Indian contingent greeted with huge cheers

Huge cheers welcomed the colourful Indian delegation into the Olympic Park Friday night during the opening ceremony of the London Games.The 81-strong Indian contingent, the biggest ever, was led by wrestler Sushil Kumar, a bronze medallist in the 2008 Beijing Games.It was a smartly dressed Indian contingent. The men wore yellow safas, navy blue blazers, cream-coloured trousers, off-white shirts and ties, and the women were dressed in elegant sarees.Indian Olympic Association (IOA) secretary-general Randhir Singh waved at the contingent from the VIP box.Indians will take part in 13 disciplines. Four years ago, India won three medals, gold for shooter Abhinav Bindra and bronze medals for Sushil and boxer Vijender Singh.(IANS)

Sushil Kumar of the India Olympic wrestling team carries his country's flag during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012 in London, England

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Posted in: 2012 London Olympic

Opening ceremony London 2012 to wow with memorable show

The world city that needs no introduction but could do with an Olympic-sized pick-me-up in the midst of economic recession launches the 2012 Summer Games with a spectacular opening ceremony Friday that faces a unique challenge: to be as memorable as Beijing's planet-wowing, money-no-object extravaganza of 2008.

The British capital will set itself apart, as it has so often down the centuries, by being different. Beijing's curtain raiser featured 2,008 pounding drummers and a cauldron-lighter who seemed to float in the air of the Bird's Nest stadium. London will have 70 sheep, 12 horses, 10 chickens and nine geese — recruited by Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle along with a cast and crew of 10,000 to present a quirky, humorous and vibrant vision of quintessential Britain, its history and future.

London is not the same as it was when the games were awarded seven years ago. Its serenity and confidence were shaken by riots last year and by terror bombings on the transport network that killed 56 people the day after the International Olympic Committee picked London over Paris in 2005. In London, the Olympic Games have come to a sprawling, historic metropolis that lives and breathes sports, with a population more global and diverse than perhaps any other, but which still feels it needs the Olympic spotlight to secure its future as one of the world's great cities.

In depicting Britain, warts and all, Boyle has drawn from William Shakespeare, British pop culture, literature and music, and other sources of inspiration that will speak not just to Anglophiles but to people across the globe. One segment involves actor Daniel Craig's James Bond, and former Beatle Paul McCartney will lead a sing-along.

Boyle's "Isles of Wonder" show will celebrate the green and pleasant land of meadows, farms, cottages, village cricket matches and bird song, but also dwell on Britain's darker industrial past. That's not a surprise from a movie director who depicted Scottish heroin addicts in "Trainspotting" and Indian poor in "Slumdog Millionaire."

As well as thousands of athletes and performers, some 60,000 spectators will pack the Olympic Stadium. Political leaders from around the world, U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and her daughters, and a sprinkling of European and celebrity royalty will also attend.

According to the Sunday Times, one section will feature characters from children's fiction classics including "Alice in Wonderland" and "Peter Pan" — and a showdown between Lord Voldemort, the villain of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" books, and a horde of flying magical nannies based on Mary Poppins.

"I would have thought the difficulty is how you cram in all that is great about our country," British Prime Minister David Cameron said Thursday. "Whether it is sport, art, literature, history, contribution to world events, there are so many things to celebrate about our country that packing all that in to these hours must be a pretty tough task. But I am confident they have done a good job."

Many of juiciest and most significant details from the three-hour show, including the identity of the person or people who will light the Olympic cauldron — if, indeed, there is one — remain secret. That is, in itself, remarkable for the first social media Olympics, where the urge to tweet anything and everything is putting more scrutiny than ever on organizers and the 10,902 athletes from 204 countries.

Most will return home after 16 days of competition as they arrived: the pride of family and friends but still unknown to the wider public, unsung practitioners of sports — think archery, synchronized swimming, wrestling and the like — that get little attention for 206 weeks before blossoming in the two-week Olympic festival.

Medalists will be guaranteed recognition and perhaps fame and fortune for the luckier ones, especially the more than 300 who win gold. A hundredth of a second here, a centimeter there, in the pool or in the shooting gallery could make an athlete a household name. Their gold medals will be largest of any summer games and, at 400 grams (14 ounces), the heaviest, too.

Amputee runner Oscar Pistorius and women boxers will get headlines for being Olympic pioneers. But for other established stars who fail in quests to retain or win more Olympic titles, London will mark the end or the beginning of the end of their careers.

U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps insists these will be his last games. The 14-time gold medalist will go out with a bang, aiming to claim the unofficial title of greatest Olympian ever from Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina. She got 18 medals. Phelps has 16, and seven opportunities in London to overtake her. His rivalry with U.S. teammate Ryan Lochte promises one of the most compelling dramas of London. They will swim against each other twice: in medleys over 200 meters and, on the first full day of competition Saturday, over 400 meters in the Aquatics Center with its ceiling that slopes like the underbelly of a whale.

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, the other standout star from Beijing, wants to become a sports legend on a par with Jesse Owens, Pele or Muhammad Ali by retaining his Olympic titles in the 100, 200 and sprint relay. But the World's Fastest Man faces stiffer competition this time from countryman Yohan Blake and American rivals Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin.

In Beijing, the geopolitical significance of China's rise as a global superpower was as much the story as the sports. London, the first city to host the event a third time after previous games in 1908 and 1948, could in contrast be a purer Olympics, more about the athletes than the context. Could be more fun, too, without the backdrop of international concern over China's human rights record.

Big questions are how London's transport system will cope with millions of spectators and whether grumbling Britons will get behind their Olympics as they did for this year's celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. The monarch will officially open the games at Friday's ceremony that will start at 9 p.m. with the sound of a 27-ton bell forged at the 442-year-old Whitechapel Bell Foundry, which made London's Big Ben and Philadelphia's Liberty Bell.

Lavishing more than 9 billion pounds ($14 billion), triple the estimated cost when London secured the games in 2005, in the midst of severe economic storms in Britain and Europe has provoked pointed and persistent questions about whether the expense can be justified and whether the games will have a lasting positive impact for the host city and for Britain.

The most obvious legacy for London is Olympic Park, with the 80,000-capacity stadium that will host theopening ceremony and other new venues. It is built on formerly derelict, polluted industrial land in the east of the city that bore the brunt of bombing in World War II and, for centuries, concentrated London's stinkiest industries and its poor.

Other benefits from the July 27-Aug. 12 games, particularly the power of the Olympics to inspire kids to take up sports and to aim high, might not be obvious for years.

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

Lakshmi Mittal and his son to carry the Olympics torch

Lakshmi Mittal is the main sponsor of the giant AreclorMittal Orbit near the Olympics Stadium and his trust has also been supporting Indian athletes.
Lakshmi Mittal said, "The torch relay is an excellent embodiment of all that the Olympic Games have come to symbolise - a celebration of the human spirit.
It needs to be added that created by noted artist Anish Kapoor, the ArcelorMittal Orbit is the tallest structure in the UK and Mittal's company has contributed 20 million pounds towards the creation of the structure.

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

London calling for big Olympics

David Beckham will be missing and so, likely, will Oscar Pistorius, whose remarkable run on his magical blades came up agonizingly short. They were always going to be sideshows in London anyway, in an Olympics that hardly needs a supporting cast.

When London snatched the Olympics out of the hands of Paris a few years back, the British were pretty confident they would score well. But even organizing chief Sebastian Coe couldn't have imagined the spectacle that will play out over 17 days in London.

The Queen will be on hand, of course. So will Paul McCartney, leading some 80,000 people in a sing along to open the games this month.

The former Beatle will top an opening act that, in contrast to the sterile proceedings in Beijing, features sheep, horses and chickens, among other things. There's even a cloud that produces rain, as if London needs any more of that.

Then the real stars take the stage for what could be an Olympics unlike any other.

We've gotten a taste of it over the past few weeks as Michael Phelps dueled with Ryan Lochte in the pool, Usain Bolt for a moment found himself the second-best runner in his own country, and American gymnasts showed off the kind of depth that could potentially lead to a bunch of medals.

But there's more, much more. Always is in an Olympics, even if some of the sports are so arcane they are barely understandable.

Swimming is one we do understand, and this could be the swim meet of the century. Phelps might not win eight golds again with Lochte challenging him at almost every turn, but he will win enough to add to his 14 gold medals and stamp himself as perhaps the greatest Olympian ever.

Lochte will win his share of gold, too, but the breakout star in the pool could be 17-year-old Missy Franklin, who already has the best nickname in the sport. Missy the Missile has big hands, size 13 feet, and the kind of sprinter's speed that should make her a multiple medalist.

Just when everyone gets out of the water and takes a deep breath, track begins, and Bolt takes center stage. But the World's Fastest Man was beaten by countryman Yohan Blake in the 100 meters in Jamaica's Olympic trials and also could be challenged by Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay in a 100 that brings back hints of the 1988 final in Seoul with Carl Lewis and the soon-to-be-disgraced Ben Johnson.

In between the biggest names in tennis will duel on the grass at Wimbledon, and a U.S. basketball team headed by LeBron and Kobe will preen its way to another gold. And then there's Zara Phillips, the 31-year-old granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth, carrying on a family tradition and competing in equestrian.

Yes, Beijing was grand and majestic. Everything was new and clean, even if sometimes it seemed the spectators weren't sure what they were watching.

But it can't match the flavor of these games, with tennis at Wimbledon, beach volleyball just outside the prime minister's 10 Downing Street residence, and apparently enough barnyard animals on display that you'll think you're lounging in the English countryside.

NBC says it won't make money, not surprising because the network spent $1.18 billion just for the rights for these games. But the storylines from London should prove compelling enough to draw huge primetime audiences, even in today's world where anyone with Twitter or a news app on their mobile phone will know the winner long before the network packages it up nicely and beams it into your living room.

What makes the Olympics so special isn't simply that 10,000 athletes from around the world gather together and countries like the U.S. and China duke it out for the medal count. It's that for most athletes it's their one moment of glory, a moment so fleeting that it takes all the mental fortitude they have not to choke their guts out.

We saw it at the trials, where winning was big, but scoring that ticket to London was even bigger. It's almost always accompanied by a huge feeling of relief, especially so for people like swimmer Jessica Hardy, who was kept from going to Beijing because of a failed drug test.

"I'm going to London!" Hardy exclaimed on Twitter after winning the 100 freestyle Saturday night. "Swam race of my life tonight, all heart and soul."

Others had their hearts broken, but that's often what chasing an Olympic dream comes down to. For the most part Olympic hopefuls aren't superstars who make millions like Phelps or LeBron. Indeed, the vast majority can barely pay the rent and must rely on other jobs or donations to make ends meet so that someday they can tell their children or grandchildren they were an Olympian.

For them it might all come down to one vault, one hurdle to get over, or one big punch. They have no guaranteed contracts, just hope that when their chance finally comes they somehow can find a way to rise to the occasion.

Those are the kind of stories that will emerge from London, and that's what makes the Olympics so enthralling.

The Brits would have liked Beckham, who helped London win the games, playing for the home team in soccer, but for some reason he wasn't picked. Pistorius, the South African, didn't qualify, either, though he still has an outside chance of becoming the first double amputee in the games if South Africa picks him for the 1,600 relay.

For thousands of others, though, London is calling. The city is ready for them, with little of the baggage incurred by other Olympic hosts.

It should be a jolly time, perhaps even a smashing success.

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Posted in: 2012 London Olympic

Former Olympian expresses confidence that India will do good

Jamshedpur, May 8: Former Olympian Harbhajan Singh today expressed confidence that India will excel its medal tally compared to the last edition of the Olympic games even though the pressure was obvious on the last editions medal winners.

2008 Beijing medal winners including Sushil Kumar (Wrestling), Vijendra Kumar (Boxing), Discus thrower Krishna Punia, who had recently eclipsed the Seema Antil's national record of 64.64 metres by throwing 64.76 meters, Olympics gold medalist shooter Abhinav Bindra are all raring to go, Singh who had represented India in the 1980 Olympics told PTI today. 

These athletes will definitely be under pressure to maintain the form in the mega sports event beginning mid-July but I am confident that they will excel their performance and win medal for the country as they are all in good nick, Singh, who is also the Secretary of Jharkhand Basketball Association, said.

Expressing hope that Indian pugilists would bag maximum medal for the country, he said our shuttlers, archers, wrestlers also have a good prospect to fetch medals this time.

Justifying his claim, Singh, who is also the General Secretary of East Singhbhum district Olympics Association, said the last edition Olympics medal winners had not only been rewarded adequately but also accorded recognitions.

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Posted in: 2012 London Olympic,Former Olympian Harbhajan Singh,London Olympics 2012

London 2012 Olympics Logo: An Emblem of Controversy

1 November 2011. Cheshire, United Kingdom. Since the official logo for the London 2012 Olympics was launched in 2007 it has caused a string of controversy and been met with a barrage of criticism. Not only was the London 2012 Olympics organising committee forced to withdraw its animated promotional video of the logo because it triggered seizures in people with epilepsy, but, with its arguably ‘distasteful’ shades of blue, green, orange and pink, and jagged 1980s-resonant typeface that is based on the date 2012, a petition of more than 40,000 names quickly circulated seeking the extraction of the logo following its launch four years ago.

The controversial logo was designed by brand consultants Wolff Olins, at a fee of £400,000. So intense was the objection that, just hours after it was officially launched, the Internet was swamped with alternative designs as thousands of outraged surfers blatantly outshone Wolff Ollins’ feeble official logo, by posting emblems they had designed themselves.

Despite the onslaught of criticism, Sebastian Coe, the 2012 organising committee’s chairman is quick to defend the emblem as being ‘visionary’ of what the Games are striving to achieve. “It’s not a logo, it’s a brand that will take us forward for the next five years,” Lord Coe told the BBC. “It won’t be everybody’s taste immediately but it’s a brand that we genuinely believe can be a hard working brand which builds on pretty much everything we said in Singapore about reaching out and engaging young people, which is where our challenge is over the next five years,” continued the London Olympics Chairman in 2007.

Despite Sebastian Coe’s optimism about the Olympics’ ‘ill-received’ logo, five years later the emblem is more contested than ever.

In light of its highly unpopular start, one would imagine the London 2012 Olympics’ logo’s destiny would have considerably improved. On the contrary, however, things have gone from bad to worse, for the logo that, in the words of the Olympics Committee’s chairman, “will define the venues and act as a reminder to use the Olympic spirit to inspire everyone and reach out to young people around the world.”

Personally, I cannot see how a jagged, brightly coloured, graffiti-style logo that bears no significance to British culture or sport other than simply stating the words ‘London’ and ‘2012’ and rouses absolutely zero motivation and inspiration, could possibly be seen as a ‘spirit to inspire everyone’. Whilst Lord Coe is adamant the brand will appeal to ‘young people’, the International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge believes the brand is an “indication of the dynamism, modernity and inclusiveness with which London 2012 will leave its Olympic mark.”

In reality, however, the Olympic committee bosses could not be further from the truth. Taking to the streets of London, I asked three young people their views about the ostracised logo just ten months before the Olympic Games will start. Rebecca Jones, a 27-year-old primary school teacher living in Brixton in the south of London is disappointed by the logo. “It looks like it could have been designed by a four year old,” said Ms Jones. “I don’t find its simplicity inspiring at all but rather a bit embarrassing for London.”

Russ Watkins, a website designer in his early thirties was equally as dissatisfied with the ‘brand’. “If the Olympics Committee can’t even chose a decent logo for the Games than it doesn’t instil much faith in them. It could at least make some reference to London’s uniqueness and inimitable identity. This logo could be a design for anywhere in the world,” said the Londoner.

Whilst in east London, the official ‘home’ of the Olympics, the air of discontent about the logo is as prominent as ever. When shown a photograph of the London Olympics logo, 18-year-old Tyrone from Tower Hamlets laughed out loud and sneered, “Is that the best they could come up with?”

Asides a large proportion of the British general public, particularly it seems Londoners, showing a discontent at the ‘uninspiring’ and distasteful Olympics logo, contention about the design expands well beyond Great Britain. The latest nation to voice their abhorrence and disproval towards the 2012 logo is Iran. In February this year Iran threatened to boycott the Games in protest of the logo’s alleged use of the biblical term ‘Zion’ for Israel’s capital, Jerusalem. In a letter wrote to Jacques Rogge, the Iranians spoke of the Committee’s ‘negligence’ in promoting such ‘racism’. “There is no doubt that negligence of the issue from your side may affect the presence of some countries in the games, especially Iran which abides by commitment to the values and principles,” the letter read.

Iran’s President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has been reported to refer to it as a ‘racist’ logo, which, he believes, has questioned the accuracy of Holocaust accounts. Jumping straight to its defence yet again, was Sebastian Coe who asserts that the logo represents the figure 2012 and nothing more, before reminding critics that as the logo was launched in 2007, “We are surprised that this complaint has been made now.”

Having been the alleged cause of 22 epileptic seizures, having been accused of representing a swastika, sexual act and, most recently, hidden pro-Israeli propaganda, and sparking an almost consensual embarrassment amongst the British people, let’s just hope that next year’s Olympic Games in London don’t follow in the footsteps of its ill-fated logo.

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

London Olympics Torch formally lit in Athens

The torch for the 2012 London Games was lit at Athens on Thursday at the site of the ancient Olympics.

In front of the ruins of the ancient Temple of Hera, an actress playing the role of a high priestesses lit the Olympic flame by the rays of the sun in a parabolic mirror.

Dignitaries at the ceremony included International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge and Sebastian Coe, chief of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG).

‘We promise to protect the flame, to cherish its traditions and stage an uplifting torch relay of which we can be proud,’ Coe said in a speech, adding that the event would ‘lift the spirits and hopes of people across Britain and across the world’.

The flame was handed over to the first torch-bearer, Greek world swimming champion Spyros Gianniotis, marking the start of an 1,800-mile journey through the country featuring 490 torch-bearers, Xinhua reports.

It will then be handed to London Games’ organisers May 17 in Athens’ Panathenaic Stadium.

The 70-day relay around Britain will start at Land’s End May 19 and end with the opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, east London July 27.

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

Sun god reigns over torch-lighting rehearsal

ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece - Priestesses in pleated robes swayed under a scorching sun at thebirthplace of the ancient Olympics on Wednesday in the final rehearsal to light the flame that willburn at the London Games.

Far from the political drama embroiling debt-stricken Greece, locals and foreign touristsgathered at the ruins of the Doric temple to goddess Hera to watch as Greek actress InoMenegaki solemnly stooped to light the torch with a concave mirror.

The flame will serve as a backup if overcast skies loom over Thursday's official ceremony, butweather forecasts predict the event will be similarly blessed by abundant sunshine.

For the first time, male priests danced to the sound of a drum amid the temple's ancient ruinsinstead of limiting the choreography to the adjacent stadium, organisers said.

With her arms raised towards the sky, Menegaki - playing the role of high priestess - theninvoked the sun God Apollo in prayer before kneeling to light the torch in just a few seconds asthe sun's rays focused on the parabolic mirror.

On the slopes of the adjacent stadium where Greeks competed during the ancient games,priestesses swirled in a dance inspired by the mythological nymphs - nubile, young maidens inthe retinue of a god or goddess - while the male priests performed a version of an ancient wardance, minus the weapons.

Greek actress Ino Menegaki, playing the role of High Priestess, lights the Olympic flame during a dressrehearsal for the torch lighting ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the site of ancientOlympia in Greece May 9, 2012.[Photo/Agencies]

For many Greeks watching, the ceremony was an emotional moment, offering a reminder of theglorious past of a nation now mired in a deep political and economic crisis that threatens to pushit to bankruptcy and out of the euro zone.

"As I was watching the ceremony I was thinking that Greece was once a big power and has sincegone through a lot of hard times but as a country has always managed to stay afloat," saidVangelis Vanezis, a 35-year-old Greek who lives in London.

"And so it made me think that perhaps this crisis is something that will come and go and we'll getthrough it."

The rehearsal ended with the high priestess handing the flame and a fresh olive branch to thefirst torchbearer Spyros Gianniotis, a Liverpool-born Greek swimmer who won the gold medal inthe 10 km open water event at the 2011 world championships.

On Thursday, Gianniotis, who has a Greek father and a British mother, will run with the flame tothe monument where the heart of modern Olympics founder Pierre de Coubertin is buried beforecontinuing and handing the flame over to Alexander Loukos, a Briton of Greek origin.

The flame then covers 2900 km across over 40 towns in Greece, including remote ones nearthe Turkish border and tiny islands in the hands of 490 torchbearers.

It will also pass through five archaeological sites during its eight-day journey across Greecebefore it is flown to the United Kingdom for a tour before the Olympic Games start on July 27. 

An actress, playing the role of a priestess, releases a dove during the dress rehearsal for the torchlighting ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the site of ancient Olympia in Greece May 9, 2012.[Photo/Agencies]

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

London Olympic contingency tickets to on sale

Some 900,000 Olympic Games contingency tickets will go on sale on Friday,confirmed by the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games(LOCOG).

About 20,000 people, who were unsuccessful in the initial Olympic ballot application and thenagain failed in the second round of sales, will be given priority to have access to the tickets 31hours earlier than the rest of the eligible applicants, starting from 11 am on May 11 to 6 pm on12 May.

These tickets, to be sold on a first come, first served basis, will then be offered to the onemillion people who applied in the initial ballot but were unsuccessful.

They will then have an exclusive five-day sales period. Any tickets unsold during this period willgo back on general sale from 23 May at 11 am.

The tickets, available at www.tickets.london2012.com, include 5,000 to the Opening Ceremony, 6,000 to the Closing Ceremony, 50,000 to athletic events and so on.

Remaining tickets for the Paralympic Games will go on sale from 11 am on May 21, 100 daysahead of the opening ceremony of the Paralympics.

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

London 2012 Olympics: former BOA chief Simon Clegg lands top job with Guam to get ticket to Games

But Clegg, the former chief executive of the British Olympic Association, will have a very different role this summer to the one he envisaged when he led the BOA’s political lobbying campaign to persuade a reluctant Cabinet to back the Games.

The man who managed British teams at 12 Olympic Games, six as chef de mission, will be experiencing London 2012 as the official Olympic attaché for the Pacific island of Guam, one of the tiniest countries in the ‘Olympic family’ with a population of just 160,000. While Britain will be fielding a team of 550 athletes, Clegg will be looking after the interests of half a dozen.

It is a vivid illustration of just how much the landscape has changed since the Government, after months of prevarication, announced its intention to bid for the Games on May 15, 2003, and how some of the key figures responsible for this summer’s sporting extravaganza now find themselves on the periphery.

Clegg, who was made a CBE in 2006 for his contribution to London’s successful bid but who resigned from the BOA in 2008 after his role at the organisation was changed, has not received so much as a single ticket for London 2012 and so jumped at the offer of a job with Guam — and the perk of an access-all-areas pass.

“I’m still friendly with a lot of people in the Olympic movement – international colleagues that I’ve known for 20 years,” he said. “One of those colleagues kindly gave the opportunity to be the official Olympic attaché for Guam.

It’s not particularly demanding because obviously they are a small country with a tiny team and I will do whatever I can to support during the build-up and will continue to do so during the Games.

“The kind of jobs involved are speaking to people about uniforms, doing some work on the vehicles for them, and they’ve asked me to organise a team reception for them.”

Clegg, who has been chief executive of Ipswich Town since 2009, is not the only key player from nine years ago now on the Olympic margins.

• Where are they now? The key players in the decision to bid for 2012
• Sir Craig Reedie
  After playing a key role in London's successful bid to host the Games, Sir Craig retired as chairman of the British Olympic Association in 2005. He remains a member of the International Olympic Committee.
  Tickets for London 2012? Full accreditation.
• Simon Clegg CBE
  Having resigned as chief executive of the British Olympic Association in 2008, he is now chief executive of Ipswich Town FC and will take up a temporary role this summer as the official Olympic attaché for Guam.
  Tickets? Full accreditation.
• David Luckes MBE
  The former Olympic hockey player, who was the author of the original feasibility study for the London bid in 1997, is now head of sport competition for the London organising committee.
  Tickets? Full accreditation.
• Tessa Jowell
  The MP for Dulwich and West Norwood is the shadow minister for the Olympics and continues to sit on the ruling Olympic board. She will be working at the Games in a variety of roles
  Tickets? Full accreditation.
• Richard Caborn
  The former Minister for Sport, who played a key role in persuading the Government to back the bid, retired from politics in 2010. He is now president of the Amateur Boxing Association of England.
  Tickets? None.
• Ken Livingstone
  A keen supporter of the London bid long before the Government gave its backing, Livingstone announced his retirement from politics following his defeat in this month's London mayoral election.
  Tickets? Boris Johnson has promised to invite him to the Games.

After his defeat to Boris Johnson in the London mayoral election, Ken Livingstone will play no official part in an event that might never have got off the ground had it not been for his unwavering support for a London bid as a means of regenerating the east end of London.

His contribution has, however, been recognised by Johnson, who announced last week that he would be burying political differences by inviting Livingstone to the Games.

By contrast, Richard Caborn, the former Minister for Sport who helped lay the foundations for a London bid by garnering crucial support from Commonwealth sports ministers, has been offered no Olympic tickets other than an invitation by Camelot to watch the rowing.

“I don’t want to make a big issue of it but I haven’t got a single ticket to anywhere,” said Caborn, who retired from politics in 2010. “I’m not looking for it. I understand people move on. If I get it I’ll go but I’m not going to ask. If people think I’m not entitled, then I’m not entitled.”

Caborn’s political colleague, shadow Olympics minister Tessa Jowell, will at least have complete access to the Games after playing a fundamental part in persuading her Cabinet colleagues to endorse a bid nine years ago.

Despite Labour’s General Election defeat two years ago, Jowell retained her seat on the ruling Olympic board and will be working in a “troubleshooting” role at the Games with full accreditation.

Sir Craig Reedie, another key figure in the political lobbying that went on before 2003 and in the subsequent bidding process, will also enjoy privileged access as a member of the International Olympic Committee, while David Luckes, author of the BOA feasibility study in 1997 that formed the basis of the London bid, is now head of sports competition for the London organising committee.

Clegg, meanwhile, is looking forward to a less central role with his Pacific island charges.

“We were very, very close to calling it a day with the Government,” he said. “All the other cities had not only declared but were out there lobbying and we were still procrastinating and had been doing so for about two years. But in the end the Government did get over the line.

“I’m incredibly proud of the modest role I played in bringing the Olympics to this country. I’m convinced it’s going to be a fantastic Games.”

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

Brazil has 4 NBA players on list

Brazil's men's basketball team will be led by NBA players Nene, Leandro Barbosa, Tiago Splitter and Anderson Varejao when it returns to the Olympics for the first time in 16 years.

The four players were included on the list of 15 by coach Ruben Magnano on Thursday. Also included was point guard Larry Taylor, who recently earned Brazilian citizenship.

Only 12 players will make it to London. But Taylor and the NBA players likely will be on the team because Magnano's list included two players who are there only to gain experience in practice and one other who has a knee injury and is not expected to recover in time.

Brazil's men last competed in the Olympics in 1996, reaching the quarterfinals in Atlanta.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

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

London 2012 Olympics: David Beckham says suggestions he would play for Team GB to sell shirts is disrespectful

The 37-year-old LA Galaxy midfielder and former England captain was a key member of London’s winning bid to host the London 2012 Games and has always said he will fight for a place to compete at the Olympics. He is set to be one of the three over-age players allowed in the squad, but he argued he would be picked on merit not because of glamour, newspaper sales or because he is a bigger commercial hitter.

Arriving with the Princess Royal to light the first Olympic flame on UK soil at RNAS Culdrose, Beckham said: “Whenever I have been asked about shirt sales or filling stadiums it has always felt a bit disrespectful. Throughout my career I have been pretty successful, I’ve played for some pretty big teams, represented my country quite a few times, and played for managers without sentiment.

“When you play for Sir Alex Ferguson, Fabio Capello, Sven-Goran Eriksson or other managers that I have played under, they don’t pick players because they want to fill a stadium or particularly to sell shirts.

“I have always found it an honour that people have wanted to buy my shirt and an honour that fans turn up to watch the team I am playing in. But no, I don’t want to be picked for shirt sales or as a stadium-filler, I want to be picked for what I can bring to the team. That has been the case throughout my career and I don’t want that to change.” He said he could offer invaluable experience to a young Olympic side.

Beckham’s high-profile role in the torch relay has garnered some criticism because he was representing a corporation – Samsung – rather than his 115 international caps after he arrived with a host of dignitaries to celebrate the arrival of the torch for the first of its 70 days, 8000-mile journey around the country.

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games chief executive Paul Deighton defended the involvement of Samsung, Coca-Cola and Lloyds TSB as partners of the torch relay, denying that it was over-commercialising the concept. “I think we have struck the right balance there,” he said, describing the torch relay as the “golden thread uniting the country”.

A Sea King helicopter, the type flown by the Duke of Cambridge Prince William will be centre stage of the relay when it arrives at Land’s End early this morning to kick-start running legs of the relay. But officials say Prince William won’t be anywhere near the torch, with the helicopter instead flown by 771 squadron lieutenant commander Martin Shepherd.

Lieutenant commander Rich Full has been selected to carry the flame from the helicopter for the first torchbearer, Olympic gold-medal winning sailor Ben Ainslie at 7am. He will pass the flame to 18-year-old surfer Tassie Swallow from St Ives who is keen for her sport to become part of the Olympic programme in the first of 8000 torch ‘kisses’ on UK soil before the flame arrives at the Olympic stadium on July 27 for the Games’ opening ceremony.

Shadow Olympics minister Tessa Jowell told The Daily Telegraph: “It feels like this is the celebration that we were denied because of the 7/7 bombings, we have been waiting seven years for this kind of moment.”

Members of the Met Police’s 70 strong torch relay team slept overnight on the naval base to guard the flame and the Ministry of Defence protection unit who guard dignitaries were also in attendance.

Naval officers had tested the runway length at Culdrose two months ago to ensure that the specially painted British Airways plane would have sufficient landing room on the base that is normally used for helicopters.

Many of the navy officers were also keen to meet Beckham, but that greeting was restricted to 500 specially-invited guests of the navy including 100 local schoolchildren.

Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Chris Allison, in charge of Olympic security, said everyone was excited that the torch relay was finally underway. He revealed that so far, no groups had approached the police to request assistance with planned protests.

But assistant commissioner Allison warned protesters that while freedom of expression was a democratic right in the country, it did not give people the right to interfere with the torch or torchbearers.

David Beckham on Friday night dismissed as “disrespectful” suggestions that his selection for the Great Britain football team would be purely for commercial reasons.

Hot property: David Beckham holds the Olympic torch during the ceremony in Cornwall marking its arrival from Greece Photo: AP

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

London Olympics: 70 days to go; Iran prez wants to attend Games

Greece hands over Oly torch
Greece formally hands over the Olympic torch to a London delegation led by Princess Anne and including David Beckham on Thursday at the Panathenaic stadium where the first modern Games were held in 1896. Seb Coe, chairman of the London organising committee LOCOG, spoke of a ‘’massive, massive moment’’ as the clock ticks down to the Games opening on July 27 while London Mayor Boris Johnson was typically ebullient.

10,500 army men to be deployed
Britain’s armed forces minister says approximately 10,500 army personnel will be deployed to help protect the London Olympics. Responding to a written parliamentary question about how many army members will be on duty, Nick Harvey said on Wednesday that under current plans, about 1,700 army reservists and 8,800 regular army personnel will be deployed during the games, which run from July 27 to August 12.

Bolt confirmed for Zurich meet
Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt has been confirmed for the Weltklasse Zurich Diamond League in August, officials said. Bolt is the biggest drawing card in world athletics and will be defending his Olympic sprint titles at the London Olympiad which starts in July. The Weltklasse Zurich meet runs off August 30, just weeks after the conclusion of the London Olympics August 12.

‘No pressure to include Beckham’
David Beckham will have to earn his place in Britain’s Olympic football squad on skill and merit like any other player and can expect no special favours, London 2012 organisers said on Thursday. Speaking before the 37-year-old former England captain teamed up with a London delegation for the formal handing over of the Olympic flame, LOCOG chairman Seb Coe said there would be no attempt to twist the arm of Team GB manager Stuart Pearce.

Dix to miss Manchester meet
Double world silver medallist Walter Dix will miss Sunday’s showdown against British sprinter Dwain Chambers in England because of a tight hamstring, he said on Wednesday. Dix, favoured to run the 100 and 200 metres for the United States at the London Games, had been scheduled to race Chambers over 150 metres in Manchester. The American also pulled out of Wednesday’s meeting in Daegu, South Korea, as a precautionary move.

Iran prez wants to attend Games
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he hopes to attend the Olympic Games in London but that the British authorities were reluctant to allow him. “I would like to be beside the Iranian athletes in London to support them, but (the British) have issues with my presence,” Ahmadinejad said, without offering further explanation. “The enemies do not want our athletes to win medals, but our young people shall be present at the Olympic Games and give new reasons to take pride in Islamic Iran.”

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

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

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

London Olympics 2012 Venues

The main venues for the London 2012 Olympic Games

Venue	Sports	Capacity
All England Tennis Club	Tennis	30,000
Aquatics Centre	Diving, Swimming, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo, Paralympic Swimming, Modern Pentathlon.	17,500 for Diving and Swimming events and 5,000 for Water Polo
Basketball Arena	Basketball, Handball, Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Rugby	12,000 during the Olympic games; 10,000 during the Paralympic Games
Earls Court	Indoor Volleyball	15,000
Eton Domey	Rowing, Canoe Sprint, Paralympic Rowing	30,000
Eton Manor	Wheelchair Tennis	10,500
ExCeL	Boxing, Fencing, Judo, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Boccia, Paralympic Table Tennis, Paralympic Judo, Paralympic Powerlifting, Sitting Volleyball, Wheelchair Fencing.	ExCeL will be divided into 4 sports halls with capacities ranging from 6,000 to 10,000
Greenwich Park	Equestrian- Jumping, Dressage, Eventing and Paralympic Equestrian. Also Modern Pentathlon.	23,000
Hadleigh Park	Mountain Bike	3,000, not including standing around the course
Handball Arena	Handball, Goalball, Modern Pentathlon	7,000
Hockey Centre	Hockey, Paralympic 5-a-side Football, Paralympic 7-a-side Football	New venue, composed of two pitches, the main pitch with a capacity of 15,000 and the second pitch with a capacity of 5,000
Horse Guards Parade	Beach Volleyball	15,000
Hyde Park	Triathlon, 10k Open Water Swim	3,000
Lee Valley White Water Centre	Canoe Slalom	12,000
Lord's Cricket Ground	Archery	6,500
North Greenwich Arena	Artistic Gymnastics, Trampoline, Basketball, Wheelchair Basketball	20,000
Olympic Stadium	Athletics, Paralympic Athletics	Stadium is being built from scratch and aims to be constructed by next year. 55,000 of the 80,000 capacity is removable, which apparently has never been attempted before.
Olympic Village	All Athletes and Officials	As well as residential apartments, the village will comprise of shops, restaurants, medical, media and leisure facilities. There will also be a 'Plaza', where athletes can meet up with friends and families.
Regent's Park	Road Cycling	It will provide the location for the finish of the Road event in front of a temporary stand of 3,000 spectators
The Royal Artillery Park	Shooting, Paralympic Shooting, Paralympic Archery	7,500
Velo Park	Track Cycling, BMX, Paralympic Track Cycling	6000 in the Velodrome (permanent), 6000 at the BMX track (temporary)
Wembley Arena	Badminton, Rhythmic Gymnastics	6,000
Weymouth and Portland Harbour	Sailing, Paralympic Sailing	Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour provide some of the best natural sailing waters anywhere in the UK, along with facilities to match on land

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

History of the Olympics in London

1908	Summer Olympics held in London The Games of the IV Olympiad) were the third to be hosted outside of Athens and were scheduled to take place in Rome, but the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on 7 April 1906 required the Italian Government to redirect funds away from the Olympics. The events took place between 27 April 1908 and 31 October 1908, with 22 nations participating in 110 events. The British team easily topped the unofficial medal count, finishing with three times as many medals as the second-place United States.
1944	1944 Summer Olympics Cancelled The Summer Olympics of 1944 were to be held in London having been awarded in 1939. However, they were cancelled due to World War II. In lieu of the Olympics, a small celebratory sporting competition was held in Lausanne, at IOC HQ.
1948	The 1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Games were the first to be held after World War II, with the 1944 Summer Olympics having been cancelled due to the war. 59 nations (Germany and Japan had not been invited) competed in 136 events between 29 July 1948 and 14 August 1948. due to security reasons. British athletes finished 12th in the unofficial medal count with only 23 medals.
2000	The UK Bids In December 2000 a report from the British Olympic Association was shown to Government ministers. They had been working on the bid since 1997.
2005	The London 2012 Olympic bid was announced as the winner of the bidding process on 6 July 2005.
2008	2008 Summer Olympics To be held in Beijing, China between August 8, 2008 and August 24, 2008. Concerns have been raised that many events will be compromised by problems with pollution and air quality.
2012	2012 Summer Olympics The Games will take place between 27 July 2012 and 12 August 2012. 2012 Summer Paralympic Games The fourteenth Paralympics and will take place between 29 August 2012 and 9 September 2012 at the Summer Olympics venues in London.

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Posted in: 2012 London Olympic,London 2012 Olympics

Young royals take centre stage at London Olympics 2012

You can't hold the London Olympics without the British royals, now can you?

The two have been intertwined over the years like the Olympic rings themselves. At the London Games this summer, they'll be everywhere -- Wills and Kate, Harry and Zara, the queen and Prince Philip -- posing, pronouncing, maybe even participating.

These games will showcase a whole new royal generation: the elegant Duchess of Cambridge, whose fairy-tale wedding last year was watched by hundreds of millions; the irrepressible Prince Harry, at 27 one of the world's most eligible bachelors; and another one of Queen Elizabeth II's grandchildren, Zara Phillips, who is seeking a berth on the British equestrian team just like both her parents did years ago.

Prince William, his wife Kate and Harry will all be Olympic ambassadors. It's not clear what any of the royals will actually be doing or where they will be appearing, but British officials and tourism experts consider their presence vital.

"They're great for attracting publicity," said Joe Little, the managing editor of Majesty magazine. "Everybody wants to see the Duchess of Cambridge. ... It's the youth-and-glamour thing."

Visit Britain says some 30 million people come to the country each year to see its cultural heritage -- such as Buckingham Palace, the changing of the guard and the Beefeaters at the Tower of London.

Britain's culture and heritage sites bring in 4.5 billion pounds ($7 billion) of the 17 billion pounds ($26.6 billion) spent by overseas visitors annually. This being an Olympic year -- and the queen's 60th Jubilee anniversary to boot -- the focus on U.K. palaces and royals will be magnified.

To make the most of things, the monarch plans to open Buckingham Palace to accommodate Olympic activities.

A tourism promotion is being launched to coincide with the July 27-Aug. 12 games: the GREAT campaign, as in Great Britain. It hopes to capitalize on the Olympic excitement and bring an extra 2 billion pounds ($1.5 billion) of tourism spending into Britain's beleaguered economy.

Harry did his bit to build excitement last week in Jamaica, donning a jersey emblazoned with Jamaica's green, black and gold colours and clowning around with 100-meter champion Usain Bolt. They joked and "raced" one another, meeting on the track to strike a mock lightning bolt pose, Bolt's signature.

"I am not directly involved in the (Olympic) organization, otherwise who knows what might happen?" the helicopter pilot-trainee prince joked. "If work permits me, I will definitely get the chance, hopefully, to visit as many events as possible."

The royals and the Olympics have long been intertwined, going back to a time when only the very rich could afford to train and remain amateurs.

London took on the Olympics for the first time in 1908, after Mount Vesuvius erupted in Rome, forcing Italy to pull out. King Edward VII lobbied for Britain to host those games, playing a key role in persuading the government to accept the task at a time when the Olympics were largely unknown.

"That kind of gave it legitimacy," said Martin Polley, an Olympic historian at the University of Southampton. The thinking was "if (the royals) are backing it, it must be serious."

London next hosted the games in 1948, with King George VI presiding as the Olympic flag was raised for the first time since the end of World War II.

At the time, the royals were more famous than the games themselves. Fanny Blankers-Koen of the Netherlands, who won four gold medals in 1948 in track and field, told of her disappointment upon hearing the British national anthem after a close race with a British competitor. Blankers-Koen thought she'd lost -- but actually it was just the royal family entering the stadium to take their seats, Polley said.

Queen Elizabeth II will open this summer's games, like her father and great-grandfather once did. She is not new to the job, opening the Montreal Olympics in 1976, where her daughter Princess Anne competed with her horse, Goodwill.

Anne, a member of the 2012 London organizing committee, remembers her Olympic experience fondly, even though she did fall off Goodwill.

"It proved something ... in your sporting experience," she said in a BBC interview. "For the old dinosaurs, the amateurs like me, I think that was a rare treat."

The whole royal family showed up to watch her in Montreal -- a scenario likely to be repeated this summer in London if Anne's 30-year-old daughter Zara makes the team. She had been named to the 2008 Olympic team in Beijing but her horse became injured before the games and could not compete.

Zara's father, Mark Phillips, won equestrian gold in the 1972 Munich Olympics and silver at the 1988 Seoul Games.

The queen is known to love horses, but besides anything featuring Zara, it's not clear which Olympic events might be graced by royalty.

The princes are rugby fans, but that's not an Olympic event. They also like polo, but only the water version is featured at the games. William is president of the England's soccer federation, but the sport has a low profile in the Olympics. Kate is known to be outdoorsy and once trained for a Dragon boat competition. She captained her high school field hockey team, and visited Britain's women's team Thursday at Olympic Park to offer a morale boost.

Harry reportedly likes women's beach volleyball -- which just happens to be played in scanty Olympic outfits -- and he'll probably want to see his friend Bolt run.

But the royal impact is more than just being seen. Harry told reporters in Jamaica he wants to encourage children to be active.

"It's massively important to get young kids out doing sport," Harry said. "I know that when I was at school, sport was the best thing. Being stuck in the classroom wasn't."

He paused.

"I probably shouldn't have said that," he grinned.

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Posted in: 2012 London Olympic,London Olympics 2012

Australia's Leisel Jones off to fourth Olympics

Former breaststroke queen Leisel Jones will compete at her fourth Olympics in London this year after finishing second in the 100-metres event at Australia's selection trials on Saturday.

Jones, 26, a triple Olympic gold medallist and former world record holder, had to settle for second to emerging star Leiston Pickett in the final in Adelaide, with both clinching spots on the Australian team to London.

'Lethal' Leisel becomes the first Australian swimmer to compete at four Olympic Games.

Pickett claimed the gold medal in one minute 06.88 seconds with Jones second in 1:07.64.

Jones, who was Australia's youngest-ever Olympics swimming medallist at 15 at the 2000 Sydney Games, is her country's greatest breaststroker with eight Olympic medals, 14 at the world championships and a 10-time Commonwealth Games champion.

"Mission accomplished. Leiston is champion, well done. I'm so excited to bring you along," Jones said.

"I didn't think I would ever make it to four Olympics... that's just an absolute dream. I'm so excited. I did a lot of media saying that I was going to my fourth Olympics, so I'm glad I did it."

Pickett, 20, qualified for her first Olympics with her winning time equalling American champion Rebecca Soni's year's best time.

"I like to think so (changing of the guard)," Pickett said. "I've always looked up to Leisel as I was growing up and swimming against her and to finally beat her in the 100m, hopefully I can stay number one.

"There is so much competition throughout the world in the breaststroke, Rebecca Soni is currently the number one, and being up with Australia puts us up there in the world. It's going to be good to get over to London and get some good racing."

Thomas Fraser-Holmes won his second title of the Australian championships with the 200-metres freestyle in 1:46.88 from Kenrick Monk (1:47.16) in the absence of Olympic great Ian Thorpe who failed to make the final.

Fraser-Holmes will be swimming in two events at the London Games after winning the 400m medley on Thursday's opening night.

Emily Seebohm will be competing at her second Olympics after winning the 100m backstroke in 59.28secs from Belinda Hocking (59.41), while Hayden Stoeckel (53.98) and Daniel Arnamnart (54.05) will be Australia's representatives in the men's 100m backstroke in London.

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Posted in: 2012 London Olympic,London 2012 Olympic

London 2012 Olympics: Luol Deng injured after becoming first Briton to play in All-Star game

Luol Deng became the first Briton to take part in an All-Star basketball game, but he was injured after only six minutes of action, and appeared to court controversy by wearing a T-shirt honouring Africa during the pre-game introductions.

Record-breaker: Luol Deng, shown on the right, became the first Briton to feature in an All-Star basketball game, but was injured after only six minutes Photo: REUTERS

The 26-year-old Chicago Bulls forward, originally from South Sudan, stepped on to the platform ahead of the exhibition match on Sunday in wearing a black T-shirt carrying an outline of the African continent and drew attention to it when his name was announced.

The gesture could be judged to violate the dress code for the game, but Deng was relaxed over any possible sanction from the NBA.

"If I get fined, I'm okay," he said after his Eastern Conference side lost 152-149 to the West in Florida. "To me, what I did is worth it for me. I wouldn't do something that's negative. I'm not advertising anything.

"I just felt like being where I'm from and where I came from, it's something that I always wanted to see as a kid. I'm sure there's a kid out there, or a lot of kids, who really enjoyed it and made them happy to see that."

Deng played less than six minutes of the game after injuring his left wrist and was one of only three players not to score a point.  He added: "For me, being selected and recognised as an All-Star meant a lot more to me than what I was going to show or do tonight on the floor." 

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Posted in: 2012 London Olympic,London 2012 Olympics