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THE YOUTH OLYMPICS ARE HERE! And we're back to go over all the fun and action from the first week in Dakar as the Olympics get their first-ever taste of Africa in style! What did we think of the opening ceremony? Are we all in favour of giant continent displays? Was it as full of African vibes as we thought it would be? And just what did we make of that rather unusual athletes' parade? Plus, with plenty of sporting action to get through, we dive into some of the more unique disciplines on show at the Youth Olympics, from a version of 'baseball' that isn't really baseball, to the incredible action of futsal and the all-important question of whether wushu is actually any good to watch. Get your ears ready and your youthful vibes on point for another epic OTP episode!

An absolutely massive opening ceremony review is coming down your speakers today as we go back to the epic London 2012 opening ceremony to see whether it still holds up as one of the best and lives up to the lofty standards we’ve held it to for all these years! Did the Queen actually want to be there, or was she just sad she didn’t get to hang out with Daniel Craig for longer? Should more opening ceremonies feature Mr Bean? Should more opening ceremonies feature Kenneth Branagh? Should more opening ceremonies feature Shrek? Is this the greatest soundtrack in the history of Olympic opening ceremonies? Does David Beckham simply have to appear in everything related to Britain? And how does the cauldron lighting hold up more than a decade later? It’s all here to unpack in one hell of an episode about one hell of an opening ceremony!

THE OLYMPICS ARE BACK! Sort of. At least the Youth Olympic variety! And we're back to give you a full preview of the 2026 Dakar Summer Youth Olympics in true Off The Podium style! How excited are we to see an Olympic event held in Africa for the very first time? What do we make of the sports at these Games that we don't usually see at the Olympics? How confident is Colin that Canada can finally end its Summer Youth Olympics gold medal drought? How is Jarrod feeling about the Games? What fun facts about Dakar can we bring to the table? Why is Australia excited for fencing? What is the deal with woke wushu? And most importantly, what do we think of the mascot? It's another fun and epic ride that we know you'll enjoy, so get listening and get excited!

Jens Luraas Oftebro was one of the faces of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics, securing a record-equalling sweep of the Nordic Combined events in Italy to bring his total Olympic medal count to five, including four gold medals. It was a crowning achievement for the Norwegian, who, at just 25 years old, has gone on to establish himself as one of the greatest athletes the sport of Nordic Combined has ever seen. But how did he get involved in such a unique sport? What does it take to get to the very top of it? And just how does Norway continue to be so dominant in everything winter-related, and at the Olympics in general? In this epic chat, we learn all of this and more from Jens, as well as finding out about some pretty unique honours he received in the wake of his success in Milano Cortina, and hearing his thoughts on what losing its place at the Olympics would mean for Nordic combined, something that has sadly since become a reality for 2030. It's an absolutely amazing chat that you won't want to miss!

Earlier this year at the Milano Cortina Olympics, Italian bobsledder Simona de Silvestro became one of the biggest stories of the Games. The accomplished racing driver had already achieved almost everything in motorsport, spending years competing in categories ranging from IndyCar to Supercars in Australia, while also coming tantalisingly close to Formula 1. But one dream had remained unfulfilled: becoming an Olympian. She achieved that goal in 2026, competing in both the monobob and two-woman bobsleigh events at her home Olympics and adding another remarkable chapter to an already stacked resume. We learn from Simona what first sparked her love of speed, what fuelled her long-standing Olympic dream, and how racing the fastest cars on the planet compares to hurtling down an ice track in a bobsleigh. We also find out what it meant to compete at a home Olympics in front of one of the world's most passionate fan bases, whether she has her sights set on another crack at the Games in 2030, and why her career behind the wheel is far from over. It's an amazing chat with an even more amazing athlete that we know you'll love!

An absolutely massive interview coming your way today as we chat with one of Canada’s greatest Olympians and the only person in history to win multiple Olympic medals at both the Summer and Winter Olympics, the incredible Clara Hughes. Fresh off the release of her latest autobiography, Clara opens up about some of the incredibly raw and personal stories she shares in the book and explains why it was so important for her to put those experiences out into the world. She also reflects on how being so open about the many challenges she has faced helped shape her during her Olympic career, and how she looks back on those experiences now, many years after her retirement.We also uncover some amazing stories from throughout her career, as well as her special connection to a certain swimming device that gets our hosts quite happy. It’s one hell of a chat with one hell of an Olympian that you simply can’t miss!

Another special bonus episode coming through your speakers today as we take you right into the heart of Brisbane for the official reveal of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic emblems! We bring you all the excitement, atmosphere, news and behind-the-scenes gossip from a massive night in the future Olympic and Paralympic host city, as well as THREE incredible interviews with some of Australia's biggest Olympic and Paralympic stars! Olympic gold medallist Arisa Trew, Paralympic gold medallist Lucky Patterson and two-time Paralympian Taymon Kenton-Smith join us to share their reactions to the new emblems, their hopes for a home Games in 2032 and plenty more along the way! It's all here in another special edition of Off The Podium, coming to you straight from Brisbane!

WE ARE FINALLY AT THE GREATEST OLYMPICS TO EVER BE AN OLYMPICS! Yes, we’re at the 1920 Antwerp Games to celebrate the iconic Games that are the Games that were the Antwerp Games! Why does Ben love these Olympics so much? What do we even know about Antwerp? Why were these Games so historic on so many levels? What exactly is horse vaulting, and why do we need to bring it back? Are we sad to see the end of tug-of-war? Why did the USA and Canada perform so well while Australia struggled? And which famous Hollywood actress and Nobel Peace Prize winner have direct ties to these Games? There’s so much to unpack from such a legendary Olympics that you’ll have to tune in to find it all out!

Just like the logo reveal itself, we’re coming to you earlier than expected for this episode as we bring you our immediate reaction to the brand new Brisbane 2032 Olympic & Paralympic logo and work out exactly how we feel about the design that will represent Australia to the world! Ben and special best Brendan Low go over every angle of the new logo, debate whether it’s instantly iconic or one that might take a little time to grow on us, unpack just how damaging that accidental early leak could be for Brisbane 2032 moving forward and, naturally, get themselves far too excited about what the merchandise might eventually look like. It’s all here in this very special breaking-news edition of Off The Podium!

It's history on two levels on the show today as we not only speak to our first-ever athlete from Trinidad & Tobago, but also that country's first-ever Alpine skier, Nikhil Alleyne, as we learn about the incredible journey that led him to representing his nation at the Milano Cortina Olympics earlier this year. We hear from Nikhil about how he first got into skiing and the challenges he had to overcome pursuing a winter sport from a country not exactly known for its snow. We also learn about the support he received along the way and how his remarkable journey was embraced back home. Added to this, we discover more about his unique training methods, the experiences he had during the Games, and just what it meant to make it to the Olympics and be part of such a historic moment for Trinidad & Tobago. It's an epic chat you won't want to miss!

He was our very first SkiMo guest on the show more than a year ago in the lead-up to Milano Cortina, and since then Maximilien Drion has gone on to make history as the first Belgian SkiMo athlete to compete at a Winter Olympics. And while his time in Italy didn't exactly go as he would've hoped, he still helped put the sport on the map with a strong result and an even stronger series of events that made him an unexpected viral hit during the Games. We catch up with Max to hear all about his Olympic experiences and more, including what really happened when he missed THAT train, how he reflects on his performance, how it is driving him even harder towards 2030, and which significant national honour he received after returning home. It's another epic chat with one of our favourite guests that we know you'll love!

After the heartbreak of missing the Beijing 2022 Olympics, and overcoming years of serious injuries and being cut from the national squad, Australian aerial skier Abbey Willcox finally fulfilled a lifelong dream by qualifying for the Milano Cortina 2026 Games. It was a moment she described as a “weight off her shoulders”, with the 29-year-old carrying her strong form into the Italian mountains to finish the Games with a fourth and tenth place. Abbey joins us once again to reflect on her Olympic debut, what it meant to finally achieve her dream, and why she believes it is only the beginning as she continues to build on Australia’s strong Olympic legacy in the sport. Always open and honest, it’s another epic chat with Abbey that we know you’ll love!

We first talked doubles luge on the show last year with Canadian Kailey Allan, and today we’re joined by her teammate and doubles partner, Beattie Podulsky, to learn more about the discipline as well as her own incredible rise in the sport. We find out how a sign spotted by Beattie’s dad set her on the path to the Olympics, what other sports she could have potentially reached the pinnacle in, and how her luge journey took her all the way to the 2026 Winter Olympics. We also chat about growing the sport in Canada, get her side of THAT plant story, and discover how she apparently became so good at falling over. It’s another epic chat you won’t want to miss!

We're back with another classic opening ceremony review as we celebrate 50 glorious years since the Montreal 1976 Olympics by revisiting the opening ceremony of the Montreal 1976 Olympics! Does anything actually happen in this ceremony? Why was even the Queen bored? Did we know the Queen could speak French? How exciting is it to see New Zealand discover colour, even if it's a bit awkward to talk about them in this ceremony? Did the TV broadcast know what colour was during this? Why is Canada so obsessed with planes? Who is Dick Quax? What is the deal with ribbons? And seriously, does anything happen in this opening ceremony? It's one of the more unique ceremonies we've ever covered, so get listening and get your mind and ears excited!

Excited to welcome another returning guest to the podcast today as we chat with Aussie moguls skier Charlotte Wilson about her incredible Olympic debut at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics! We hear from Charlotte about her epic qualifying run leading into the Games and how it boosted her confidence ahead of her first Olympic appearance. We also dive into what it was like making the final on debut and why she believes it has set her up for future success. Added to that, we learn whether she played any mind games with teammate Emma Bosco before the dual moguls final, hear about a certain nickname she picked up in Italy, and discover what it was like celebrating a pretty significant birthday during a huge moment for Australia at the Games. It’s another incredible chat with Charlotte that you won’t want to miss!