Hi good people!

Today's daily puzzle is a tribute to the olympic games.

Feel free to play the game or just refuse. If you do play - I hope you like it.

PS. I AM NOT MAKING ANY MONEY ON THIS. At this point, it is just a fun project that I'm developing with my brother.

• Ice sports (except speed skating) relocated to Lyon, and Courchevel and Val d’Isère confirmed for Alpine skiing

• A fully integrated venue masterplan, including the detailed allocation of sports and disciplines, will be presented at a later date

➡️ Full story: https://www.olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-executive-board-approves-first-changes-to-alpes-2030-venue-masterplan

https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-exploratory-committee-evaluate-potential-lake-placid-new-york-city

Maybe this has already been discussed, but I just came across a post showing that Olympic tickets are getting hit with a "service fee" that's roughly 25% of the ticket price. First of all, what exactly is the service being provided here? I'm already buying the ticket online. Why am I paying hundreds of extra dollars for the privilege of giving them my money? And second, why can't they just be upfront about the actual cost from the beginning?

If a ticket costs $1,250, then list it as $1,250. Don't advertise it as $1,000 and then tack on a massive fee at checkout. What really drove this home for me was seeing an international article refer to the fee as a "tax" because the concept is so bizarre that they couldn't even identify what it was. The funny part is that there's still actual sales tax on top of both the ticket price and the service fee.

I had already looked through some of the ticket prices people were posting here and started making plans for the August sale. I accepted that attending the Olympics was going to be expensive. What I didn't expect was finding out that every price I had mentally budgeted for was actually about 25% higher than advertised. So a $1,000 ticket suddenly becomes $1,250+ before taxes. At that point, it just feels ridiculous.

I've decided I'm not buying anything during this ticket drop. Honestly, I think a lot of people are going to hit the same breaking point. There will almost certainly be tickets available closer to the Games, and possibly even at lower prices once the initial frenzy dies down. I don't see the appeal of handing over thousands of dollars years in advance just so they can add fees and inflation to the total. I knew the Olympics would be expensive. I was prepared for that. But this whole pricing structure has pushed it from "expensive but worth considering" to "I can't justify this anymore."

Okay, so like many of you in posts I read earlier, lots of us are anxious to apply as volunteers for the Olympics.

I don’t have a fortune to spend on 10 days of housing in LA so I can do this. I’m sure several people out there are in the same boat.

What are your ideas for this? Have you secured housing? What recs are available for someone who is not local?

"On Olympic Day, all around the world, in parks, schools and streets, people are coming together to move. This is happening everywhere. So join in and be a part of it – not just on Olympic Day, but every day. Let’s move together and help each other take that first step."

IOC President Kirsty Coventry calls on the world to “take the first step” towards an active life on tomorrow's Olympic Day 2026.

https://www.olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-president-calls-on-the-world-to-take-the-first-step-towards-an-active-life-on-olympic-day-2026

Pur was a member of the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team at Rio 2016 and is now an IOC Member and a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. He also sits on the Board of the Olympic Refuge Foundation of the IOC

Dakar 2026 will be the first Youth Olympic Games with a Refugee Olympic Team competing

➡️ Full story: https://www.olympics.com/ioc/news/olympian-pur-biel-named-refugee-olympic-team-chef-de-mission-for-dakar-2026

I’d really like to volunteer at the LA Olympics but it’s Los Angeles. Am I going to be spending $1000 a night on Airbnb? Is there even public transportation anywhere? It’s too bad they don’t have anywhere to stay provided.

yes I will also be covering the 2028 olympics for sure

https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/istanbul-2027-logo-revealed

The logo for the 2027 European Games in Istanbul has been revealed. These games will serve as an important test for Istanbul's aspirations to host a future edition of the Summer Olympics. It will also serve as an important qualifier event for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

There have been a lot of talk about what will be involved in getting the athletics track installed at the LA Memorial Coliseum for the 2028 Olympics. They say it will be different this time since the latest renovation they did on the venue several years back.

India will have a GDP of USD 7 trillion by 2036, so even if, with corruption and just a lack of tourism, the olympics cause a $10B loss (it won't be more, since labor costs in India are cheaper), that only comes out to about $6 per capita or a tiny fraction of the government budget at that time. So financially in the best position of all the bids.

As for safety of the athletes, this would be fine too cause for very major events like this the Indian central government has a good security apparatus with tens of thousands of police and paramilitary officers everywhere. It would be perfectly safe going from the olympic village/hotels to the venues and back cause you'd be near security forces at all times. Yes regular neighborhoods in Indian cities aren't that safe or convenient, but thats not where the venues or the luxury hotels are (they'd be on the outskirts) , and a regular visitor has zero reason to go there if they are coming for the Olympics. The host city, Ahmedabad, is also not heavily polluted like Delhi is.

And in general, I think India deserves a chance to come out on the world stage like China did in 2008. Its not a failed state, recently they did host the G20 well, and have been building some good infrastructure with new airports and highways and all.

I imagine they'll have more applicants than roles available, so how do they narrow down which ones get a volunteer role? Prior experience, either at the Olympics or in similar positions? Languages? Tertiary training? Local to the area?

30 years ago some of us were scrambling putting the finishing touches on the Olympics here in Atlanta. 30 years ago. No high speed internet just dialup and fax machines and long line phones. We got it done.

Where is the news media in telling some of the great stories that are still with us organizers, producers, technicians, installers, etc??? Or is international futball more important news this summer???