A handheld torch will be lit by the sun shining through a parabolic mirror at the original site of the Olympic Games, marking the start of the official run-up to the Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, from Feb. 10-26, 2006. The lighting ceremony starts a torch relay through every region and province in Italy. The relay ends at the Games. Some 10,000 torchbearers from Italy and around the world will take turns carrying the flame. The host country has the task of designing the Olympic torch. The torch for Torino was designed by Italian design company Pininfarina. It reflects the symbolic and historical features of the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games, such as Italy's heritage in the arts, design, fashion, and winter sports....
Official Torino 2006 website
Official Torch Relay website
How the torch works
Now if the Olympic Committee would just get rid of Figure Skating and Freestyle Skiing we could have good games - don't get me wrong I think figure skaters and freestyle skiers are highly skilled. But that doesn't necessarily make it a sport. I think we've seen enough backroom politics in Olympic sports. If it can't be measured - higher - faster - longer - more points - then drop it from the Olympics. If it is a subjective judgment call - continue to have world championships - but drop it from the Olympics.
That's my 2 cents.
Comments
Confused by it all, I went looked at a definition. Here from Brainy Dictionary is the cut and paste version of 'Sport':
"Sport...That which diverts, and makes mirth; pastime; amusement.
Mock; mockery; contemptuous mirth; derision. That with which one plays, or which is driven about in play; a toy; a plaything; an object of mockery. Play; idle jingle. Diversion of the field, as fowling, hunting, fishing, racing, games, and the like, esp. when money is staked. A plant or an animal, or part of a plant or animal, which has some peculiarity not usually seen in the species; an abnormal variety or growth. See Sporting plant, under Sporting.
A sportsman; a gambler. To play; to frolic; to wanton. To practice the diversions of the field or the turf; to be given to betting, as upon races. To trifle.
To assume suddenly a new and different character from the rest of the plant or from the type of the species; -- said of a bud, shoot, plant, or animal. See Sport, n., 6. To divert; to amuse; to make merry; -- used with the reciprocal pronoun. To represent by any knd of play. To exhibit, or bring out, in public; to use or wear; as, to sport a new equipage.
To give utterance to in a sportive manner; to throw out in an easy and copious manner; -- with off; as, to sport off epigrams."
Interesting...sounds like 'sports' have much in common with many 'Sunday morning assemblies. Perhaps, we could accelerate even more significant christian sporting activities into our church buildings...develop very entertaining syncronized swimming events in the baptismal tanks. Have the congregation openly rate the pastor's message...markers and papers held up 9.9 ... 8.9... 9.7...9.7...better yet rate the children of the church members who parade their talentless kids on stage in the name of worship! Forget the 'Olymic' village (sports)...let's focus on the 'global village' (world) that is starved with physical and spiritual needs!
Any activity where everyone playing must be an athlete.
Examples of sports:
hockey
basketball
football (north american soccer)
cycling
running
Examples of non-sports:
curling
baseball
golf
Golf is likely the abomination that causes desolation, when speaking of 'sport'. One participating in golf may actually be an athlete, but golf is not a sport because so many people who are definitely not athletes play it.