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In the meantime, let us guess who will light the flame


woolybanana
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Whilst I labour to paint the downstairs hall which, I might add, is nice and cool except where it is not, perhaps we might speculate as to who will be given the honour of lighting the flame. I gather that an offer was turned down, from Tony Blair. Personally I would like one of those delicious beach volleyball gels in something see through. Who would you like to see do it?

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I think Bradley Wiggins would be an excellent and popular choice, but I imagine the choice had already been made before he won the Tour de France. Sir Steve Redgrave tends to get wheeled out for many events, but I don't really think it should be him on this occasion.

It would be good if Muhammed Ali had the honour, but he did it in Atlanta, and is now very frail anyway - maybe they'll secretly build a stairlift for him. 

Sir Roger Bannister might be just the one.

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Whoever thought that Tony Blair would be a good choice should be strapped down and have their eyes plied out with a fork. Stupid idea.

David Beckham would be a good choice seeing as he had a fair bit to do with getting the Olympics to London and he's been snubbed for the football team. Probably England's most famous sporting ambassador.

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Boris Johnson or Jeremy Clarkson would be great fun.

In my lifetime probably the greatest person to open the games by lighting the flame was Mohammad Ali even though he was already and quite noticably suffering from Parkinson's disease at the time.

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Maybe an old ex olmpic athlete from the days before money spoilt everything, someone who was not just a good ambassador for their country as it seems to me they nearly all were, but an exceptional one.

Someone who fought against all odds and hardship to represent his country.

Flippantly Eddy the Eagle would meet many of the criteria.

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I was just reminiscing when I mentioned Muhammad Ali who I think is probably the greatest sporting personality of all time to open the Olympics.

Eddie the Eagle is not such a stupid idea. When you consider what he went through to get there and have a go without any help it is an amazing story and shows that if you are really determined your dream can come true. Many years ago I went to the top of the ski jump just outside Oslo (previously used in the winter Olympics) and had a look down. I then understood how he did it, he took his glass's off because I can tell you when I looked there is absolutely no way whatsoever, not even for £10M would I ever go down one unless I couldn't see the bottom.

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I saw Eddie the Eagle on Total Wipeout recently and he was brilliant, won by a mile.

 

Shows how much attention I am paying to any of it. Although I have to say that James Naughtie on Radio4 news the other night tweeked my interest in the opening ceremony enough to consider watching it.

 

Who should do this, well not Coe, not Boris, not Beckham. Maybe a UK gold winner from the 1948 London Olympics or someone young.

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[quote user="Quillan"]

I was just reminiscing when I mentioned Muhammad Ali who I think is probably the greatest sporting personality of all time to open the Olympics.

[/quote]

It depends on your viewpoint - as far as I am concerned he is not the greatest sporting personality whatever he won as banging someone else's brains out is not a sport I approve of.

But whether or not he is the greatest - and we have only his word for that - he is not English (or British, Welsh or Scots if you must).

What I mean by this is that the person who lights the flame should be someone who hails from the British Isles, who is highly respected by the public and his sporting peers - and who has stood the test of time.

So far no-one mentioned fits the bill - though Bradley Wiggins would be a good alternative, since he has shown the true Olympian spirit in  what he recently achieved, and at least David Beckham has the merit of being a good and popular ambassador.

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[quote user="Judith"][quote user="Quillan"]

I was just reminiscing when I mentioned Muhammad Ali who I think is probably the greatest sporting personality of all time to open the Olympics.

[/quote]

It depends on your viewpoint - as far as I am concerned he is not the greatest sporting personality whatever he won as banging someone else's brains out is not a sport I approve of.

But whether or not he is the greatest - and we have only his word for that - he is not English (or British, Welsh or Scots if you must).

What I mean by this is that the person who lights the flame should be someone who hails from the British Isles, who is highly respected by the public and his sporting peers - and who has stood the test of time.

So far no-one mentioned fits the bill - though Bradley Wiggins would be a good alternative, since he has shown the true Olympian spirit in  what he recently achieved, and at least David Beckham has the merit of being a good and popular ambassador.

[/quote]

Not even Sir Roger Bannister, who I suggested several posts ago? A very worthy choice, with an extremely distinguished record as an athlete, followed by a distinguished career in (I think) neurology. He's in his 90s and seems to have all his marbles from what I saw recently. A fine choice.

The reason I suggested Muhammed Ali, though he's not English, seems to link Olympics and Paralympics, as he's now very disabled, and a lot of people have a soft spot for him. Some of the others mentioned by people don't fit the bill, as they aren't Olympians, past or present.

I don't think Princess Anne would be a particularly popular choice, although Zara Phillips might be - but I don't think she'll be the chosen one.

Somebody from the group who chose the 'One' said on radio this morning that people would appreciate/understand why he/she was chosen. Which maybe brings me back to Muhammed Ali.

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[quote user="woolybanana"]

Whilst I labour to paint the downstairs hall which, I might add, is nice and cool except where it is not, perhaps we might speculate as to who will be given the honour of lighting the flame. I gather that an offer was turned down, from Tony Blair. Personally I would like one of those delicious beach volleyball gels in something see through. Who would you like to see do it?

[/quote]

Susan Boyle was best in class at volleyball in her schooldays!

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