London 2012 Olympic Football tickets go back on sale.

Tickets for the London 2012 Olympic Football Tournament are now on sale on a first come, first served basis.

Team GB coaches Hope Powell and Stuart Pearce pictured at Wembley Stadium, one of the six venues used for the London 2012 Football competition.

In the UK and within the EU, approximately 1.5 million tickets are available through the London 2012 ticketing website. Sales will take place on a ‘live’ basis, with payment taken immediately. 

Prices start at £20 for adults, with ‘pay your age’ prices for young people aged 16 and under, and £16 tickets for seniors aged 60 and over available for most sessions.

Tickets are available for Team GB fixtures and all rounds of the competition, with matches taking place at the City of Coventry Stadium, Hampden Park, Millennium Stadium, Old Trafford, St James’ Park and Wembley Stadium.

LOCOG CEO Paul Deighton commented: ‘The Olympic Football Tournament features some of the world’s best young and up and coming players in the men’s game and the cream of the women’s game.

'With ticket prices for adults starting at £20 and our great special prices for young people and those over 60, I’m sure for many these tickets will be the perfect Christmas present.'
Team GB fixtures announced
Earlier this month the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) announced where Team GB will be playing their group fixtures. The men’s team, coached by Stuart Pearce, will begin their London 2012 campaign at Old Trafford on Thursday 26 July, followed by Wembley Stadium on Sunday 29 July. Their final group game will be at the Millennium Stadium on Wednesday 1 August.
Coached by Hope Powell, the women’s team will kick off the tournament on Wednesday 25 July at the Millennium Stadium, with their following match at the same venue on Saturday 28 July. Their final group stage match will take place on Tuesday 31 July at Wembley Stadium.
The official draw for the Olympic Football Tournament will take place on 24 April 2012 at Wembley Stadium, when all group fixtures will be decided for all venues.
Tickets are also available via telephone on 0844 847 2012. As a proud sponsor of London 2012, only Visa (debit, credit and prepaid) can be used to purchase tickets.

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

Diving test event tickets to go back on sale

Diving fans will have another opportunity to buy tickets for the 18th FINA Visa Diving World Cup 2012 when tickets go back on sale tomorrow (Tuesday 17 January) from 10am.

Spectators will see world-class sporting action, including Britain’s best divers competing in a team that may include Tom Daley and Pete Waterfield.

Part of the London Prepares series, the 18th FINA Visa Diving World Cup 2012 takes place from 20–26 February in the iconic Aquatics Centre on the Olympic Park.
After finalising seating plans, the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) has been able to put more tickets on sale for the event. Tickets will be available via Ticketmaster and will be priced from £10-£30 for full price tickets and £5-£15 for young people and seniors.

The competition is the last opportunity for athletes to qualify for Individual and Synchronised Diving at London 2012. The event is supported by UK Sport as part of the World Class Events Programme.
'World-class sport'
Debbie Jevans, LOCOG Director of Sport said: ‘The FINA Visa Diving World Cup will be a top-class event and we have worked hard to enable more people to have the opportunity to watch world-class sport in the Olympic Park.’
The London Prepares series is made up of 42 elite competitions in London 2012 venues to test vital areas of LOCOG’s operations, focused on the field of play, results, scoring and timing and workforce.
As a proud sponsor of London 2012, Visa (debit, credit, prepaid) is the only card accepted for online ticket sales for London Prepares series events.

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

London Olympics 2012

No, we're not in them but we did have a coach trip to visit some of the locations the weekend before Easter.    Our visit was split between two days and we had a guided tour of the perimetre of the Olympic site (security precautions prevent direct access to the site at the moment), a visit to Royal Greenwich and a visit to the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich which will be the venue for the Shooting events. 

The main arena above has been made in part from recycled drainage pipes and can be altered to suit its new purpose after the Olympic Games.  Because the Olympic site was due to be built on industrial ground tonnes of toxic soil had to be removed, hence all public access will be at the level of the walkway with the purple buildings.  A surprising fact is that the site is bordered by the Victorian Sewage system devised by Joseph Bazalgette which forms a huge bank now called the Greenway from which we had our view of the site.

This wonderful tower is Anish Kapoor's ' Orbit', a sculpture specially designed for the Olympic location.  From our viewpoint we could see workmen hanging from the piped structure.  I think they were painting, a bit like the Forth Road Bridge.

'Visitors will be able to take a trip up the statuesque structure in a huge lift and will have the option of walking down the spiralling staircase.'  As the sculpture is higher than the Statue of Liberty the view should be tremendous.  If you follow the link for Anish Kapoor you will find further links and more information about this unique artwork.

Had we felt energetic we could all have had the experience of crossing the finishing line through this wonderful (drift)wood sculpture on the Greenway.  The organisers are keen to include the Arts in this special event and I was delighted to see an exhibition of mosaics by members of the BAMM

Above - work by Ann Bowles

Tom Green Flower Trail

Norma Vondee Singing Bird

Jan Waddington Flower Basket - Moody Blues

I liked the sculpture above but sadly didn't gather any information about it.
From this location we were taken to the Royal Arsenal by way of the Woolwich Ferry. 

This is one of the temporary buildings that will be home to the shooting events.

The trip across on the ferry was interesting!  I'm glad our coach had good brakes!

An unexpected bonus of visiting the Royal Arsenal was this sculpture at the end of an open plaza.

The sculptor is Peter Burke and it was very eerie walking among the figures.

Is it solid? Is it shadow?

I think I've exhausted Blogger and you so I'll end with this great slogan I saw in the bar at the Royal Arsenal.  The two heads at the bottom of the photo are playing Monopoly using a digital card machine as the bank.  Who would have thought?

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

Samsung Galaxy S III Could Be 2012 London Olympics Phone

Samsung is having a big press event announcement on May 3rd and tech rumors are saying that it could be the official launching of the new Samsung Galaxy S III - while the name is still unofficial, it is expected that the smartphone company will be releasing the next generation of the phone series.

In relation to that, many are also expecting an announcement that Samsung will most likely be the official mobile phone partner of the 2012 London Olympic Games. But all these are still unconfirmed, along with the possible new specifications and features of the upcoming smartphone.

According to tech analysts, it's most likely that the Galaxy S III will be almost identical to the S II with improved internal specs such as a faster processor. Some even say that Samsung could do an "Apple" which released an iPhone 4S which didn't really differ much from the iPhone 4.

Regardless of what the next Samsung Galaxy evolution will be, we're certain that this model will be the top of the line Android phone in the market once released.

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

London 2012 Olympics: Frankie Fredericks urges Team GB athletes to boycott Games if Dwain Chambers cleared

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will deliver a ruling next week after the British Olympic Association challenged the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) for declaring the ban "non-compliant".

Although the BOA have had no indication from the court, senior officials have confirmed they are preparing for defeat. It means that Chambers and cyclist David Millar, who have both previously served bans for doping, now look set to be part of Team GB for the Olympics.

"I really respect the bylaws of the BOA. They have taken a stand to say we don't want a cheat. For the athletes to vote for that bylaw is something incredible," said Fredericks, now an International Olympic Committee member.

"It would be nice if the athletes can come out and say: 'OK even if CAS decides, Dwain Chambers and (cyclist) David Millar go to the Olympic Games, then we're not going to go. This is our bylaw. These are the values that we believe in.'

"Then the country can decide: either we have these two cheats or we have athletes who are clean.

"This is where the British athletes will be challenged - because they will have to make principled decisions.

"This is going to be an Olympic Games watched by many youths and we don't want these cheats to have an opportunity to tarnish them."

Fredericks's comments to the Daily Mail came after Sir Chris Hoy led expressions of disappointment after learning that the BOA are resigned to losing a court battle to keep their lifetime ban for drugs cheats.

Hoy, the four-times Olympic cycling champion, said: "It will be sad if we have to fall in line with the rest of the world.

"I don't see anything wrong with having more stringent rules. I think it should be the rest of the world that's falling in line with our rules."

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

London 2012 Olympics: torch relay police officers 'to get counselling'

The Metropolitan Police admitted the group would receive support from “Occupational health specialists” before and after the 70-day relay.

Britain’s biggest police force also admitted disclosed that they would be given psychological training on how to prepare themselves for being away from home.

Officials also admitted the group would also have access to career advisers to help them settle back into their day jobs after their two-month assignment was finished and would be offered counselling to help them “reintegrate”.

It is thought that taxpayers will fund the plans, which officials said was to ensure the “welfare” of 36 officers was “considered at every stage”.

^{Jasmine Vanmali and Samuel Rowbotham carry the torch from the National Space Centre during the dress rehearsal (PA)}

In total, 52 officers will protect the Olympic torch as fears heighten that the relay around Britain and the Republic of Ireland will be targeted by radicalised protest groups.

The Met Police's torch relay protection will comprise five teams of seven officers running alongside and around the torch flame bearer to prevent any chaotic scenes that accompanied the Beijing Olympic torch relay four years ago.

The additional police numbers are made up of planners and command and control. During the Games the security threat is rated as severe and the torch relay team has been training as if the likelihood of an attack is imminent.

The officers chosen for the security team are said to be “among the fittest” in the force. The cost of the operation has not been disclosed.

On Friday a full dress rehearsal of the torch relay was enacted for 80 miles between Leicester and Peterborough.

It involved 14 cars and trucks in the convoy and up to a further 90 vehicles, such as sponsor vehicles and the BBC accompanying the relay.

Seven Met runners flanked the torchbearers for a gentle jog through the streets and the group were also escorted by a police cyclist, named only as “Cyclist One”.

Torch bearers will run or walk nearly 1000 feet with the torch, which was not lit for the rehearsal.

Local roads were also closed to traffic on a rolling basis for 15 minutes in advance of the torch arrival and reopen 30 minutes later.

While various anti-sponsor protests have escalated in recent weeks with more being organised in the lead-up to the Games, experts on the IRA are warning the torch relay is vulnerable to attack.

The actual torch relay will start from Land's End in Cornwall next month after the arrival of the Olympic flame in the UK on May 18.

On its journey to the opening ceremony on July 27, the torch will be carried by about 7,300 nominated members of the public, athletes and celebrities.

Each will carry the flame for about 300 yards and about 110 people will take part each day. On Friday night, a Met police spokesman defended the plans, reported in the Daily Mail.

“We recognise that this is unique role never performed within British policing,” he said.

“Mindful of the fact that officers will be taken away from their homes for 70 days and encouraged to live as part of a team, their reintegration back into the Met after the event is already being carefully planned.

“Occupational health specialists within the Met are already developing plans to ensure that the welfare of this team is considered at every stage and the best possible support provided.”

The spokesman said that preparations included “talking to them about their career aspirations and encouraging them to plan ahead for when they are away from home”.

Paul Deighton, the London organising committee (Locog) chief executive, has pleaded that the torch relay be allowed to showcase "ordinary people who have done extraordinary things for the community".

"It would be absolutely terrible to ruin that moment for these people, I don't know why anyone would want to do that (protest or interrupt the relay),” he said.

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

London 2012 Olympics: 100 days to go - share your views

Wednesday marks 100 days to go until the beginning of the London Olympics and a series of special events are taking place around the UK and internationally to start the countdown.

It's a chance to look ahead to the games and all the activities planned around them for spectators, the public and visitors to the UK and tell us what you think of the build-up.

As the event draws closer we want to hear how this year's Olympics will affect you:

• Are you travelling to London to watch an event or soak up the atmosphere?

• Will you be keeping tabs on the torch relay if it comes to where you live?

• Are you concerned about plans for transport in London, security at the games or protests against them?

Tell us if there are events you are looking forward to in particular or if you are involved in something as part of the 100 days celebrations.

Alternatively, if the Olympics makes you want to run as far as you can in the opposite direction, tell us why and what aspects of the London games could have be changed to get you interested.

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Posted in: 2012,games,lo2012,London,London 2012,London Olympics,Olympic Games,Olympics,Olympics 2012

Celebrations mark 100 days until London 2012

London Olympic organisers will on Wednesday hold a series of events to kick off the Games' 100-day countdown as preparations for the showpiece event enter the final straight. 

The milestone will be marked across the country and internationally with a host of ceremonial activities and an array of test events to iron out any operational problems before the flame is lit on July 27. 

London 2012 chief executive Paul Deighton insisted that preparations were on course with dress rehearsals for Wheelchair Rugby, Synchronised Swimming and Shooting all set to begin on Wednesday. 

Olympic fever will spread beyond Britain's borders as expats around the globe join in the countdown. 

In the United States, former heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis will lead one hundred cyclists and an open top London double decker bus on a ride down Miami's South Beach. 

One hundred British Embassies and High Commissions will hold events with Turkey, Venezuela and New Zealand all entering into the Olympic spirit, Britain's Foreign Office revealed on Tuesday. 

There will also be a series of 100 metre races at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, the 1984 Olympic Stadium in Sarajevo and in the Palace Square in St Petersburg. 

"I'm delighted that British Embassies around the world have come together to mark 100 days to go to the opening ceremony of the greatest show on earth," said Foreign Office Minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Jeremy Browne. 

Organiser Deighton insisted the British capital was well-prepared to become the world's focal point. 

"We are absolutely where we want to be with 100 days to go - we are ready to welcome the world to London," he said. 

"Millions of people around the UK are getting ready to celebrate the biggest event in sport." 

Queen Elizabeth II will open the Games, giving London the honour of being the first city in the modern era to host the Olympics three times, having already held them in 1908 and 1948. 

The event is set to give Britain's ailing economy a much needed boost, but the general mood of austerity will be reflected in the Games, albeit to a far lesser extent than in 1948, when competitors were housed in military barracks and university dormitories. 

Organisers conceded long ago that, despite a budget of £9.3 billion ($14.8 billion, 11.2 billion euros), they would be unable to compete with the spectacle provided by the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 

Instead, the opening and closing ceremonies will bring to together the country's most creative minds to produce a celebration of Britishness. 

Responsibility for the opening ceremony lies with " Slumdog Millionaire" director Danny Boyle, who has promised a fitting curtain-raiser before 10,500 competitors from 204 countries do battle. 

However, two substantial hurdles still loom. 

Doubts remain about how London's already stretched transport system will cope with ferrying spectators and athletes around the congested city. 

Also, there are fears over whether Britain's security services will be able to prevent incidents such as the bloody hostage-taking of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics and the bombing of the 2004 Atlanta Games. 

Some £6.5 billion has been spent on modernising the transport system, including the world's oldest underground train system, and 48 kilometres (30 miles) of Olympic road lanes should help speed the travel of VIPs. 

Security has cast a shadow since the day after London was awarded the Games, when suicide bombers killed 52 people on the transport system. 

Security expert David Hunt, from the Exclusive Analysis think-tank, warned that the main threat by jihadist militants was likely to come from domestic, lone wolf actors. 

A combined force of more than 40,000 soldiers, police and private security guards will be mobilised for what Prime Minister David Cameron called the "biggest and most integrated security operation in mainland Britain in our peacetime history."

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Posted in: 2012,games,lo2012,London,London 2012,London Olympics,Olympic Games,Olympics,Olympics 2012

London Olympics still faces three challenges in 100 days

With the opening ceremony 100 days away, there are still three major challenges for the final build-up to the London Olympics, the organizing committee chief executive Paul Deighton said.

In an interview with Xinhua, Deighton noted, "Firstly, we have to gear up with an enormous amount of people."

"Secondly, we still have a lot of building to do for our temporary venues - such as ExCeL which needs to be turned into five different sports hall, or Horse Guards Parade where we need to build temporary seating for 15,000 people.

"Finally, we need to continue with our readiness program, which includes carrying out with all the testing and practising."

By Games time, the London Olympics organizing committee (LOCOG) will have a workforce of around 200,000 people - 6,000 paid staff, up to 70,000 volunteers and over 100,000 contractors.

"That is a huge number of people to interview, train, uniform and accredit," Deighton said.

Despite all the challenges ahead, Deighton said the most difficult in his position had already passed.

"I think that actually we've overcome some of the more challenging aspects of preparing for the Games. For example, we have raised all our domestic sponsorship, we've got a great team on-board, our venues are in brilliant shape and we've been hosting some fantastic Test Events. So many of the key things we've had to deliver are already in place.

"So whilst we are confident with the progress we have made to date, in no way are we complacent. We have the most unmovable deadline to work towards and we just want to ensure that in 100 days time when we will welcome the world, that we are 100 percent ready."

The 56-year-old Deighton, who took over as the LOCOG chief executive in late 2005 after giving up his position as a partner at Goldman Sachs, said after six years he still thinks he is doing "a best job" in the world.

"I am thankful every day that I have been given the opportunity to be part of the London 2012 Games in such a way. This type of job isn't plain sailing, there are challenges, but I have never once felt disappointed or regretted my decision to take this job.

"I really do believe I have one of the best jobs in the world and I really appreciate the once in a lifetime opportunity to be in this position."

"What is so wonderful with this job is the fact that every day is completely different - whether it's visiting a school to see how students have been inspired by the London 2012 Games, marking a big milestone such as the launch of the volunteering program or visiting the venues on the Olympic Park to see the progress."

Deighton, who played football, rugby and cricket in his school days, said a successful Olympic Games is a coin of two sides.

"With regards to measuring success, in the short term it will be knowing that we have delivered the best Games possible for athletes and that they were able to compete in the best conditions possible. And also knowing that spectators had a fantastic time and enjoyed great sport in great venues by great athletes.

"In the long term, it will be the realization that we have delivered on our vision to inspire lasting change and that we've helped inspire children and young people in the UK and around the world to choose sport."

Deighton went to watch the Beijing Olympics four years ago and said the London Olympics will be remembered as all different from the previous Games.

"We definitely want to take the best from each Games, but we know that the London 2012 Games will be different simply because London is different.

"Ultimately, it's up to the host city to make their mark on the Games. We want to put on a Games which reflects what London and the rest of the UK have to offer. London is such a fantastically diverse and international city and we have a real opportunity to showcase the energy and creativity that emanates from the UK."

Deighton said that he has not decided what he will be doing after the Olympics.

"I think I will take a holiday to start off with!" he said. "But to be honest, I haven't yet really thought about what I will be doing next. At the moment I am completely focused on delivering a fantastic Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer and ensuring that athletes, spectators and media from around the world have the most wonderful time."

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Posted in: 2012 London Olympic,London Olympics 2012

Australia fired up for top-5 London Olympics finish

Australia's Olympic team chief on Wednesday said that he was confident of a top-five finish in London despite a renewed threat from the hosts, Japan, Germany and France.

With 100 days to go till the showpiece event, Australia know they face a battle to claim a place among the world's elite Olympic nations with the country set to send its smallest Games team in 20 years.

Around 400 athletes are expected to make the trip after the "Olyroos" failed to qualify for the football tournament for the first time since 1984. The women's team also missed out.

But chef-de-mission Nick Green said they will not go down without a fight.

"We know we are in for a tough tussle to claim a revered top-five spot with hosts and long-time rivals Britain, the strong European contingent headed by Germany and France, and the ever-present Japanese," said Green.

"But we know, as Aussies, we will never go down without a fight.

"Our athletes have to continue pushing in these final 100 days to give themselves the best chances of Olympic glory and ensure that we will hear Advance Australia Fair playing throughout the London venues."

Australia collected 14 golds at the last Games in Beijing and 46 medals overall, behind powerhouses China and the United States, as well as Russia and Britain.

In London they will again be relying on their swimmers to bolster the medal tally with swimming head coach Leigh Nugent targeting at least a dozen medals from their 44-strong squad led by 100m freestyle world champion James Magnussen.

But the team is without the experience of Ian Thorpe and Michael Klim, who missed selection, and is undergoing a major transition.

"The gap has closed on us... the US are the big challenge, they have dominated swimming for 100 years," Nugent said after the recent trials.

"There are other players who are making it tougher for us to stay in that number two position. The big movers are China and France."

A shift in power back to Britain at this month's track cycling world championships could also hurt Australia's chances of cracking the top five.

Britain won five of the 10 Olympic events at the Melbourne world titles a fortnight ago, while Australia took just three.

"Although the cycling may level itself out, we anticipate we can make some gains in other sports at the same time," said Green.

"Top five, absolutely. We don't need to re-adjust that. I think top five is the respectful and rightful position for Australia to aspire to."

The Olympics open on July 27.

Source: AFP

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Posted in: 2012 Olympic,Australia Olympic Team,London Olympic 2012

Venues for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

During the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, events will take place at a variety of venues both across London and outside London.

Some of London's most iconic venues, such as Horse Guards Parade, Wimbledon, Wembley Stadium, Lords, Regent's Park and Hyde Park will have the honour of being turned into host venues for the London 2012 Games.

In addition, London will have some fantastic new sporting venues for the Games: the VeloPark, Aquatics Centre, Basketball Arena, and of course, the Olympic Stadium. Keep an eye on our news section for regular updates on these exciting new venues.

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Posted in: 2012 lon,2012 London Olympic,2012 London Olympic Games,2012 London Olympics,2012 london olympics tickets

Palmer bounces back to earn a ticket to Olympics

North Shore sprinter Hayley Palmer, hospitalised with glandular fever last year, bounced back to grab a ticket to the Olympics on the last night of finals at the State New Zealand Swimming Championships in Auckland.

The 22-year-old produced her best time in two years to equal the qualifying standard of 25.27s to win the final of the 50m freestyle at the event that doubled as the Olympic trials at the West Wave Aquatic Centre in Waitakere.

The number of individuals under the qualifying time for London is eight in 14 events along with the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay, bringing the total to 12.

The men’s 4x200m freestyle, women’s 4x100m freestyle and men’s 4x100m medley relay teams have met the New Zealand Olympic Committee criteria and will await final FINA invitation in June as one of the four remaining fastest nations.

Experienced North Shore swimmer Melissa Ingram will be heading to her second Olympics after going under the qualifying time in the 200m backstroke. The 26-year-old clocked 2m 10.56s to be 0.3s under the qualifying mark for London.

The evening was sealed with a remarkable 3m 35.09s effort by the men’s quartet of Gareth Kean, Glenn Snyders, Hawke’s Bay-born Daniel Bell and Carl O’Donnell in the 4x100m medley relay.

The time would have placed them sixth at last year’s world championships, and earned them selection for London, pending final invitation from FINA.

“It was a fantastic feeling. When you put four guys together they do everything for each other and can achieve great things,” said Snyders.

“I was in the team that got fifth at Beijing and I think we can do amazing things again in London, given the chance.”

There was further celebration when Olympic open water hope Kane Radford eclipsed the last of the great Danyon Loader’s national records when he won the men’s 1500m freestyle in 15m 27.13s, just 23/100ths of a second under the old mark that has stood since 1994.

Radford, still untapered for this meet as he prepares for the final Olympic open water qualifying race in Portugal in June, had to fight to dispose of training mate Nathan Capp.

Ingram had already bettered the qualifying mark last year at the world championships and had to wait for the final night which was a test of her focus and resolve. She clocked 2m 10.56s to be under the qualifying mark by 0.3s.

North Shore’s Daniel Bell had to dig deep over the final 15m to come from behind to edge Australian-based Roskill Magic sprinter Paul Benson in the final of the 100m butterfly.

Benson led at the turn with Bell getting up to win in 53.57, with Benson just 6/100ths of a second behind with Corney Swanepoel (Roskill) third.

Earlier Roskill Magic’s Nielsen Varoy defended his men’s 50m freestyle title in a powerful burst in 22.92s, edging out Australian-based top qualifier Cameron Simpson (Templeton, Chch) by 4/100ths of a second with the 100m freestyle champion Carl O’Donnell (North Shore) third.

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

London Olympics 2012: Thousands join Princess Beatrice in stadium run

Five thousand members of the public today became the first people to cross the finish line at the Olympic Stadium as they competed in the National Lottery Olympic Park Run.

The five-mile run was the first ever public event to take place in the stadium which traversed the Olympic Park in east London.

Almost 43,000 members of the public entered a ballot last year to gain a place in the event and the chosen runners came from all over the United Kingdom Princess Beatrice officially started the race before taking part in the event herself.

The princess, who was the first member of the Royal Family to complete the London Marathon in 2010, also presented the fastest finisher medals.

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Posted in: London Olympics,London Olympics 2012

Ryan Cochrane heads to London Olympics as go-to guy for Canadian swimming

MONTREAL—Ryan Cochrane and his coach Randy Bennett kept it secret the last time around.

They were convinced the Victoria native could win a medal in the men’s 1,500-metre freestyle at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but they never declared anything publicly as it made no sense to place extra pressure on a 19-year-old. His bronze medal there was seen as a delightful surprise.

There’s no going through the back door this time, though.

As the six-day Olympic swim trials wrapped up Sunday night, it’s clear the slightly built Cochrane is the Canadian swim team’s standard bearer, the go-to guy with the best chance to reach the podium at the 2012 London Olympics.

“There’s definitely ups and downs with it,” said Cochrane, who easily won the men’s 1,500 metres at the trials Sunday. “You’re responsible for it and at first it’s easy to just say, but you have to make sure that you perform.

“I mean the pressure is getting bigger as the days go on, but I think I’m really going to use that when I’m on the blocks. You know that 30 million Canadians are behind you. It’s unmatched by anything else.”

Olympic swim champion Mark Tewksbury, who as chef de mission for the Canadian team in London helped introduce the 31-member team (18 women, 13 men) at the 1976 Olympic pool at the end of the event, thinks Cochrane is the right guy for the job.

“I don’t think there’s a coach in the country who’s better prepared his athletes for the Olympic experience than Randy Bennett,” said Tewksbury. “Him and Ryan now have four more years under their belt of what it takes to be a high-performance athlete and now they’re not afraid to go out there and be that.”

The six-day trials showed a Canadian team with a lot more depth on the women’s side and more medal chances than they had heading to Beijing four years ago, but this country remains a mere minnow when compared to the real swimming powers.

The realistic medal chances are Cochrane in the men’s 1,500-metre freestyle with an outside shot in the 400-metre freestyle; world silver medallist Brent Hayden in the men’s 100-metre freestyle; and then there’s the women’s 200-metre breaststroke, where world bronze medallist Martha McCabe of Toronto and fast-rising 18-year-old Tara Van Beilen of Oakville should be in the hunt.

“Four years ago, it was a young team and we talked about it being a building year,” said Cochrane. “There was way less expectations on us as a national team, where this time around it’s still a young team but I think we can expect great things. It’s not as though they’re inexperienced. A lot of these young kids have raced internationally many times. That will really help them when they get to the Games.”

He’s referring to swimmers like 18-year-old Sinead Russell of Oakville, who broke her own Canadian record Sunday in the women’s 200-metre backstroke with a time of 2:08.04. She was a finalist at the world championships last year.

“I know I was ready for a best time,” said Russell, whose previous mark was 2:08.80. “I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. I was hoping for a little faster, but I’ll take it for now. . . . We’ve been training hard back home and I know the training’s not going to get any easier going back.”

Hayden won the men’s 50-metre freestyle in 22.16 seconds — a time he noted wouldn’t have any of “the other guys in the world going, ‘Oh my God’” — but he says it’s faster than he’s gone at this time of the season before, as was the case in the preliminary and final of the 100-metre freestyle.

“I’m going to just keep the ball rolling and keep working on it and fine tune over the next four months,” said Hayden.

Cochrane said he’s happy to see the Canadian team vocalizing its goals more.

“Now that I’m a leader on the team, I can really carry that on my shoulders a bit. I’m just happy that everyone’s expectations match my own.”

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Posted in: London Olympics,London Olympics 2012,London Olympics Qualifiers

Daniel Craig 'to open London Olympics as Bond'

Daniel Craig is reportedly opening the 2012 Olympic Games ceremony after a personal invitation from the Queen.

The James Bond actor has been asked to film scenes as the iconic agent in Buckingham Palace for the highly-anticipated sporting event later this year.

According to British newspaper The Sun, in the short movie Daniel's Bond character will arrive by Royal Appointment to be told his latest mission is to launch the Games before being taken by helicopter to parachute into the Olympic stadium in East London.

The Queen - who personally sanctioned the film - may even make a cameo appearance but royal sources are keeping details close to their chests.

Filmmaker Danny Boyle is creative director of the opening ceremony and is thrilled with making 007 a key part of the spectacle.

"It's a huge coup for BBC producers and Danny to be allowed into the Palace and have the Queen involved. They wanted the most iconic British film character inside the building most associated with London and with the monarch - and they got it," an on-set source told the publication.

"It will be a magical scene for all watching at home and inside the stadium on July 27. Working out the logistics of filming has taken months and hasn't been easy - but it will be worth it in the end."

A Palace spokesperson added: "Buckingham Palace is involved in a number of filming projects during this special Jubilee year and we would not go into details of any particular project until nearer the time of transmission."

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Posted in: 2012 Olympics Games,Bond,Daniel Craig,London Olympics