Take your pick. Tom Pidcock coming back from a puncture and surging through a seemingly impossible gap to clinch the mountain biking gold. Andy Murray and Dan Evans winning their tennis match from five match points down. Swimmer Adam Peaty missing his third consecutive victory by a fingertip or 0.02 of a second.
And that’s just the first few days. And that’s from an admittedly patriotic Team GB perspective. As time goes on there will be many more, and every country will have its own heroes, its own tales to tell.
There may be wars and conflicts, economic crises, climate change, natural disasters – yet somehow the Olympic Games manages to rise above all that, providing joyous relief from the rest of the world for three magical weeks.
It’s true that Paris 2024 did not get off to the best of starts, with the torrential rain and technical difficulties with the sound producing awkward moments. But then there was the spectacle of the Eiffel Tower and the voice that is Celine Dion. The Opening Ceremony came good in the end, and of course, once that is over, there is the sport.
Alongside the football World Cup, the Olympics is the world’s largest sporting event. There are bound to be problems and issues, boycotts, walkouts, incidents of doping and cheating, claims of commercialisation, budget overruns and more. However, like clockwork, every four years, overall it generally manages to deliver, producing something that is bigger than sports, that for a few weeks achieves something remarkable in uniting the world, with all its differences, in a way that other occasions simply do not.
What’s responsible is finely-honed branding. Strangely, the organising International Olympic Committee or IOC receives a more negative press than the event itself. The IOC is regularly at the centre of disputes and accusations of playing geopolitics, favouritism and corruption. That is not the case with the actual competition.
For a few weeks [the Olympics] achieves something remarkable in uniting the world... in a way that other occasions simply do not
There, once the starting gun is sounded, it’s all about endeavour and brilliance. Who cannot delight in the sheer grace and athleticism that is Simone Biles? The US may be divided socially and politically, much of the world has an anti-American bias, but surely, no one can fail to be awestruck at the genius of the country’s star gymnast.
Ever since the Olympics was resurrected in 1896, and the ‘Modern Games’ began, the Olympic Movement has crafted an image that is an example to others. There may be major, world commercial brands but none match the Olympics for the way in which its symbolism and messaging fit and work together. It really is a triumph of branding and marketing.
Key is the Olympic Brand Guidelines. “Our vision is to build a better world through sport. To inspire, by being the best that we can be. The best of what we can achieve. Together.”
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony – in pictures
The brand framework is built on five values: “hopeful,” “universal,” “inclusive,” “vibrant” and “progressive.” That same five is repeated in the five Olympic rings. Each ring represents one of the continents competing in the Games. Each country’s flag is contained in the colour of the rings.
Every single part of the brand has a purpose. Everything is fully integrated – it all relates back to that vision statement. Discipline is tight, the narrative is rigorously maintained.
The Olympics reaches a vast, global audience across different age groups, demographics and languages. That requires an incredible effort by a PR, communications team knowing how people consume their media and what appeals to them. They produce tonnes of curated content for digital and traditional media, scouring events for stories of human endeavour.
It’s designed to connect, to pull at heartstrings, drawing the audience in – and critically, emphasising the brand messaging.
Tellingly, so often the athletes without thinking evoke those values themselves. There is GB’s Peaty in the pool, suffering the crushing disappointment of being denied a third successive gold by the narrowest of margins. What does he do? Rush to congratulate the Italian winner. Brilliant, directly on message and in front of the watching millions of TV viewers.
It helps of course where the Games are held. Some cities lend themselves to playing host, blending the splendour of the surroundings with the beauty of the sporting pageant. The combination makes for a magical, memorable occasion. Paris, Athens, London spring to mind as recent locations that fell into this category.
Aiding the headiness of the mix is how much the nation and city want the Games. London in 2012 took to hosting, recruiting thousands of happy volunteers, putting on concerts and effectively turning holding the Olympics into an excuse for one mass, ultimately exhausting party.
Paris is similar. Emmanuel Macron was desperate for the Games, as was the Paris mayor, Anne Hidalgo. The French, too, have embraced them. Alas, they’ve coincided with the president suddenly appearing weak in the face of political turmoil – ironically that he chose to exacerbate by calling a snap election.
Hidalgo, too, has her difficulties. A week ago, she pronounced the Seine clean enough to swim in, and demonstrated as much by somewhat clumsily diving in herself. Now, the wet weather has caused the return of pollution and the triathlon has had to be postponed. This, after spending £1bn cleaning up the river so it could be used for the Games and afterwards by Parisians.
Fortunately, her enthusiasm and that of Macron have not been dampened. Hidalgo is proposing adorning the Eiffel Tower permanently with the five rings. She also hopes a hugely popular hot air balloon tethered to the Olympic cauldron will find a permanent home in Paris, as could the statues of 10 French women that were part of the opening ceremony.
“We should explore possibilities for these three symbols,” Hidalgo said. “These three artistic, symbolic and magnificent objects deserve our full attention.” It’s no surprise. The Olympics has that effect on people.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EWafeq%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJanuary%202019%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENadim%20Alameddine%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%2C%20UAE%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Esoftware%20as%20a%20service%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%243%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERaed%20Ventures%20and%20Wamda%2C%20among%20others%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
LIVERPOOL%20TOP%20SCORERS
%3Cp%3E(Premier%20League%20only)%3Cbr%3EMohamed%20Salah%20129%3Cbr%3ERobbie%20Fowler%20128%3Cbr%3ESteven%20Gerrard%20120%3Cbr%3EMichael%20Owen%20118%3Cbr%3ESadio%20Mane%2090%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
World Series
Game 1: Red Sox 8, Dodgers 4
Game 2: Red Sox 4, Dodgers 2
Game 3: Saturday (UAE)
* if needed
Game 4: Sunday
Game 5: Monday
Game 6: Wednesday
Game 7: Thursday
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%C2%A0profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The%20Woman%20King%20
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The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
The%20specs%20
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five types of long-term residential visas
Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:
Investors:
A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.
Entrepreneurs:
A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.
Specialists
Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.
Outstanding students:
A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university.
Retirees:
Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
How to tell if your child is being bullied at school
Sudden change in behaviour or displays higher levels of stress or anxiety
Shows signs of depression or isolation
Ability to sleep well diminishes
Academic performance begins to deteriorate
Changes in eating habits
Struggles to concentrate
Refuses to go to school
Behaviour changes and is aggressive towards siblings
Begins to use language they do not normally use
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
Company%20Profile
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Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
