that can be incorporated into the track material. The shells would have otherwise been headed to a landfill, so the process transforms waste into something useful. It also reduces the need for mining, which is how manufacturers usually obtain calcium carbonate.

All told, 50 percent of the Paris track comes from recycled materials, reports BBC’s Padraig Belton.

This innovative use of recycled natural materials aligns with the goals of the International Olympic Committee, which vowed to make the Summer Games in Paris the most sustainable Olympics yet. Other sustainability efforts include bike parking at many venues, more plant-based food options for spectators, 100 percent locally sourced renewable energy, a geothermal cooling system at the Olympic Village and aquatic center seats made from recycled plastic bottle caps, among many others.

The track’s design and materials may also help athletes perform their best. The Paris track has the same base as the one used at the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo, with some minor modifications, per reporting by Reuters’ Manuel Ausloos and Vincent Daheron. At those games, athletes set three world records and 12 Olympic records—and officials expect even more records to fall next week in Paris.

“The first indications are that it will be a very, very good track,” Blondel told the Associated Press’ (AP) Jerome Pugmire in April. “If we see athletes with personal bests on the scoreboard, it means we did a good job.”

For this iteration of the track, Mondo researchers improved upon the new polymeric material first introduced in Tokyo. They also used computer algorithms to further refine the optimal shape and size of the air bubbles within the lower layer of the track, which help absorb and then rebound the energy from the runner’s foot striking the ground.

The vulcanized rubber provides good grip and resistance for Paralympic athletes who use wheelchairs and prosthetics. The track has also been specially designed to complement the latest generation of running shoes.

“For the track, we only see the aesthetics, but there is great work that goes into the underlayer,” says Alessandro Piceli, a research and development manager at Mondo, to the Guardian’s Sean Ingle.

Mondo leaders say the Paris track will be 2 percent faster than the one used in Tokyo, per the BBC. But, in 2020, runners also got a boost from hot temperatures and new shoe spike technology, per the Guardian. It remains to be seen how the track will affect athletes’ times, but its creators are confident we will see records fall in Paris.

“The athletes will find this track to be more reactive and better suited for their competition,” said Maurizio Stroppiana, vice president of Mondo’s sport division, to the AP’s Andrew Dampf and Luca Bruno in March.

[freifraufischer]

PARIS, June 20 (Reuters) - The headquarters of the Paris 2024 Olympics organising committee and those of its infrastructure partner were searched by police on Tuesday as part of investigations into alleged embezzlement of public funds and favouritism, prosecutors said.

The national financial prosecutor's office (PNF) said the Paris 2024 headquarters were raided amid a preliminary investigation launched in 2017 into contracts made by the Summer Games' organising committee.

The headquarters of SOLIDEO, the public body responsible for delivering Olympic and Paralympic infrastructure, were also being searched amid a preliminary investigation dating back to 2022, following an audit by the French Anti-Corruption Agency, the PNF added.

"Paris 2024 is cooperating actively with investigators to facilitate their enquiries and provide answers to all the questions raised as quickly as possible," a Paris 2024 spokesperson said after the search ended at around 1730 local time (1530GMT), according to a Reuters witness.

"To ensure the transparency and propriety of the several hundred contracts it has awarded, Paris 2024 has adopted stringent procedures, and has set up an ethics committee together with an audit committee to supervise its activities.

"The audit conducted by the French Anti-Corruption Agency and five audits by the Cour des Comptes (Court of Auditors), in addition to the continued monitoring of our governance structures, have not raised the slightest wrongdoing.

"Throughout these audits and ongoing monitoring, Paris 2024 has demonstrated the effectiveness of the stringent procedures that it has continued to implement in collaboration with auditing and regulatory bodies."

The Paris 2024 Olympics, which organising committee president Tony Estanguet has vowed will be "beyond reproach", will be held from July 26-Aug. 11 with the Paralympic Games taking place from Aug. 28-Sept. 6.

The searches coincided with the start of a two-day International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board on Tuesday to discuss a number of issues, including the progress of the Paris 2024 Games preparations.

"We are aware that there has been a search by police of the Paris 2024 headquarters today," an IOC spokesperson said. "We have been informed by Paris 2024 that they are cooperating fully with the authorities in this matter."

SOARING BUDGET

The total budget for the Games has soared to 8.8 billion euros ($9.62 billion) from an initial assessment of 6.6 billion in 2017.

The infrastructure alone is expected to cost 4 billion euros from an original estimate of 3.2 billion. The cost is limited as most of the events will be held in existing facilities.

The main construction sites are the Olympic village and the swimming pool in Saint Denis, just north of Paris.

The cost of security, which according to the Cour des Comptes, France's supreme audit institution, will reach at least 400 million euros, has not been included in the overall budget.

It is not the first time Olympics organisers have been the subject of an investigation.

Japanese prosecutors earlier this year indicted six companies including advertising giant Dentsu Group and seven individuals over suspected rigging of bids worth $320 million for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.

The indictments followed months of investigations into alleged corruption in the planning and sponsorship of the Tokyo Games, held in 2021 after a COVID-19 postponement.

Dentsu has offered its "sincere apologies" and said it had set up a committee of outside experts to review the case.

($1 = 0.9148 euros)

[whatsjenniupto]

Dear Paris, I'm Trying Very Hard to Like You. Honest.

At no point have I ever wanted to go to Paris. Ever.

To be fair, I am one who tends to see what everyone else wants to do and go the opposite direction. Crowds? Bandwagons? Popular Opinions? Nah. Not for me.

I'm sure this attitude has played into my lack of desire for Paris. That, and the fact that French refuses to stick in my head.

But then I saw the hand-off from Tokyo to Paris at the end of the 2020 Olympics. I have never wanted to see Paris so much.

Fast forward to pre-Paris 2024. I was all signed up for the early ticket release. This was going to happen. I was going to the Olympics in Paris.

And then I couldn't get my log in to work and forgot to try again before my window closed.

And then my reason for being in Europe into July got cancelled.

My dreams of Paris 2024 were dying. I tried to accept this. I don't really care if I see Paris. It's fine. I can watch way more Olympic coverage from my house.

This lasted for two days of the Olympics.

I had been in London during the Olympics and knew how different the city was during the Games. I knew that if I was ever going to do Paris, it needed to be now during the Games. It was also at this point that I learned I was getting reimbursed for a trip I took a group of high schoolers on earlier in the summer. All of a sudden, I went from having already purchased a trip to Europe, I cannot purchase two -- SERIOUSLY, JENNIFER. YOU MAY NOT BUY TWO TRIPS TO EUROPE THIS SUMMER. To wait...could I get to the Paralympics?

AIRFARE IS $600?! Lodging for $340?! As in, most of this trip is less than that other trip's reimbursement?!

We're going to Paris!

Still unmotivated by basically all of Paris, I planned for a Paralympic event every day and filled in the remainder of my time with Parisian sights. The goal was to one and done Paris. Up first, I was going to put every single travel experience of my life to good use and beat jet leg into non-existence so I could land in Paris, drop my backpack at my flat, and head to a Fan Zone to watch the Opening Ceremony.

I searched for a fan zone that was close to a metro and a grocery store so I could grab dinner. The winning location was the Mairie du 11e arrondissement. After delays due to baggage, flat access, and dinner purchase, I finally got to the fan zone after the ceremony had started. The fan zone was pretty busy with all the seating already in use, so I opted for sitting on a fence right outside the fan zone, joining a group of others who had the same idea.

There was plenty of police presence within the fan zone, keeping tabs on what was happening in the area around them. I kept tabs on my surroundings and my main discovery was that Paris smokes everything they possibly can. As we neared 11pm and the lighting of the cauldron seemed quite a ways off, I started weighing my options. I had sunrise plans in the morning. How late did I want to stay out?

Looking around as I debated, I saw a man surrounded by police, getting a full body search on the other side of the very small corner park. The man who had been sitting next to me for the last 2+ hours.

Huh. Welcome to Paris.

Cauldron has been lit. I do not even care if I only have to wait 5 more minutes to get fireworks. I'm out.

[stateofsport211]

JJPP 2024 🎾 WWD F: Yui Kamiji/Manami Tanaka [2] def. Diede de Groot/Aniek van Koot [1] 4-6, 7-6(3), [10-8] Match Stats

📸 Paralympics' official YT

Diede/Aniek tried to restore their leading position as they kept breaking back when Y. Kamiji/M. Tanaka earned their chances to serve for the second set, but the latter absorbed some pace well enough until it questioned the former's balance. This was reflected with the Dutch pair scoring 49 unforced errors, 20 more than the second seeds, while they also scored 34 shot winners, marking the riskiness of their approach as both pairs tried to stay aggressive. This way, not only the Japanese pair controlled the flow when they backed it up on serve but also converted 50% of their 14 break points compared to the Dutch pair's 73% break point conversion rate out of just 11 chances to break.

Besides, even though the match appeared to be return-heavy, it appeared that Y. Kamiji/M. Tanaka appeared firmer on serve. As both pairs were unable to score an ace, the Japanese pair won 74% of their first serve points, but they only won 39% points on their serves compared to Diede/Aniek's 45%. On the other hand, Diede/Aniek double-faulted four more times than Y. Kamiji/M. Tanaka (12 to 3), which raised questions to their second serves as the match progressed, particularly since even landing their first became a struggle under pressure.

This marked Y. Kamiji/M. Tanaka's first Paralympics gold medal, as well as their first title together in 8 occasions they played together, while Diede/Aniek was unable to defend their gold medal won in the 2020/21 Summer Paralympics. The bronze medallist was also won by Luoyao Guo/Ziying Wang, who defeated Xiaohui Li/Zhenzhen Zhu 7-6(3), 6-3 in a competitive match. Will this affects the singles wheelchair finals between Diede and Y. Kamiji later on, that could also be interesting to see.

[amedicalhistory]

Paralympic Games - Summer and Winter Paralympics

[barbielore]

I was always loosely under the impression that the first Olympic tie-in doll in the Barbie range was Olympic Gymnast Barbie for the 1996 Atlanta games, but as it turns out this is not the case.

The 1970s brought us "Gold Medal Barbie", including a range of different Olympic-themed outfits. To break down further, there were also a range of Barbies showing her and her friends competing in different events.

I believe, however, that Olympic Gymnast Barbie in 1996 was the first to be tied in to a specific Games, as well as the start of the trend of having Barbies representing the US in consecutive games going forward with specific tie-ins.

I have talked about Olympic Gymnast Barbie in many other posts before, because this is specifically a doll I remembered growing up with so she is always fresh in my mind.

If I talked about all the Summer and Winter Games tie-ins this would be such a long post that it would probably make people block on sight, so I'll save the Winter Games for a follow-up post.

Sydney 2000 had a wide range of dolls as tie-ins, including Swimming Champion Barbie, Paralympic Champion Becky, Olympic Fan Barbie and Olympic Pin Collector Barbie. There are probably several others as well that I have overlooked.

Barbie took a break again from the Games through 2004, 2008 and 2012 (though there are some non-Barbie fashion dolls produced by companies other than Mattel who are identified on reseller sites as a Barbie), making a kind of return in 2016 in a different way. Although there were no dolls that specifically tied into Barbie as a competitor, the 2016 Games inspired a few tie-in collectors Barbies in the likeness of specific Olympians.

Laurie Hernandez, a solo silver medalist and a team gold medalist gymnast at the Rio Games, and Ibtihaj Muhammad, bronze medalist fencer, were among the "Sheroes" honoured this way.

The 2020 (technically 2021) Games in Tokyo brought a new wave of Barbie competing as an athlete, in a variety of sports.

Most of her outfits heavily featured Barbie pink, alongside a Tokyo 2020 jersey.

No Barbies yet have dropped for Paris 2024, but I have to assume it is only a matter of time, as a range of athlete Barbies really fits with Mattel's branding of the doll right now.

[vietnamstar]

Singaporean swimmer Toh Wei Soong hopes for a medal in his second Paralympic bid

Toh, a Singaporean freestyle and butterfly swimmer, is setting his sights on medaling at the 2024 Paris Summer Paralympic Games. Singapore National Paralympic Council The 2024 Paris Games offer Singaporean para-athlete Toh Wei Soong a second chance. After narrowly missing out on the podium at the 2020 Tokyo Games, Toh is hoping to medal when he competes in the Paralympic Games this…

[influencermagazineuk]

David Beckham Joins Alibaba as Global Brand Ambassador

Image: Instagram/ David Beckham David Beckham has secured a new role as the global ambassador for AliExpress, the online retail platform owned by Chinese technology giant Alibaba. This announcement comes just as the highly anticipated UEFA European Championship, commonly known as the Euros, is set to commence in Germany next month. While the financial details of the deal remain undisclosed, it is a significant partnership as Beckham, the former England football captain, continues to enhance his brand off the pitch. This deal with AliExpress follows an exclusive e-commerce platform partnership that the company signed with UEFA, European football’s governing body, in March. As part of his new ambassadorial duties, Beckham will be the face of AliExpress’ Score More promotion, which will be active during the football matches. “AliExpress is helping fans get even closer to UEFA EURO 2024 this summer, by offering them great prizes as the action takes place on the pitch,” Beckham commented, expressing his enthusiasm for the promotion and the upcoming tournament. AliExpress is not alone in leveraging the massive global audience of the Euros. Other major Chinese firms, including electric vehicle manufacturer BYD and electronics giant Vivo, are also sponsors of the event. These sponsorships highlight the growing influence and investment of Chinese companies in global sporting events. David Beckham, who retired from professional football over a decade ago, has since been associated with numerous brands and major sporting events. His business ventures and endorsements have significantly contributed to his wealth. According to the Sunday Times Rich List, Beckham and his wife Victoria, a former Spice Girl turned fashion designer, have a combined fortune of £455 million ($581.6 million). The UEFA European Championship is set to be one of the largest sporting events of the year, second only to the Paris Olympics and Paralympics. The tournament, which runs from June 14 to July 14, will be held across ten cities in Germany, including Munich and Hamburg, with a total of 2.7 million tickets available for fans. UEFA reported that the 2020 Euros garnered a global live television audience of 5.2 billion, with the final alone attracting 328 million viewers. This massive viewership underscores the global appeal of the tournament and the significant exposure it offers to sponsors and partners like AliExpress. Beckham's involvement with AliExpress during the Euros is a strategic move that not only promotes the brand but also aligns him with one of the most watched sporting events in the world. As fans prepare for the excitement of UEFA EURO 2024, Beckham’s role in promoting the Score More campaign is set to enhance the fan experience by bringing them closer to the action on the pitch. Read the full article

[valkyries-things]

ROSIE JONES // COMEDIAN

“She is a British comedian, writer and actress. After starting her career as a writer on panel shows, she went on to appear as a guest on The Last Leg, 8 Out of 10 Cats, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, QI and Hypothetical. She attended the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo as a roving reporter for The Last Leg. Jones has performed stand-up comedy at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, incorporating her cerebral palsy into her comedic style.”

[yesterdaysnewstodayandtomorrow]

Sport Venue & Event Management Entry 3

Olympic Games legacy

The Olympic Games is an event with grandeur like no other. The Olympic Games legacy of a country hosting the event can be measured by the economic effects of the budgeting, and construction within a city. Lack of consideration in legacy planning when planning on hosting an Olympic Games can lead to the “white elephant phenomenon” (Kobe et al., 2021). This occurs when the development and construction of venues in preparation for the mega-event in a city are no longer utilised or used frequently enough due to a lack of future planning. These venues can then become visually unappealing and run down. Dowling and Harris (2022) suggest research supports the idea that the Olympic Games legacy spruiked by politicians when pitching the event to the public, is rarely valid. They go on to explain there is evidence the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics goal to ‘inspire a generation’ by increasing youth participation in sports failed. These results can vary across each Olympic Games however there has been an increasing negative sentiment amongst sections of the public around the adverse legacy left on host cities after the Olympics.

There can also be positive effects of the Olympic Movement before, during and well after the Olympic Games are held in a city, with the benefits being long-term (Olympics, 2024). Economic benefits of hosting an Olympic Games can include a region and country developing: their global profile; the business sector; career opportunities; diplomatic relations; the tourism and events industry; and the knowledge and skills of their workforce. Scheu et al. (2021) explain research into the legacy of the Olympic Games has mainly been done on the Summer rather than Winter Olympic Games with a focus on beliefs and behaviours, and the urban development facet of legacy.

Muller et al. (2021) comparison of the 16 Olympic Games between 1992 and 2020 found the sustainability of the event has declined over time however, overall the event still has a medium level of sustainability with the cost of hosting a main issue. Within the Legacy Strategic Approach Moving Forward document put together by the International Olympic Committee, they outline key Sustainable Development Goals they aim to contribute to (International Olympic Committee, 20217). The reasoning behind legacy being so important to the Olympic Movement is it supports the Olympic Movements vision of building a better world through sport. Harmonious development of humankind and stimulating peaceful society can be a by-product of the service of sport at the Olympic level.

a, Mean values of nine sustainability indicators. b, Distribution of values. Dots show the mean value; middle lines show the median; box limits show upper and lower quartiles; whiskers show maximum/minimum.

References

Dowling, M., & Harris, S. (2022, July 27). London 2012 Olympics: how it boosted medal winning but failed to inspire a generation. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/london-2012-olympics-how-it-boosted-medal-winning-but-failed-to-inspire-a-generation-187383

International Olympic Committee. (2017). Key Sustainable Development Goals to which the IOC aims to contribute [screenshot]. Legacy Strategic Approach Moving Forward. https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Document%20Library/OlympicOrg/Documents/Olympic-Legacy/IOC_Legacy_Strategy_Full_version.pdf

IOC Media. (2020, October 31). World Cities Day 2020: The power of sport to build healthier, more sustainable urban communities [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzcmd9Xw9cs&list=PLX9eJ_kgiRLbTtixNPzdvVYMWtkLnFVaU&index=2

Koba, T., Gong, H., Ross, W. J., & Grady, J. (2021). Sustainable Olympic development: A proposed benchmark for managing economic outcomes. Journal of Global Sport Management, 6(1), 49-69. https://doi.org/10.1080/24704067.2019.1565925

Müller, M., Wolfe, S. D., Gaffney, C., Gogishvili, D., Hug, M., & Leick, A. (2021). An evaluation of the sustainability of the Olympic Games. Nature sustainability, 4(4), 340-348. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-021-00696-5

Olympics. (2024). Olympic Legacy. IOC. https://olympics.com/ioc/olympic-legacy

Olympic Legacy. (2024). About the project. https://olympiclegacy.eu/index.php/about-the-project/

Scheu, A., Preuß, H., & Könecke, T. (2021). The legacy of the Olympic Games: A review. Journal of Global Sport Management, 6(3), 212-233. https://doi.org/10.1080/24704067.2019.1566757