We're back from a recording hiatus, and boy, do we have a lot of Olympics news to catch up on!

First, Milano Cortina 2026 released its final report, and we go between the lines to suss out its venue delivery expectations, celebrity initiative, and a major issue they should have figured out earlier--as in, during the bid process.

LA28 has made a ton of announcements over the last few weeks, so we have the latest on:

• The Paralympic schedule
• Ticket drop #2
• Cycling routes
• Volunteer applications
• Modern pentathlon's new obstacle course licensing
• Hospitality house updates
• And more!

We also say au revoir to French Alpes 2030 and bonjour to Alpes 2030 (which we most certainly will mangle), along with its new logo and venue plan (to each Games its own Tahiti).

Alpes 2030 finalized its sport program, and the changes have been shocking. Great new events come onto the Olympic program, and an OG Winter Olympic discipline gets the boot.

In Doping News, we're still talking about medal reallocations from London 2012.

International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry's Fit for the Future platform is creating big change, including:

• Olympic Charter changes that affect political neutrality (hello, Russia) and make it easier to change the entire sports program
• Defining the differences of "sport," "discipline" and "event" when it comes to the Olympic program
• Paying athletes - a new Olympic grant program makes waves after Coventry's first big press gaffe
• And more!

We also have an announcement about our 2026 Book Club selections, which you can get at our bookshop.org storefront (affiliate link)

Summer of Nostalgia: We've been cleaning out the files and found a treasure trove of never-before-seen photos and videos! All summer long we're sharing them on our Patreon platform. Relive great moments from the last three Olympics and Paralympics in Keep the Flame Alive style (and you know that means we focus on the weird stuff)! Join as a patron or buy the collection outright - check out patreon.com/flamealivepod today!

For a transcript of this episode, please visit http://flamealivepod.com.

Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive!

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Keep the Flame Alive: Obsessed with the Olympics and Paralympics? Just curious about how Olympic and Paralympic sports work? You've found your people! Join your hosts, Olympic aunties Alison Brown and Jill Jaracz for smart, fun, and down-to-earth interviews with athletes coaches, and the unsung heroes behind the Games. Get the stories you don't find anywhere else. Tun in weekly all year-round, and daily during the Olympics and Paralympics. We're your cure for your Olympic Fever! Call us: (208) FLAME-IT.

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