It looks like they’re actually tier 1 (they seem to be standing on a white platform), but what, if any, weight is each layer above them? I can see narrow platforms, but are they all taking most of the weight?
I’m not sure whether this was meant as an athletic or purely aesthetic display – since they’re billed as ‘acrobats’, I assumed skill was involved, so what would be the best and worst case scenario those 8-10 in the narrowest tier would be supporting?
e: was there any kind of structural support in this? I’m not finding much about it.
Here’s a Snopes article about this event at the 1980s Olympics in Moscow.
It doesn’t look like they’re carrying any weight. If you look at this video of the opening ceremonies, right at the beginning you can see the athletes in the torch not actually touching the level above them.
Longer versions of the ceremony seem to show moments where the acrobats on lower levels both have their hands out into the air, or are even hanging from the level above them - suggesting any given level is capable of supporting both the weight of those below and above it.
I don’t know why but I find the video extremely unsettling. At first I was like, oh neat, human dominoes! But then the formations started looking more and more like sea creatures, but made of people… I don’t know. I like sea creatures just fine. I do not like this.
YOU MUST JOIN WITH THE FLESH
WE ARE WE ARE WE ARE…
…get out of here, Sarkic scum! The Machine endures forever!
Part of the ship, part of the crew.
Part of the ship, part of the crew.
Part of the ship, part of the crew.
We call out to the beasts of the sea to come forth and join us This night is yours