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After the cauldron is lit, doves are released, as a symbol of peace. This was first done in the 1896 Olympics, and then in the 1920 Olympics. Since 1920, this has been an official part of the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Games. They are generally not released during the Winter Games, because it's too cold for the birds, but symbolic substitutions are sometimes used. In the 1994 Winter Games, for example, white balloons were released. The order-first lighting the cauldron, then releasing the doves-is important. In the 1988 Seoul Games, they tried it the other way around. Unfortunately, many of the doves were in the area of the cauldron just before it burst into flames, leading to their unexpected demise. Eliminating the live white doves from the Olympic ceremonies was an overreaction to the animal rights activitsts concerns and legal threats. In the original Olympics held in Greece, they released trained homing pigeons at the conclusion of the games to announce the winners to the villages, not at the beginning ceremonies when they light up the cauldron as has been changed in the modern era. This is one of those traditions where the ancient Greek way was better. Based on my review of the 1988 Olympics video foootage, about 12 doves perched on the rim of the cauldron before the torch bearers lit the cauldron. I also saw a dove flying very low and mingling with the crowd! It is not clear from the video footage, how many doves, if any were consumed by the fire. There is also no evidence that the cauldron contained water or liquid fuel to attract the birds to drink from it. It does appear that the torch bearers saw the doves before they lit the cauldron. One account indicates that two doves with charred feathers were assisted by bystanders. Therefore it is safe to conclude that most of those doves perched on the cauldron escaped without harm when they felt the heat and gas expanding after the cauldron was lit. The doves escaping from the cauldron rim can be seen on the video footage. Trained white homing pigeons do not linger for one minute after they are released. As soon as they are released they fly up high in the sky and start looking for their home. As soon as they find their bearings, usually within five minutes, they head home. If the territory is familiar, they head home in less than 1 minute. Based on my review of the 1988 video footage it is apparent to me that they did not use trained white homing pigeons. They either used white ringneck doves, untrained young homing pigeons, or white squab purchased in the last minute. Furthermore, there was no coordinator on site to watch for the birds and prevent the lighting of the cauldron with the doves on the rim of the cauldron. The Olympic Committee needs to reconsider. They must make sure that future dove releases are coordinated by an experienced white dove release professional to ensure that white ringneck doves, untrained young white homing pigeons, or young pigeons without a homing instinct are not used for the Olympic dove releases. Neither squab nor white ring neck doves have a homing instinct and are poor fliers. After they are released outdoors, white ringneck doves, untrained young white homers, and squab cannot fend for themselves and will fly into cars and windows or fall fall pray to cats, hawks, owls, or dogs. They should only use trained white homing pigeons, whch are four times as big as ringneck doves and are superb flyers and navigators, reaching speeds of 50 miles per hour. Some exceptional trained homing pigeons can find their home from 1000 miles away! We should learn from Walt Disney, who only released trained white homing pigeons, a tradition that continues in Disneyland since opening in 1955. He coordinated the release of 2,000 white homing pigeions at the 1960 Winter Onlympics in Squaw Valley, California, setting a trend in the Winter Olympics that continues to this day. For proper dove releases, white homing pigeons should be trained and established in or near the city of the dove releases site one to two years prior to the date of the dove release. Purchasing ringneck doves, white squab, or untrained white homers in the last minute is cheaper and cuts corners but is not good for the birds or the audience, who deserve much better. The white dove releases should only be handled by trained professionals to make sure that only healthy and trained white homing pigeons are released in the proper setting and at the right time. The American White Dove Release Association (AWDRA: www.awdra.com) is a great resource for the humane treatment of white ringneck doves and white homing pigeons and an advocate of white dove releases with trained white homing pigeons. AWDRA provides clear dove release standards and guidelines that ensure the protection of white homing pigeons and white ringneck doves.

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15y ago
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9y ago

The release of doves at the Olympic Games opening ceremonies is a symbol of peace. This tradition began in the 1920 Summer Olympics, which took place in the aftermath of World War I.

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9y ago

Doves are released at the Olympic games to symbolize peace. This idea was started by Pierre de Coubertin. Pierre is considered to be the father of the games.

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15y ago

Doves are a sign of peace.

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11y ago

people do not realise doves during the opening ceremony of the olympics because they release them. I don't know why they release them. I felt like pointing out your mistake.lol

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11y ago

the doves represent the opening ceremony

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10y ago

They mean peace for all the countries.

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11y ago

1976

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Q: What does the doves mean at the Olympics?
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