Grandpa, I don't understand!

[pez]

Team GB is for Great Britain, which means it doesn't include Northern Ireland, right? Otherwise it'd be team UK.

But looking at the photos, all the Team GB athletes are holding the Union Jack, which is the flag for the UK, not GB. Apparently there's a version of the flag that doesn't have the red diagonal cross, which is GB only, but they aren't using that.

Huh? O_o?

Comments

[jetsam]

I'm betting the team represents 'Great Britain and Northern Ireland' but that's too long to even abbreviate.

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

"Great Britain and Northern Ireland" could just be called "Team UK", though...?

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

I should've searched around before posting the question.

"Athletes from Northern Ireland who also hold Irish citizenship under the pre-1999 article 2 of the Irish constitution can be selected to represent either Great Britain or Ireland at the Olympics."

I guess that's why. >>

[jetsam]

The things I've never even stopped to worry about

My next guess was going to be that Union Flags are easier to get hold of

[semishade (from livejournal.com)]

Now you find the part of the flag which represents Wales.

No wait, there isn't one!

[yuki-scorpio.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I wonder if I'm confused. But maybe this country (uh, not country. Or is UK a country? I thought England and Wales are countries) ..........this place is confused.

[semishade (from livejournal.com)]

The UK is the union of the 4 countries.

Although Whitehall officials have terrible trouble not describing Wales (and probably Northern Ireland) as a "region". The current compromise is to refer to "the nations", which always calls to mind images of an native American reservation! Next month, I'll be attending a "four nations" meeting with colleagues from Scotland, NI and England!

[potter.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Eddie Irvine (Northern Irish racing driver) used to object to having the Union Jack displayed when he won races, on the same principle. I never really understood it either!