2012 Olympics London

London getting ready for London 2012 Olympics

You would be surprised to know that London had to defeat its competitor Paris in a bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games.  Finally, the Olympic Games were awarded to London, much to the delight of its people and the world at large.  It is heartening to know that the beautiful city of London is going to host the Olympic Games thrice.  Preparations are underway in full swing for the mega event as the world waits with bated breath.  To get a chance to host the Olympics, London had to fiercely compete with Paris, Madrid, Moscow and New York.

London Olympics are planned to commence on July 27th and would go on till August 12th.  In all, the games would expand over a good seventeen days and there would be a total of twenty six types of games.  What is even more entertaining is that the games are to be played over a good thirty four venues.  London is already preparing to welcome thousands of sports enthusiasts like you along with its own local spectators.

Plenty of new sports events have been added to the Olympic Games besides the usual Swimming, Cycling, Wrestling and Boxing.  As you know, most of the visitors would be using the public transport and vehicles.  Hence, the authorities in London are working very hard to improve the public transport system.  It is heartening to know that the authorities are taking plenty of efforts to attract the women spectators.

To the sheer delight of all the spectators, the Olympic Games venues are designed in such an away that it boasts of some of the greatest historical landmarks of London.  In order to meet all the requirements, a huge budget has been allocated and work is going on very briskly.  You would be surprised to note that a whopping budget of more than five billion pounds have been allocated for constructing and erecting all the venues.  A huge sum has also been allocated for developing and reconstructing the area of Lower Lea Valley.  Apart from the construction activities, a good amount of sum has also been allocated for other work and expenses.

There is some good news for you as entry passes and tickets would be available in 2011, and you need to update yourself with all the latest information regarding tickets.  You would be surprised to note that a whopping eight million tickets are expected to be sold for the Olympic Games.  Furthermore, there is some good news for all the women spectators as women’s boxing has also been included in this London Olympics.  Baseball and softball have been removed from the tournament.

You would also be amazed to note that the London Olympics are being projected as environment friendly.  As you are aware, London has got huge water resources and huge parkland is being specially designed to attract all the visitors.  People in London are very friendly and it is a good opportunity for all the people belonging to different cultures to come together and enjoy this wonderful event.

Now, the most important aspect is booking and procuring your tickets for 2012 Olympics. You need to get your tickets from a reliable source.  If you are a resident of United Kingdom, then you can directly book your tickets at the official website of London Olympics.  In case you are not a resident of United Kingdom, you need to book your tickets by contacting the National Olympic Committee.  Definitely, the London Olympics promises to be a huge event and you need to definitely witness all the spectacular events.

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Posted in: 2012 Olympics,London Olympics

London Olympics Shopping Mall

Shopping Complex near London Olympics Venue

As you have always aspired, it is dreams come true for every individual to witness a spectacular event like the Olympic Games.  The 2012  London Olympic Games promises to be one of the most spectacular and grand ever.  This is primarily because of the world class stadiums and infrastructure it boasts.  But all this can be possible only if the recreational facilities are world class and easily accessible to the spectators.  Visitors who come from other countries to London come for more than one reason.  They also love to do plenty of shopping and buy goods for their near and dear ones.

The visitors in general would prefer and love to have a world class shopping mall near the Olympics sports center, as they would not like to miss the sports action too much and in between when they are free, they would jolly well love to shop.  This is where London scores over every other city in terms of malls and shopping centers.  The people who witnessed the previous two Olympic games were dismayed and let down as there were no shopping malls near the sports venue.

You would be amazed to know that Westfield, the firm from Australia is going to build a huge shopping mall near the London Olympic stadium which is also going to be the largest shopping mall in Europe.  This is definitely going to be dreams come true for all the visitors.  Apart from the wonderful shops, the mall would also boast of world class entertainment and recreational facilities.  To name a few, the shopping mall would have parking spots for a whopping five thousand cars, huge office space, hotels, restaurants, more than fourteen theaters screening cinema and around three hundred shops.

One of the main advantages of constructing this mall is that even after the 2012  Olympic Games are over, people can come here and do their routine shopping and purchasing.  The huge shopping mall would be built in Stratford City.  Around the world, only Sydney and Westfield London boast of such huge shopping malls.  The shopping mall coming up at Stratford city, on completion, would not only become the largest shopping mall in Europe, but would be regarded as one of the best and among the largest in the world.

Progress of the London Olympics Shopping Center

The construction of this shopping mall is going to throw up a lot of employment opportunities for the locals.  A good eight thousand and five hundred jobs are expected to be created and what more, a training institute imparting retail training has already been opened near the construction site.  So every time people look at this wonderful shopping mall, they would definitely be reminded of the London Olympics.

Whenever, the spectators enter the London Olympic stadium, they would be greeted by banners of leading retail brands.  There are also plans to install huge screens on one of the streets so that people can watch the live action and also relax.  What more, the leading retail brand, John Lewis is also planning to sell goods and clothes related to 2012 Olympics.  Definitely, the visitors and spectators are in for some great days ahead as the multi-billion dollar shopping mall adjacent to London Olympics venue nears completion with all its world class facilities.

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Posted in: 2012 Olympics,London Olympics

London 2012 Olympic Games Tickets

Frequently asked questions about London Olympics 2012 Tickets

The sale of tickets for the London Olympics is going to begin on March 15, 20ll.  As you would be having plenty of queries, we have tried our best to answer the most frequently asked questions.

How do I get the tickets for the London 2012 Olympics?

Oh, that is very simple.  You just need to visit the website of London 2012 Olympics and need to place your request.  You would be joining the good two million who have already placed their request.  Good luck.

Would I get the tickets for London Olympics only when the actual ticket sales start?

Well, not really.  The basic idea of asking you to place your request in the Olympic website is that you must receive all the information pertaining to purchase of tickets.  You would also know how you would be receiving the tickets, whom to contact to receive the tickets and how the tickets would be reaching you.  The main advantage of placing your request is that you do not have to re-enter all your details.  So, do not worry and just relax.

What is the actual date for the London Olympics ticket sale?

The actual date for the ticket sale is March 15, 2011.

Would I be able to buy the London Olympics tickets on the same day itself?

Well, the answer is No.  You would not be able to buy the ticket on the same opening day itself as it is not a case of first come and first served.  But, you do not have to worry as the application process would be open for a good six weeks till the date of April 26.  You can apply for your tickets any time during the six weeks.  It really does not matter whether you are applying on the first day or the last day.

What would be the maximum number of tickets for London Olympics that I can Purchase?

Plenty of information regarding the maximum number tickets to be purchased will be made known to you before the opening date of March 15, 2011.  Probably, the most important sessions which are also hugely popular may have some limits on the number of tickets you can buy.  But, the actual information would be conveyed to you.

What is clearly known at this stage is that there would be more than eight million tickets available for the Olympic Games.  So, you do not have to worry about the availability of tickets.

Furthermore, you would be happy to note that a good seventy five percent of the total tickets are allotted for the public through the application procedure.  The rest which comprises twenty five percent of the remaining total tickets is reserved for sponsors, those individuals who would be providing funds to hold the Olympic Games and for all the sports enthusiasts throughout the world.  The Olympic committee would look after the global ticket sales.

What would be the cost of tickets for London 2012 Olympics?

Well, it really depends upon the events you want to witness.  The most popular sport sessions would definitely be more expensive.  For instance, the cost of tickets for the one hundred meters race final is expected to cross seven hundred pounds.  On the other hand, there are sporting sessions which begin at an affordable cost of twenty pounds.

You would be delighted to know that there are going to be good six hundred and forty nine sports sessions.  The various disciplines of sports are also going to be thirty nine.  Therefore, the prices of tickets are widely going to vary.  It has been estimated that a good ninety percent of the tickets would be less than one hundred pounds.  The organizers are trying their level best to place two thirds of the tickets below fifty pounds.  The remaining twenty five percent would be placed at an affordable twenty pounds or less.  So, do not worry as you will get to see a lot of sporting action.

There is a special discount. For more than a whopping two hundred sporting sessions, the children below the age of sixteen, just need to pay the money equivalent to their age.  What more, even the elders above the age of sixty needs to pay only sixteen pounds for the same events.

Individuals can also expect a good discount on their tickets for events like triathlon, road cycling and the marathon.

How do you define a session?

A session actually includes many events.  For example, if you chose to buy a ticket for seeing the swimming session, you would be able to see all the races and heats under that swimming session.

Am I allowed to pay through debit card or cash for the Olympic tickets?

Along with checks and cash, the organizers of the Olympics have decided to accept payments made only through Visa cards.  It may be in the form of prepaid, credit or debit.  This is mainly due to the huge support provided by Visa.

What if I do not have a Visa Card?

As mentioned above, you can also pay through checks and cash.  But, once you reach the Olympic sports venue, you are allowed to pay only through cash or Visa card.

How much time would it take for the sports schedule to be announced?

It is expected to be announced around February 2011.

Would there be any free sports events?

Yes, sure. You do not have to buy tickets for events like road cycling and marathon as these are free to watch.  Again, it depends upon the crowd as a very huge crowd may attract tickets.

Are there any good places outside London in case I am not able to go to London?

Oh, sure. There are plenty of places outside London where the Olympic events are scheduled to take place.  You may visit these wonderful places.  The tickets for these events will be available from March 15, 2011.

For more information regarding tickets, you may go through the London 2012 Olympics website.

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Posted in: 2012 London Olympic,2012 London Olympics,2012 Olympic,London 2012 Olympics Tickets,Olympic Games Tickets

London Olympic Stadium – Unique Design

London Olympic Stadium Construction – Architectural Marvel

With the London 2012 Olympics promising to be one of the most spectacular events ever, the organizers are planning to build a Olympic stadium which would be one of the most unique, modern and large stadiums in the world.  In fact, the Olympic stadium promises to be one of the major attractions of the London 2012 Olympics.  The stadium is proposed to be built at the Lower Lea Valley in Stratford.  The location chosen at Stratford is Marshgate Lane.

You would be amazed to note that the capacity of the Olympic Stadium would be a massive eighty thousand.  This would also make it the third largest and one of the most modern in Britain.  As already known, the Wembley stadium is the largest in Britain.  What is most unique about the Olympics Stadium design is that the huge capacity of eighty thousand can be greatly and easily reduced to twenty five thousand after the Olympic Games are over.  This is definitely an architectural marvel.

Although, the Olympic Stadium is made up of layers, many of them are temporary.  The method of constructing the Olympic Stadium has been formulated intelligently based on the principle of cut and fill.  Under this approach, the land is dug deep till it assumes the shape of a bowl, which would be easily able to accommodate twenty five thousand permanent seats.  In other words, this bowl structure forms the permanent part of the Olympic Stadium.  The architects have also planned to build a temporary structure above the permanent structure which would accommodate a good fifty five thousand individuals.

You should also note that the track and field part of the Olympic Stadium is being laid around the permanent structure.  This has been done mainly by excavating the soft clay from the earth.  The whole job is being done by using rakers made of concrete.  The ground over there has got a natural slope and the architects have taken full advantage of this aspect to incorporate this in to the Olympic Stadium design.  The changing rooms and warm-up areas are also being planned to be built in the basement region.  The upper temporary structure is made of lightweight steel and concrete which is demountable, in order to accommodate fifty five thousand spectators.  This work is going on at a brisk pace.

It has been decided that the temporary structure of the Olympic Stadium would be made using fabric which is lightweight.  The entire roof of the Olympic Stadium is going to be made out of fabric and would be based on the principles of engineering, governing a bicycle wheel.  The roof, although made from fabric would be strong enough to hold all the lights installed for the various sporting events and ceremonies.

The Olympic stadium is being built using state of the art technology since it is going to play host to millions of fans watching the sports events on their television, thousands of spectators who would be attending the games, the press from the world over, the various heads of states and some of the world’s greatest sportsmen.  The key feature of this wonderful modern stadium is that once the Olympic Games are over, this stadium can be used for local and domestic purpose.  This is one of the main objectives behind the unique spectacular design of the Olympic Stadium.

Read More>> 2012 London Olympics, London 2012 Olympics

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Posted in: 2012 London Olympic,2012 London Olympics,2012 Olympic,2012 Olympic stadium,London 2012,London 2012 Olympic,London 2012 Olympics,London 2012 Stadium

London 2012 Olympics Progress

Progress of 2012 Olympics

While the world eagerly waits for the 2012 London Olympic Games to begin, the organizers are quite happy with the development work taking place with regard to 2012 Olympics.  No doubt, it is a huge task, but excellent planning and infrastructure have ensured that the work goes on smoothly.  A whopping 10,000 people are involved in the construction of the Olympic stadium and other allied structures required to host the various Olympic sporting sessions.  Most of the workers have been hired locally and this has created huge employment opportunities.  What more, the London Olympic construction site is claimed to be the biggest construction site in Europe.

You would be amazed to know that a one and a half billion dollar shopping center is coming up at Westfield.  Although, this is not part of the 2012 Olympics, this definitely has received a stimulus due to the construction of the Olympic site.  The builders of the shopping center are well aware that huge crowds would be pouring in for the Olympics and the huge crowds would definitely love to do some shopping during free time.  A huge dealership of a leading car brand has also opened up.

The new Olympic venues to be handed over by summer 2011 are nearing completion. The construction of the Olympic stadium is almost complete including the roof and fitting of spectator the seats.  The wooden flooring work is a marvel.  A whopping 20,000 journalists are expected to attend the Olympic event.  This is precisely the reason why a massive one million square feet of space has been allocated to media, broadcasting and journalists.  It has also been decided that a good 16,600 people would be able to stay in the Olympic Village and the first phase of the Olympic village has already been constructed.  The ventilation and air conditioning work in the first phase of the Olympic village is almost nearing completion.

The aquatic center at the Olympic center promises to be an architectural marvel and work is progressing at a fast pace.  The aquatic center is supposed to have an arc shaped roof and it looks extremely stylish.  There are also talks about this building being deemed as one of the most beautiful and exquisite in the world.

What is even more surprising is that the Olympic stadium is just a little more than three miles farther from Canary Wharf, a huge financial district and is located in an area with a huge population.  In spite of all this, work is being carried out very quickly and that too on a huge area.  The Olympic park is coming up on the banks of river Lee, one of the tributaries of Thames.  You should note that for a long time river Lee was the dumping ground of London.  All sorts of industrial waste, construction material and all the rubble of destroyed buildings, old television sets and refrigerators used to be dumped in the river.  A good four million tons of waste were removed and most of the soil has now been decontaminated.  This shows the great work being carried out by the organizers.

Definitely, the work on the London 2012 Olympics is progressing quite well and promises to complete much ahead of the scheduled time.

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Posted in: 2012 Olympics,Olympic Games

London 2012 Olympics Going Green

Going for Green London 2012 Olympics

When the design for the London 2012 Olympic Stadium was made public in 2007, it was clear that a new approach to stadia design was being attempted.  The London Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is in fact determined to make the London 2012 Olympics the first ever sustainable Olympic Games.  The ODA will be constructing sustainable venues, infrastructure, and facilities for the games focusing on energy- saving programs, recycling, and the utilization of alternative sources of energy.  In short, lot of efforts are being made to ensure that the London 2012 Olympics event is going green.

To ensure a green London 2012 Olympics, the different buildings and stadia are being constructed to satisfy specific targets.  For instance, everything is designed to promote low carbon emissions, low-waste, and green transportation.  The timber used for different constructions is from legal sources that are fully traceable and sustainable, use of public transport will be encouraged, and only renewable forms of energy will be used.  Rainwater is being collected to reduce the quantity of potable water that will be used in the different buildings by 40%.  But the CO2 reduction target is higher than this.

A range of new innovations will help to cut the carbon footprint of the entire project by 50 %.  The aggregate industry involved aims to use 25 % of recycled materials, while cement manufacturers plan to use ‘greener’ ways for firing their plants. Around 90 % of even demolition materials are going to be recycled.

The desire to use cutting edge design has hiked the required capital.  The initial estimate of the budget for the Games was around $3.5 billion.  This has now soared to $13.94 billion.  The desire to be innovative is commendable, but the question is if it will be completed on time.  In the past, London projects such as the Wembley Stadium refurbishment, and the Millennium Dome had gone over-budget and also over-schedule.

In a nutshell, here are the environment-friendly schemes the organizers have planned:

• At the Olympic village, carbon emissions will be cut down by 50% and the entire project will be 25% more energy-efficient  compared to current building regulations;
• 20% of the required energy for the Olympic Village and Park will be provided by renewable energy;
• 20% of the construction materials, and around 90% of the demolished buildings will be  recycled or reused;
• Water used at the Olympic village will be 20% less than average
• 30 km of new routes for walking and 50 km of new cycling tracks will be built.

The Olympics games are meant to be a grand celebration of sportsmanship and human achievement by the international community, but they also give the host nation an opportunity to display their vision and organizational skills.  This time, the organizers want the London 2012 Olympics to be the greenest in history.

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Posted in: 2012 London Olympic,2012 London Olympics,2012 Olympic stadium,2012 Olympics,2012 Olympics Coins,London 2012 Olympics

London 2012 Olympics Coins

London 2012 Olympic 50p coins go into circulation

For the very first time in the thousand year history of Britain’s Royal Mint, coins designed by the public will go into national circulation.  Approved by the Queen herself and the Treasury, these are the new 50 pence coins specially designed to commemorate the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.  And with more than 87 million of these coins entering into national circulation in the coming year, people will have ample opportunities for collecting the entire set of designs.

Recently, Lord Coe, the London 2012 chairman was quoted as saying that coins are a component of the very fabric of our lives and that it would be a huge honor to have a set of coins designed by members of the British public specifically for celebrating London 2012 Olympics.  He said the 50 p coins were a part of a wide-reaching, long-lasting, cultural legacy benefiting the whole nation and that he was looking forward to collecting the entire coin range.

The reverse side of each of the coins depicts one of 29 sports designed by citizens of England and Wales.  The designs were chosen from around 30,000 entries submitted in a public competition organized by the Royal Mint.  Some of the sports featured on the 50 pence pieces include swimming, sailing, and basketball, as well as lesser-known games such as handball and the Paralympic sport boccia.

The selected designers vary from a Reading delivery driver and a Manchester policeman to a Bristol schoolgirl and a Preston bank clerk.  These lucky winners have the privilege of seeing their designs used in coins meant for public circulation and which like other coins have the approval of the Queen as well as the Treasury.

Children have produced two of the selected designs which have been unveiled already, but have not yet been issued.  Florence Jackson, who hails from Bristol, was only nine when, beating17,000 other entries, she won a BBC One Blue Peter competition last year.  Florence’s high-jump design was the first of the officially approved 50p designs out of the series of 29.  A cyclist in a velodrome was the second winning design by a child, designed by 16 year old Theo Crutchley-Mack, from Halifax.  This was unveiled in 2010.

The newly designed 50 pence coins are in circulation in England and Wales.  And with the London 2012 Olympics drawing closer, the excitement for collecting them is slowly building up.

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Posted in: 2012 Olympics,2012 Olympics Coins,London 2011,London 2011 Olympics Coins,London 2012,Olympics Coins

What does the London 2012 Olympics mean?

London 2012 Olympics – Meaning and Importance

As the world waits for the biggest sporting event on the earth to begin, the people of London are overjoyed.  Apart from allowing them to show the grandeur and rich heritage of London, the people of London jolly well know that the London 2012 Olympics is going to bring a lot of all around development for London.  The entrepreneurs and business class are bound to gain a lot as there is going to be a great demand for consumer goods and tourism in general.

With the arrival of London 2012 Olympics, the industry in general is going to receive a great boost.  Already the construction and building industry of London has generated huge employment opportunities much to the delight of the locals.  Thousands of locals have been hired to construct the huge main stadium and also the other sporting facilities that are going to host the various sporting events.  The locals have also been employed to construct the various recreational centers with the most modern facilities and malls.

With thousands of sports enthusiasts expected to visit London to witness the London Olympics, the hotel industry is highly excited.  The hotels have already started making preparations to greet the sports enthusiasts.  The sporting event is so huge that it would require a lot of planning and dedication on the part of all those involved in London Olympics preparations.  Definitely, the limelight is on London and London needs to make the most out of it.

Now let us see, what the Olympics means to a sports person? It is the dream of every sporting individual to participate and win an Olympic medal in the Olympics.  Sportsperson consider success at the Olympics as the highest pinnacle of success.  No number of trophies or shields can match an Olympic medal.  In Olympic Games, apart from winning the medal for themselves, the sportspersons represent their respective countries and their chests swell with pride when they win a medal for their country.  The Olympic medal is the highest sporting honor for a sportsperson.

Now let us see what London Olympics means to the world in general?  Apart from sports enthusiasts, there are also travel enthusiasts who love to travel to different parts of the world and explore the cultures of different countries.  London is a wonderful city with plenty of attractions.  The rich culture and heritage of London, the breathtaking museums and ancient architecture are a sight to behold.  Definitely, the tourists visiting London would love these attractions.  Above all, you can also do plenty of shopping and spend time in the huge malls.

The social media would also be playing a huge role in the London 2012 Olympic Games.  Millions of sports enthusiasts would be keenly following and discussing the events.  They would also be posting comments on the sporting performances of the various sportsmen.  Plenty of sports videos and sports photographs are expected to be circulated on all the social media sites.  All these would definitely bring in new users to these social sites.  In short, London Olympics is going to benefit every sector of the industry, tourism, the people of London and the city of London itself.

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Posted in: 2012 London Olympic,2012 London Olympics,London 2012 Olympic,London 2012 Olympics,London Olympic 2011,London Olympic 2012,London Olympics 2011 Volunteer,London Olympics 2012 Tickets,London Olympics Stadium,London Olympics Tickets,Olympic 2012,Olympic in 2012,Olympic Logo

2012 Olympic Logo

London Olympic Logo 2012

In today’s world, in order to make an event popular or to draw a huge response, you need to publicize it.  This is precisely the job of a logo and a logo helps in turning the event in to a huge brand.  The London 2012 Olympic Games too is a brand and it is quite an interesting one.  You would have noticed that the 2012 Olympic Logo is a jagged one with the beautiful shades of orange, green, blue and pink adorning it.  The logo is essentially based on the year 2012 of London Olympic Games.

If you observe the Olympic logo 2012 carefully, you would be see that the numbers 2012 are designed in such a way that it appeals to the modern Internet loving generation.  In the newly designed logo, the Olympic rings and the word London are taken and placed together along with the first two digits.  The London Olympic Logo has been  designed by Wolff Ollins, and you would be amazed to know that the newly designed Olympic logo has cost a good £400,000 to design!  The design of the new Olympic 2012 Logo has evoked a mixed response.

Lord Coe has clearly emphasized that the new 2012 Olympic logo is just not a design, but an emblem representing a brand.  He clearly mentioned that the stage is set to host London Olympics and it would do its best to make it a grand success.  The success of London Olympics with its new logo should take London forward for at least the coming five years.   As mentioned earlier, the London Olympic logo has been designed keeping the youngsters in mind and to involve them more and more in making London 2012 Olympic Games a grand success.

In previous Olympics, the logo would essentially depict the image of the city that was hosting the Olympics.  In order to do something different, this logo was designed in a different way.  The organizers are highly optimistic that the 2012 Olympic logo with its brand value would generate a whopping two billion pounds which would definitely help in hosting the Olympics in a huge way.  The wonderful message is that the London Olympics is for everyone.

Even the President of the International Olympic Committee was lavish in his praise while stating that the London 2012 Olympics logo is highly innovative and would definitely attract young people to watch more sports, take up sports as a career and help to inculcate the values of a true sportsperson.  The logo of the London Olympic Games clearly states that the London games are going to be the most modern and dynamic ever.  The organizers are happy and thrilled to note that the goodwill and success of the Olympic Games are going to continue for the next few years.

You can easily guess the goals of the London Olympic Games by looking at the logo.  The logo invites the people world over to come and take part in the Olympics.  The main objective is to involve as many youngsters as possible and increase their interest in sporting activities.   The London games belong to everyone.  As stated earlier, the London Olympic Games promises to be highly modern, flexible and dynamic.  This is the message outlining the design of the logo.  So, get ready for the biggest extravaganza on earth.

Do you think the Olympic 2012 Logo is good enough to reflect these goals? There are many controversies about the design of the London Olympic logo.  Iran has already threatened to boycott the Olympic Games because they found the word ‘zion’ in the logo – instead of 2012!

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Posted in: 2012 Olympic,London Olympic Games,London Olympics,Olympic Logo

London Olympics – Frauds and Scams

Scam Alert – London Olympics

As London gets ready to hold the biggest and most dazzling event, the authorities are also worried about frauds and scams that might take place during the London Olympics.  The sports loving enthusiasts are crazy about witnessing the Olympic events and would be ready to shell out any amount of cash to view the Olympic Games.  This is where the fraudsters come in to play and take undue advantage of the situation by charging a hefty amount from the sports loving innocent people.

Scams involving 2012 Olympic Tickets

The presence of fraudsters is highly worrying for the Olympic organizers as they fear that it would lead to plenty of credit card and cheque scams.  In order to check this problem, an online program is being developed which would check all the online tickets.  This is being done to prevent frauds and catch all fraudsters.  In order to book online tickets, you need to provide all your personal details and credit card details.  This is where you need to be careful as these can be misused by the fraudsters.

Use of Fake Credit Cards During the Olympics

There is one more huge worry for the organizers as plenty of fake credit cards would be used to purchase goods and it would become very difficult to track the fake credit cards as thousands of visitors would be purchasing goods.  Definitely, business would be at its peak.  Apart from all the buyers, even the shop owners have been asked to be very careful and alert.  It is very difficult to distinguish a genuine credit card from a fake one when there is a huge crowd.

Scam Prevention and Precautions to Avoid Frauds

The Specialist Crime Directorate of London has formed a special team which consists of thirty six detectives working in close co-ordination with the ticketing industry, hotels, banks and travel operators in order to prevent any kind of frauds.  The basic idea is to provide proper checks by laying proper systems to avoid any kind of frauds and financial losses.  The shop owners and business owners are also requested not to provide any kind of credit card and financial information to those who ask.  Drawing from the information from previous cultural and sporting events, a massive one thousand ticket touts have been identified.

As you are aware, the tickets for the London Olympics are expected to be available from March 15.  All the sports enthusiasts are requested to apply for their respective tickets by visiting the official site of the organizing committee for London Olympics also known as LOGOG.  This is a great idea to prevent any kind of fraud from taking place and the sports enthusiasts would also not lose their precious money.  You would be delighted to know that all these precautions are being taken in order to make the stay of international visitors as comfortable as possible.

An online ticket checking system is being designed by the organizers of the London Olympics in order to curb the incidents of fraud.  It is expected that plenty of fake websites would spring up to cheat the sports fans, once the sale of tickets for the London Olympics begins.  One of the outstanding features of the online ticket checking system is that once the sports fans paste the URL they would immediately come to know whether the website is a genuine one or a fake one.  On encountering a fake website, the system will automatically take the sports fan to the official website of the London 2012 Olympics.

There is some good news for all the sports fans in Britain as genuine tickets for the London Olympics would be available on the official website of London Olympics along with leading travel agents like Prestige Travel, Jet Set Travel, and Thomas cook.  In order to prevent the fraudsters and touts from reselling the tickets at exorbitant prices, LOGOG is in talks with eBay, the numero uno auction house.

Definitely, the authorities in London are doing a great job to prevent frauds and scams.  It would also do a lot of good if the sports fans exercise caution while buying the tickets for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

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Posted in: 2012 Olympics,London Olympics,London Olympics Scam,London Olympics Scam Alert,Olympic Games

Mario and Sonic headed to the 2012 London Olympic games

Sega and Nintendo have once again teamed up to sent these two legendary video game characters to the Olympic games. This time the theme is the upcoming 2012 Olympics in London. One notable difference this time around is that it will be available for the new Nintendo 3DS, as well as the Wii.

The Mario and Sonic themed games have sold 19 million copies worldwide. Newly introduced this time around are the football and equestrian events, which will be included on the Wii version. The 3DS version will include over 50 of the originally themed events, available in both single and multiplayer formats. There is no set release date at this time, but we will keep you posted as more information becomes available.

We will leave you with this statement from Naoya Tsurumi, Chairman for SEGA of America and SEGA Europe:

“It is truly exciting to be in the position to develop interactive entertainment software titles based on the Olympic Games, and for Sonic and Mario to once again be a part of this historic event.”

Kitguru says: It will be interesting to see what the features or limitations are regarding the 3DS version

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Posted in: 2012 Olympics,2012 Olympics venue,London 2011 Olympics Volunteer,London 2012 Olympic,London 2012 Olympics,London 2012 Olympics Tickets,London 2012 Stadium,London Olympics Hotels,London Olympics Stadium,London Olympics Tickets,Mario and Sonic

London Olympics pollution on course to land Britain hefty fine from IOC

Britain could be fined up to £175m by the International Olympic Committee if it continues to break air pollution laws by the time the Games begin next August.

The prospect of the air pollution penalty is becoming a major source of embarrassment to the government and Olympic organisers who set a goal of making the Games "the greenest ever" but have already watered down green measures planned for the event.

To meet the legally binding agreement, London may have to reduce traffic levels by more than 30% over a period of nearly a month, raising the possibility of draconian measures such as banning cars with number plates ending in odd and even numbers on alternate days.

Under the non-negotiable host city contract with the IOC – signed by the government and the mayor of London in 2005 – the IOC can withhold 25% of the expected £700m broadcasting income generated from the Games should air quality levels exceed EU limits during the games.

The contract has been given a temporary extension until later this year by the EU for the reduction of levels of small particulate matter (PM10), but has so far failed to find a way to do so and London risks a £300m fine from the European commission later this year.

London is one of the most polluted cities in Europe, with official studies showing that air pollution – mainly from traffic – causes more premature deaths than passive smoking and traffic accidents combined, at a cost of about £2bn a year.

According to the Olympic Delivery Authority's Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), published this week, the expected increases in traffic along the Olympic route network of 600km of London roads during the Games will lead to further breaches of European legal limits in areas that already suffer from poor air quality.

Even a 30% reduction in normal traffic during the period of the Olympics may not be enough to bring emissions below the legal limit, it said.

Lawyers said London now has few options left beyond actions such as imposing an odd and even number plate ban throughout the city to enable endurance events, such as the marathon, to take place.

At the last Olympic Games, in 2008, Beijing had to ban more than 1m cars and close factories.

"The SEA shows that there is a real risk that the Games will result in air quality laws being broken in London in 2012," Alan Andrews, a lawyer with the legal group Client Earth, said.

"By failing to take this risk seriously, the government and the mayor are painting themselves into a corner. If air quality limits look like being broken, it's difficult to see what they will be able to do other than impose draconian bans like those used during Beijing 2008.

"Plans need to be put in place now that will ban only the most polluting vehicles from inner London in time for the Games."

"The mayor should be banning all the oldest diesel vehicles from inner London," Simon Birkett, the director of the Campaign for Clean Air in London, said.

The commitments on air quality contained in the contract with the IOC apply in particular to those days when endurance events such as the marathon, the triathlon and the cycling road race take place.

Officials had hoped that reduced traffic during the August holiday season, plus pleas to the public and businesses to change their habits for the duration of the Games, would help reduce pollution.

"It is clearly a problem. It's not London 2012's responsibility, or in its gift to solve it, but it is clearly a problem," Shaun McCarthy, the chair of the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012, an independent body advising the Mayor of London and the Olympics minister, said.

The green impact the Olympics would have here and abroad was a central component of London's winning bid over other cities such as Paris.

It was intended that the infrastructure and built environment of the Games "will be designed to take account of the potential impacts of climate change and will set new standards for sustainable production, consumption and recycling of natural resources. There will also be significant long-term benefits in terms of projects, applications of green technologies".

But some promises have already apparently been broken and compromises made. A pledge to generate 20% of energy on site, mainly from a wind turbine in the Olympic park, has been abandoned and, at most, 9% of energy on site will be from renewables.

Plans to create a zero-waste Games, with all on-site waste recycled, have been reduced, and the athletes' village will be smaller and less green than hoped.

"This is a terrible admission of defeat on air pollution and contradicts all the mayor's promises about the 'greenest games ever'," Darren Johnson, a London assembly Green party member, said.

"Failing to deliver modest energy and waste targets on a seven-year project with billions from the public purse just shows what a mess our mayors of London and the government have made of environmental policy.

"The organisers have failed on many of the promises. They are a long way short of the inspirational revolution in environmental policy we were promised." said Darren Johnson, London assembly Green party member.

The ODA head of sustainability, Richard Jackson, said: "The Olympic park has set new standards. With the exception of the 20% renewables target, we are on track to meet all sustainability targets."

A spokesperson for Transport for London said: "We have a comprehensive package of long-term measures to tackle the biggest sources of pollution and improve air quality."

The panel's pledges ... and the reality

Air quality

Pledge: London signed up to the Olympic host contract which specifies that the city must meet international pollution laws.

Reality: Olympic route will impact heavily on air quality making London more likely to breach laws unless it bans 30% of all cars.

Construction

Pledge: 90% of demolition materials to be reused or recycled, half of all materials to be brought in by rail and local waterways and at least 20% of recycled material to be used to build permanent venues and the Olympic village.

Reality: 95% of the buildings and infrastructure on the Olympic site was crushed and melted, but only around 1% reused. £20m was spent restoring a canal to ship 12,000 tonnes of waste and building materials a week, but only 3,000 tonnes were shipped on them in the first two years.

Athletes' village

Pledge: To make the village of 8,000+ homes energy self-sufficient.

Reality: Numbers reduced to 4,700 and homes built to Level 4 – good for UK but not the best possible.

Waste

Pledge: To achieve a 'zero-waste' games by reducing waste, recycling and sending nothing to landfill.

Reality: Plans watered down. Some food waste to be sent to landfill in Bedfordshire, 30% to be incinerated. No catalysation of nearby authorities to improve waste policies.

Energy use

Pledge: To generate 20% of energy on site from renewables.

Reality: The Olympic park to only produce 9% of its post-games energy from renewables. About 1,000 homes in surrounding areas to be insulated. Plans for wind turbines in Hackney and at Eton manor abandoned.

Olympic flame

Pledge: A low-carbon Olympic flame and torch.

Reality: EDF energy announcement expected soon.

Decontamination

Pledge: The site was heavily contaminated and 2.5sq km of contaminated land and 1.4m tonnes of soil had to be cleaned or remediated.

Reality: Independent assessors argue that more than 7,000 tonnes of radioactively contaminated material dumped in a former landfill site has been buried.

Wildlife/Park

Pledge: To create Europe's largest urban park.

Reality: 300,000 wetland plants grown in Norfolk and Wales. Almost 2,000 newts and hundreds of toads plucked from the site's wetlands and waterways. But anger in Greenwich where hundreds of trees will be affected, and the park closed for several months. Future problems could include erosion of park to make way for more housing.

Food

Pledge: To serve "the best of British" food.

Reality: Cadbury, McDonald's and Coca-Cola are the main sponsors, but millions of meals will be prepared by caterers. Hopes that all food would be organic, British and Fairtrade have been watered down. Dutch brewer Heineken have "pouring rights", which means no branded British ale will be sold on the 40 sites.

Carbon footprint

Pledge: To encourage visitors to come by train.

Reality: Event tickets to include London Underground travelcard.

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Posted in: 2011 London Olympics Volunteer,2012 London Olympic,2012 London Olympics,2012 Olympic stadium,2012 Olympics venue

London 2012 Olympics stadium lights on

London Olympic Stadium Shines!

To make any event look spectacular and dazzling, lighting is very essential.  With Olympics being the biggest and most spectacular event on earth, it is obvious that the lighting arrangements are going to be massive.  One of the major attractions of the opening ceremonies in all the Olympics have been the colorful and dazzling lights flooding the entire stadium and London Olympics is no different.  The London Olympics promises to display one of the finest lighting arrangements ever.

This was quite evident, when the British Prime Minister David Cameron, turned on all the lights at the wonderful London 2012 Olympic stadium, much to the delight of all.  This is indeed a historic moment for entire Britain and definitely a moment to rejoice.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by the Chief of the Organizing committee Lord Coe and by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.  It was a special ceremony at the beautiful stadium which was covered with snow.

You would be surprised to know that a massive five hundred and thirty two bulbs were lit together and everyone is waiting for that special moment to be repeated at the London 2012 Olympic Games.  In all, there would be a good fourteen lighting towers and each tower would be a good seventy meters above the area where the sporting events are held.  It takes a good eight minutes for all the lights to reach their full illumination.  A lot of effort and planning has gone in to the lighting arrangements.

To witness this event, a crowd of four hundred were invited which included school children and the builders of the 2012 Olympics stadium.  It was announced that the most spectacular show on earth would arrive in seven days, seven months and in one year at East London.  All the works were being carried out on time and adhered to the budget allocated for the Olympics.  In fact, the works were getting completed much ahead of the schedule.

There were also talks of changing the plans wherein a good one hundred and sixty two million pounds were to be cut from school sports.  The education department has decided to fund the sport partnerships between schools till the end of 2011 summer term, which would cost around forty seven million pounds.  This has come as welcome news as sports and sporting activities in general has received a great boost.  Definitely, the arrival of Olympics has renewed the interest in sports and sporting activities.

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Posted in: 2012 Olympics,2012 Olympics Progress,London Olympics Stadium,Olympics

London Attractions – Olympics 2012

London Tourist Attractions and 2012 Olympics

City of London has various attractions to offer the tourists.  Around 3.5 million tourists visit London every year.  Tower Bridge, Piccadilly Circus, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral are some of the top attractions in London.  London Eye – the 135 meter high observation giant wheel is also one of the biggest attractions of London.  It is the biggest giant wheel in the world situated on South Bank and on a clear day, it offers 25 miles of splendid view.  However, the newest tourist attraction in London is going to be the London Olympics 2012.

London is hosting international sports for past several years.  In 1948, London had hosted Olympic Games.  Amongst the most popular international games, London is hosting tennis tournaments every year at Wimbledon, a very spectacular village.  Game lovers enjoyed a lot of thrilling championship games like the game played between the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus.  London has given great players like, Wyne Rooney and football legend David Beckham.

London has a bright past record of managing big events, but talking about Olympics 2012, it is a big responsibility as the whole world is watching London.  That is why, this event means a lot to London.  Not only citizens of London but also the entire world population is expecting a lot. London Olympics Managing committee has a great responsibility of planning the event, building the structure, organizing all infrastructure development and completing the project in time.  They have worked hard to overcome the recession and you can see new face of London soon.  Huge amount of temporary jobs have been now available and the structure they are constructing can be reused or move to another desired place.  It all means that in the future there is an opportunity for more jobs and more scope for such events in London.

This event will boost London’s economy to the great extent.  This event will attract game lovers to London from all over the world.  Money spent on shopping, transportation, accommodation, and on restaurant by visitors is the other side of coin.  London city’s water sources are being rejuvenated for the event, and a huge parkland is being developed.  City of London is visitor’s paradise offering a lot to the visitors.  This Olympics event will surely provide a wonderful atmosphere to get London’s multicultural people together by maintaining a friendly rivalry.  Everyone will be easily united by a single language.  English is the native language of London and the prime language spoken in various countries.

Media and social sites will play a very important role in promotion of London Olympics.  Every one would like to tweet on twitter about games, while you can enjoy videos on You Tube.  Every one wants to know more about this event so you can get updated information on the official olympics website http://www.london-2012.co.uk.

8 million tickets are estimated for Olympic Games and 5 million tickets for the Paralympics. Tickets and entry passes would be available from year 2011, but game lovers have started to keeping track of latest updates on ticketing schedule.  In March 2011, tickets for London Olympics 2012 will be available for sale.  Therefore, there will be a huge fun and entertainment during London Olympic 2012. Olympics 2012 is surely going to be a major tourist attraction in London.

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Posted in: 2012 Olympic Logo,2012 Olympics Progress,Lon,London 2012 Olympic Coins,London 2012 Olympics,London Attractions,London Olympics,London Olympics 2012 Tickets,London Olympics Hotels,London Olympics Scams

2011 London Olympics Hotel Accommodation

London Olympics 2012 is one of the most awaited events by the world.  No doubt, it will attract a flood of spectators from all over the world.  So if you are planning to attend this event, please start making plans for your trip to London as early as possible.  We hope that you’d find the following tips about selecting hotels and other form of accommodation while you are attending London Olympics in 2012.  Also, there are many tourist spots to visit, when you take a break from viewing Olympic Games, so you should plan for your accommodation accordingly.

For hotel accommodation, Suffolk would be a great option for you, as it is near to East London where the Olympic stadium is being constructed.  It takes few minutes to drive or by train to reach the Olympic stadium from Suffolk.

Ipswich is a fantastic urban center and only an hour-long journey from Stratford by train.  If you prefer first grade accommodation, then Hintlesham Hall Hotel is perfect for you.  It spreads over 175 acres area of Suffolk countryside.  It has around 33 rooms and suites in different size and style, providing luxury and comfort.  They provide Spa and beauty treatment with fully equipped gym.  To relax, you can take a ride around, have a good time on championship size golf course, or just do swimming.  In Ipswich, there is a wonderful hotel worth visiting – the Belstead Brook Hotel.  It was a hunting lodge developed in lavish hotel having Oak paneling 88 rooms with suites.  It has a rocking fitness club with fully equipped gym, swimming pool, sauna, steam bath, a whirlpool a perfect place for sports fans.

For people looking for cost-effective accommodation, Novotel Ipswich Center is a good choice.  It has 24-hour room service.  Another option is the Ipswich North Premier Inn which has 90 comfortable rooms and a restaurant and bar.  Both these are the best cost effective options.

For a peaceful and revitalizing stay, we recommend Kesgrave Hall – a unique hotel in Ipswich.  It has bistro restaurant with open terrace, lavish bedrooms, indoor dining facilities, and playground for children.  We also like to recommend two good hotels owned by the Best Western Hotel Chain in Ipswich.  First, the Best Western Claydon Country House Hotel offering excellent standard service and the plus point is, and it is a minutes away from the A12 to London, and the Best Western Gatehouse, spread over three acre ground retreating you in Georgian style house.

In addition, Suffolk offers a variety of high end hotels such as, The Brudenell Hotel, aldeburgh serving with 42 airy rooms surrounded by marshland and offering splendid view of Alde River or sea.  Next is The Crown and Castle, Orford offering a view of Orford Castle from the terrace.  Southerland House Hotel and Restaurant at Southwold is award-winning hotel having a huge building.  Next is The Jolly Sailor at Orford with a great 16th century pub and restaurant with a fine art gallery.  The Waverley Hotel at Felixstowe serving you testy seafood and grill menu.  Next is The Ship at Dunwich with their 10 comfortable rooms and their specialty being home cooked food.  The Fisher Hotel at Lowestoft is three star hotel on the South Beach, with 38 rooms.  So the choice is all yours.

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Posted in: 2012 London Olympic,2012 London Olympics,2012 Olympic stadium,London Olympic 2012,London Olympics,London Olympics Hotels,London Olympics Tickets

2012 London Olympics Tickets

London 2012 Olympics is a biggest event and London Olympics 2012 is a most awaited sport event.  All sports lovers are very sick about ticketing news and other offers.  Many people have confusions about where to contact for ticketing. and many people have confusions about how to know about the availability of tickets.  We have discussed here all points related ticketing of 2012 London Olympics.

London Olympics tickets 2012 London Olympics Tickets will be available to world wide fans from London Olympics official website.  UK residents and residents of European countries will have to submit an application for tickets through National Paralympics Committee or local Committee of National Olympic London 2012.  Tickets can also be booked through official London 2012 sales channels and through different Authorized Ticket Resellers depending on your residence country from March 2011. It is advised to check the websites and organizations who are claiming to sell the Games tickets, before dealing with them.  Local will set up a ticket resale and exchange scheme to prevent touting.  It has established Operation Podium with the Metropolitan Police to find out fake Internet sites and crack down sales of bogus Olympics tickets.  Search engine portals and Ebay are also cooperating.  Tickets of opening ceremony of 2012 London Games are available on the Internet at a price tag of £3,000.  However, one has to be careful in buying London Olympics tickets as the ticket touting laws might change between 2011and 2012.  So it may happen that the seat which seems secured now; may become non-transferable and as a result it will be worthless.

According to ‘Inside the Games’, more than two million viewers have applied for 2012 London Olympics tickets.  The Olympics Games will have 8.8 million tickets in total, out of which 6.6 million tickets will be available for sell from March 2011.  Minimum ticket rate is $31 and face value ranges upwards up to $1,120.  The opening ceremony and closing ceremony of the games are going to be the most popular events.  It is expected that the opening ceremony tickets could cost up to $3,106 and the men’s final -100 metres could range form £50 to £725.  Men’s 100 is going to be the highest priced sport event. Other interesting and popular events like cycling, swimming, beach volleyball, diving and artistic gymnastics will have tickets for finals from £95 to £350.  The government has assured that approximately half of the 2012 Olympics  tickets will be available for just £20. As per the European law, there are no early bird tickets offers for UK citizens.  All Olympics Tickets for London 2012 will be made available for sale in Europe and the other countries at the same time.

2012 London Olympic Games organizers have ensured schoolchildren will get Games tickets, as well as every secondary school outside London will get six free tickets.  Schoolchildren within London will get an opportunity of attending an Olympic Games event.  It is also expected that children can get tickets priced accordingly their age at a third of the available sessions, most probably preliminary events.  The organizers further specifies the scheme that would allow a four members family with a nine and a seven year old to get the Olympic Games ticket priced at £56.   This scheme includes the travel card cost to observe the Olympics which means budget cost day out and this scheme is expected to extend to seniors, who can pay £16 for the similar sessions.

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Posted in: 2012 London Olympics,London Olympics Tickets,Olympics Tickets for London 2012