We Didn’t Start the Fire

“In a nod to the Montgolfier brothers, the French pioneers of the hot air balloon whose first designs took flight in 1783,” the Paris Olympic flame is out of the ordinary in a couple significant ways. First, it’s airborne. Second, it’s fueled by electricity. “The ring at the base of the balloon houses 40 LED lights which illuminate a cloud of water vapour produced by 200 high-pressure misting nozzles to give the flickering and smoke effect of real flames.”

+ Officials have canceled triathlon swim training for the second day over poor water quality in the Seine. Maybe they should call it a Quadrathlon this year. Surviving the water is an event all its own.

+ “Although breaking faded from pop-culture consciousness in the late-1980s, competitions soon began to thrive worldwide.” A Comprehensive Guide to Breaking, the Newest Sport at the Olympics.