Olympics, Why Have Great Britain Suddenly Become Great Britain And Northern Ireland?

[ToraToraTora]

Ok I know it's technically correct but in every other olympics we've been known as "Great Britain", why now the change? ....and if we are being semantic it should be "The United Kingdom of great Britain and Northern Ireland"

[brainiac]

I've been wondering exactly the same thing.  No idea

[davebro3]

It's hysterical - we should think up a new short name for the whole country. UKISTAN?

[douglas9401]

A complaint to broadcasters by Seamus Shilleleagh resulted in the accurate description.

Sure it's loike how 'Oirish recipe' sausages as a descriptor disappeared from the freezer section. Just Richmond sausages now.

To be sure.

[Hopkirk]

Great Britain is simply a geographic name for an island.

 

I'm glad to see that cars are now labelled UK and not GB.

 

Why isn't our Olympic team called UK too?

[Ellipsis]

NI athletes can choose to compete for GB or Ireland, unlike Scottish, Welsh or English athletes who can only compete for GB. So our team is Team GB, and that name is not technically correct as it includes some NI athletes. It's a bit like rugby union internationals, where NI players play for Ireland.

[Peter Pedant]

I thought it was all about the ya-ya over the border between NI and the Republic

and some great big strapping Oirish rugby players "thought"...that fair's fair etc

[THECORBYLOON]

The team is the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic Team.

It has been claimed that changing, "Team GB" to "Team UK" would be inaccurate since folk from the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and our overseas territories can compete as part of the team.

While "Team UK" would not be completely accurate still, it would be more accurate than Team GB.

I've heard the team being referred to as, "Great Britain and Northern Ireland" in a fair few Olympics and international competitions.

[gulliver1]

Why do people still refer to Britain ...as Great Britain?.  What is Great about it ...Britain is only Great because it is Greatly over populated.It is still the same size.😃Where's my coat😃

[ToraToraTora]

It's to distinguish it from little britian, it's not meant to be an indicator of greatness. With your lack of any knowledge and intelligence I am not surprised you do not know that.

[vulcan42]

Get your hat as well gulliver, you're not as smaart as you think you are.

"

Why is Great Britain called Great Britain?

The word 'Great' becoming attached to 'Britain' comes from medieval practice and not the classical authors. This became a common practice in the twelfth century to distinguish the island of Britannia maior (Greater Britain) from Britannia minor (Lesser Britain), the other medieval Britain Brittany.23 Dec 2017

[ToraToraTora]

that'll overload the brain cell vulcan!

[Modster]

gulliver1 - this thread is about the Olympic team & isn't for you to try to score political points.  Stay on-topic please.

[Gromit]

We should compete as England* like we do in football, cricket and rugby.

*And Wales, Scotland, N.Ireland.

[davebro3]

There's a hamlet called "Britain" in the Ribble Valley. Maybe they added "Great" to the country name to avoid any confusion?

[Modster]

Being rude isn't helping the thread.  Stop it, everyone.

[New Judge]

“It's a bit like rugby union internationals, where NI players play for Ireland.”

It’s not quite like that. Unlike in soccer, there is no “Northern Ireland” and “Republic of Ireland” RU teams. There is only “Ireland” and players from* anywhere on the island of Ireland are eligible for inclusion in it. RU also has the “British & Irish Lions” team and, similarly, players from the whole of Ireland are eligible to be chosen

In soccer there is a team “Northern Ireland” and “The Republic of Ireland”. Players from NI are British citizens but are also eligible for Irish citizenship, so are eligible to play in either team. However, the same is not so for players from Ireland. They are not eligible to play for NI. 

This same eligibility rule exists for the Olympics with athletes from NI being able to choose whether to compete for Ireland or UK. I believe (though cannot be sure) that once they make that choice they cannot swap for subsequent Olympic Games.

*I have used “from” loosely. I appreciate the citizenship rules for both countries  are not straightforward but need no be discussed here.

“With your lack of any knowledge and intelligence I am not surprised you do not know that.”

He does know that. He’s been told at least twice on here to my knowledge - on one occasion the correction coming from me. Whether he’s retained that information is anybody’s guess.

[douglas9401]

Nationality: Kingdomish

 

"I'm glad" it hasn't come to this.