Fans of the Olympics should seriously consider booking low cost flights to London now while they still can. The Olympics is going to be a big deal in 2012, and the World is already gearing up for it even at the end of 2010. By booking your flight as far in advance as possible, you increase your chances of watching your favourite athletes compete in this internationally famous tournament.
Opening on July 27, 2012, the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held in the beautiful and historic city of London. The UK capital beat the other cities to get the chance to host this event. New York and Paris were just two of the cities that were in the running for hosting the Games.
The decision to name London as the host of the 2012 games was made in 2005. That means the people and city of London had seven years to prepare for it. The World will see if this has been enough time to get everything ready to not only host the Olympians but also all of the spectators.
It is estimated that close to 180,000 people will attend the Olympic Games each day. This means the Olympic Park has had to be set up in an area of London that will be able to accommodate so many visitors without disrupting the everyday ebb and flow of the city. The park is currently being constructed on the east side of London at Stratford. There will be an 80,000 seat Olympic Stadium, a Velodrome and arenas that have been specially designed to handle the basketball, fencing, handball and hockey events. All of the venues will be accessible through walkways and footbridges that have been built in the park.
This will be the third time London has been chosen to host the Olympic Games. You will need to purchase your flights to London soon if you want to be part of another historic occasion. Seats will go fast the closer it gets to the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games. In situations and events such as this, you really should start thinking about where you will stay in London, how you will acquire tickets to the events and getting cheap London flights so that you are able make it in time.
How did London get lucky enough to be able to host the Olympic Games for a third time? The first hosting in London occurred in 1908. These were the summer Games and they were originally supposed to be held in Rome, Italy. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen thanks to Mount Vesuvius choosing to erupt which damaged Naples. The Italian government had no choice but to use the funds allocated for building their Olympic complex to rebuild Naples and aid the people of the city who were left with nothing.
Enter London, England. Because of the economic crisis in Italy owing to the volcanic eruption, the 1908 Summer Games were moved to London. They were held at the White City Stadium which catered for 68,000 people and included the facilities needed for the swimming, diving, gymnastic and wrestling events. Unlike many other stadiums that were constructed for the Olympics and later stood empty, the White City Stadium actually enjoyed life as a greyhound racing track in addition to a speedway venue, while it also hosted other sports events. It was demolished in 1985.
The next time London hosted the Olympics was in 1948. These were also Summer Olympics and they were the first to be held after a 12-year hiatus during which World War II took place. The previous Olympics had been held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. The 1948 Olympics were held in the infamous Wembley Stadium, which accommodated 85,000 people. They were the first Olympics to be televised as well as the first to feature pictograms that represented each sport, the opening ceremony and the closing ceremony. It was also the first games to feature a women’s canoeing event.
The Paralympics Games were recognised as an official sporting competition for disabled individuals in 1976. The idea for the games, however, was actually born in 1948. Sir Ludwig Guttmann of Stoke Mandeville, England, came up with the idea of having an archery competition for veterans of World War II who had suffered spinal cord injury. The event had such a good turnout that they were held again in 1952 and featured competitors from The Netherlands. By 1960, the games had become popular enough to have Olympic-style competitions organised in Rome, and disabled athletes have been making headlines ever since.
The Paralympics are designed to showcase the prowess of disabled athletes and indeed the wider disabled community. Participants must have some type of disability in order to compete. Since the first set of games, the number of athletes has increased from a mere 400 to over 3,000 in 2008 representing 146 countries.
The Paralympics feature both summer and winter Games. They are held in the same year the Olympic Games are held. Since 1988, the games have been held in the same venue as the Olympics. Whichever city wins the hosting duties for one set of Games also hosts the Paralympics.
It is important that support for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games is given by everyone around the World. London is preparing to host all of these athletes as well as accommodating all of those spectators that have come to experience an historic occasion and of course the spectators watching the games live from the crowded stands.
If you want to make it to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, then you need to shop for London cheap flights sooner rather than later. If you wait, you may lose out on getting the flight you want in order to attend the games. Plus, if you are lucky enough to find a flight in 2012 before the games begin, you may have to pay over the odds for tickets. Start shopping now and get your tickets so that you will be able to enjoy London and the events at the 2012 games.
12:44 AM
Shweta Pandey
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