Showing posts with label London 2012. Show all posts
Showing posts with label London 2012. Show all posts

Friday, July 27, 2012

Summer Olympics 2012 opening ceremonies streaming in London

It’s time to check out all the streaming live video streams we can for the kickoff of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. This is the third time that London has hosted the Olympics, with their first being all the way back in 1908 and the next just a few years after the end of World War II in 1948. Here in 2012, it’s time for a party – and without a doubt the entirety of England will be in rare form throughout the events which start off tonight with an above-average strange set of characters that’ll only be come apparent once the ceremony has begun – Voldemordt and Mary Poppins have been tipped.

What you’ll be looking for online on your desktop computer for live video is a collection of feeds from NBC. While there are other streams out there, the Olympics committee appears to be working directly with NBC for this event for all streaming content via YouTube. Of course the BBC will also be streaming all of the events, including the opening ceremonies, all via Facebook. Have a peek at BBCSport on Facebook to see what your options are right this minute!

Have a peek at the following presentation video to get connected:

For those of you looking to connect via Android, you’ll want to check out the NBC Olympics app which will be working asap starting tonight. This same app is available for iOS and made for both the iPhone and the iPad. You can check out our whole collection of iPad apps for the Olympics in iPad Olympics app set to cover from all angles.

Watch London Olympics Ceremony Live in India | Streaming Read More: Watch London Olympics Ceremony Live in India | Streaming

Later today will happen one of the most awaited events of the year, the opening ceremony of the London Olympics 2012. In India you will have to tune into Dooradarshan to watch the Olympics ceremony live from London on TV.
In case you don't have a TV at home and is planning to watch the olympics ceremony by streaming then you can either use the Dooradarshan India website or the TVchannelsfree's Dooradarshan page. The event will be telecast live at half past one AM IST. The olympic games will be broadcasted in India by ESPN.
Watch online Link 1: http://www.ddindia.gov.in/
Watch online Link 2: http://www.tvchannelsfree.com/watch/6429/Doordarshan.html
Read More: Watch London Olympics Ceremony Live in India | Streaming

Watch London Olympics 2012 Live Streaming Online Summer Olympics July 27 From NBC

Watch London Olympics 2012 Live Streaming Online Summer Olympics 2012 Online. Welcome to  Watch London Olympics 2012 Live Streaming 2012 Summer Olympics live stream online on your pc/laptop. Do not wait to access this HD link, when the  Olympics game is mostly over and you will get live scores and highlights. All the Events are being streaming here; just catch the game from your desktop or laptop Internet. So,London Olympics Live Streaming 2012 live streaming online coverage on NBC, sky sports4, CBS, HD4, Espn, fox sports & Fox Network. Click here to watch live London Olympics 2012 Live Streaming below this link.


The time the world has been waiting for this summer has nearly arrived, as the London Olympics Opening Ceremony 2012 schedule begins at 9 p.m. London time (3 p.m. Central Time) on Friday. U.S. viewers who want to see the event live are out of luck — they’ll have to wait until NBC’s tape-delayed coverage airs Friday evening.

The good news, however, is that NBC is live streaming the rest of the Olympics. Those who want to see events on live stream can visit here to watch live streaming online at www.nbcolympics.com.

 

“We are live streaming every sporting event, all 32 sports and 302 medals,” said Gary Zenkel, president of NBC Olympics, according to the Wall Street Journal. “It was never our intent to live stream the Opening Ceremony or Closing Ceremony.”

But there’s a trick to watching the live stream online: It’s free, but you will need to sign up before you can watch the feed. To do so, it will require having an account with a TV provider that includes MSNBC and CNBC. You will need a user ID and password to log on.

As for watching the opening ceremony, NBC will kick off coverage at 6:30 p.m. Central Time Friday. IOC executive director Gilbert Felli has said the opening ceremony should last no more than three hours.

Those who want live glimpses of the opening ceremonies before NBC’s tape-delayed coverage will have to turn to Twitter’s page that will pull in tweets from athletes, their families and fans during the opening ceremony. The Twitter page will be live during the opening ceremony, according to the Wall Street Journal, with photos and reactions from inside London’s Olympic Stadium.

The ceremony will have a cast and crew of 10,000. It will be held at the 80,000-capacity stadium in east London and be watched by a global television audience expected at 1 billion.

Already, speculation abounds as to what mega-celebrities will appear at the opening ceremonies.

What’s known is that British director Danny Boyle, known for such classic films such as “Trainspotting” and “Slumdog Millionaire,” will join fellow acclaimed director Stephen Daldry to oversee the opening ceremonies.

The ceremonies have been named “Isle of Wonder,” inspired by William Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest.” The world’s largest harmonically tuned bell will sound to start the festivities. Among the rumors are that former Beatle Paul McCartney will be on hand to close at the ceremonies, while others suggest that Muhammad Ali will be at the opening ceremony.


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Saturday, June 2, 2012

London 2012 Olympics: How to pick the best Olympic squad


Rather than hold trials for its 10,000m men's team at home, Kenya will select its squad at a bespoke race at the Diamond League meeting in Eugene on Saturday.
Kenya is world famous for its long distance runners but no Kenyan man has won an Olympic 10,000m gold medal since Naftali Temu in 1968.
A total of 44 Kenyan men ran the 10,000m Olympic qualification time for this summer's Games and a series of selection events whittled that field down to 15 although only three can be chosen for London.
Use accessible player and disable flyout menus

Why Kenyan runners are so successful.
The Kenyan athletics federation asked to hold its own selection race at the Eugene Diamond League.
The usual selection criteria of two across the line and third wild card choice will be used.
"I don't think there is any problem," Athletics Kenya Olympic team manager Joseph Kinyua said of the decision to move the trial to America.
"If you're doing one thing again and again and it doesn't give you the result you expect, it is only fair that you try a different method."
How does qualifying work?

To qualify, athletes in whatever event they compete in must first meet the Olympic standard time in their event and must also be selected for their national team.
The ideal team selection process should have several criteria.
It should recognise athletes who have proven performances at international level whilst also taking into account new, young rising stars and should be fair and transparent while it should also seek to recreate environmental conditions in London and match the pressure of an Olympic Games.
When should you select your chosen Olympic representative?

The two ends of the scale are selection almost 12 months in advance or as close to the Games as possible. By selecting a year in advance, athletes can maximise the time they spend preparing and adapting to the environmental conditions - this often happens in the Olympic sailing events for example.
On the whole, athletics selectors believe that peaking for a trial event three to four weeks before the Olympics, ensures that athletes remain in top physical condition.
How should national teams select their squad?

You could take the top three athletes, as ranked by the sport's world rankings at a set date.
This certainly rewards long-term international consistency, but may miss a fast, new athlete surging up the ranking lists or someone in spectacular form.
It also does not consider environmental conditions for the Games nor does it replicate the intense pressure of peak performance at a single event.
How about a single trial race scheduled at a carefully chosen date?

Surely, if an athlete can perform under the heavy pressure of a trials event, then they can certainly perform at the Games. Plus, the location of the venue can also be used to test athletes' response to environmental conditions. According to Ricky Simms, manager of seven of the 15 Kenyan trialists, "The Olympic Games in London will take place at sea level and therefore it makes sense to select the best team for a sea level race.
"Nairobi is at altitude and some runners perform differently at altitude compared to sea level. Having the trial in Eugene should select the best team for London."
A single trial, with all its pressure, sounds good on the surface, but there are still three questions.
What if a top athlete is ill? Carl Lewis's sinus infection during the US trials in 1992 prevented him from qualifying for the 100m in Barcelona.
Similarly, Sebastian Coe missed the 1988 Olympics because he was suffering from a chest infection during Britain's 1,500m Olympic trial. Given his Indian heritage, Coe was offered the chance to compete for India but he declined.
What if a mechanical breakdown occurs in equipment? Or, for conspiracy theorists, what about collusion and sabotage?
These factors all represent a risk to selectors. If they try to retrospectively mitigate this risk after the event by citing how 'exceptional circumstances' influenced a result, it can often end in the law courts.
Mixing it up

Most often, a selection panel uses a set of published criteria including world ranking, times, performance in major events and potential for the future.
They also use a series of selection events which allows athletes to overcome a single disappointing race but it can complicate matters when there is no clear-cut winner.
For example, which is better, a fourth place in a World Championship event or a first place in the European Championships?
Ultimately selection is a compromise with no perfect solution.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

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.

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"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."

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)

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.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

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.




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."

Saturday, March 17, 2012

London Olympic 2012 Ticket Prices

Below is a full summary of the actual prices of London Olympic tickets for all sports.
Opening & Closing Ceremonies:
  • Opening Ceremony Olympic Park: Olympic Stadium £2,012 £1,600 £995 £150 £20.12
  • Closing Ceremony Olympic Park: Olympic Stadium £1,500 £995 £655 £150 £20.12
Archery - Lord's Cricket Ground
  • Preliminary M/W £65 £45 £30 £20
  • Final M/W £95 £65 £45 £30
Athletics - Olympic Park - Olympic Stadium
  • Preliminary M/W £150 £95 £65 £40 £20
  • Final M/W £450 £295 £150 £95 £50
  • Super final M/W £725 £420 £295 £125 £50
Athletics - Marathon London
  • Final M/W £50 £30 £20
Athletics - Race Walk London
  • Final M/W £30 £20
Badminton - Wembley Arena Preliminary M/W £75 £50 £35 £20
Quarter-final M/W £95 £65 £45 £30
Semi-final M/W £95 £65 £45 £30
Final M/W £150 £95 £65 £45
Basketball - Olympic Park - Basketball Arena Preliminary M £95 £65 £40 £20
M £115 £75 £45 £30
W Yes £75 £50 £35 £20
Quarter-final W £95 £65 £40 £20
North Greenwich Arena Quarter-final M £125 £85 £55 £45 £35
Semi-final M £150 £110 £95 £65 £45
W £125 £85 £55 £45 £35
Bronze M £325 £225 £150 £95 £50
W £150 £110 £95 £65 £45
Final M £425 £295 £185 £125 £95
W £325 £225 £150 £95 £50
Beach Volleyball - Horse Guards Parade Preliminary M/W £95 £65 £50 £40 £20
Round of 16 M/W £110 £75 £55 £45 £30
Quarter-final M/W £125 £95 £75 £65 £45
Semi-final M/W £225 £150 £110 £95 £65
Final M/W £450 £295 £185 £125 £95
Boxing - ExCeL Preliminary M/W £95 £75 £50 £30 £20
Quarter-final M/W £110 £75 £55 £45 £30
Semi-final M £150 £95 £75 £50 £30
W £110 £75 £55 £45 £30
Final M £395 £295 £185 £125 £95
W £275 £185 £125 £95 £50
Canoe Slalom - Lee Valley White Water Centre Preliminary M/W £60 £45 £30 £20
Final M/W £150 £95 £55 £35
Canoe Sprint - Eton Dorney Preliminary M/W Yes £60 £40 £20
Final M/W £95 £55 £35
Cycling - BMX Olympic Park - BMX Circuit Preliminary M/W £95 £65 £55 £40 £20
Final M/W £125 £75 £55 £45 £20
Cycling - Mountain Bike Hadleigh Farm, Essex Final M/W £45 £20
Cycling - Road (Road Race) London Final M/W £60 £40 £20
Cycling - Road (Time Trial) London Final M/W £60 £40 £20
Cycling - Track Olympic Park - Velodrome Preliminary M/W £150 £95 £65 £40 £20
Final M/W £325 £225 £150 £95 £50
Diving Olympic Park - Aquatics Centre Preliminary M/W £150 £95 £65 £40 £20
M/W £175 £120 £80 £50 £30
Semi-final M/W £175 £120 £80 £50 £30
M/W £225 £125 £90 £50 £30
Final M/W £225 £125 £90 £50 £30
M/W £450 £295 £185 £95 £50
Equestrian - Dressage - Greenwich Park Preliminary M/W £95 £65 £40 £20
Final M/W £150 £95 £55 £35
M/W £275 £175 £95 £65
Equestrian - Eventing
(dressage, jumping only) Greenwich Park Preliminary M/W £95 £65 £40 £20
Final M/W £150 £95 £55 £35
Equestrian - Eventing
(cross-country only) Greenwich Park Preliminary M/W £55

Equestrian - Jumping Greenwich Park Preliminary M/W £95 £65 £40 £20
Final M/W £150 £95 £55 £35
M/W £275 £175 £95 £65
Fencing - ExCeL Preliminary M/W Yes £65 £45 £30 £20
Final M/W £95 £65 £45 £30
Football - City of Coventry Stadium, Coventry Preliminary M/W £40 £30 £20
Quarter-final W £50 £40 £20
Bronze W £60 £45 £30
Hampden Park, Glasgow Preliminary M/W £40 £30 £20
Quarter-final W £50 £40 £20
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Preliminary M/W £40 £30 £20
Quarter-final M/W £50 £40 £20
Bronze M £75 £45 £30
Old Trafford, Manchester Preliminary M/W £40 £30 £20
Quarter-final M £50 £40 £20
Semi-final M £125 £75 £45 £30
W Yes £50 £40 £20
St Jamesâ?? Park, Newcastle Preliminary M/W £40 £30 £20
Quarter-final M/W £50 £40 £20
Wembley Stadium Preliminary M/W £60
£45 £30 £20
Quarter-final M £60
£45 £30 £20
Semi-final M £125 £75 £45 £30
W £60
£45 £30 £20
Final M £185 £125 £95 £65 £40
W £125 £95 £65 £45 £30
Gymnastics - Artistic - North Greenwich Arena Preliminary M/W £150 £95 £65 £40 £20
Final M/W £450 £295 £185 £95 £50
Gymnastics - Rhythmic - Wembley Arena Preliminary W £95 £65 £40 £20
Final W £175 £125 £65 £45
Gymnastics - Trampoline - North Greenwich Arena Final M/W £185 £115 £75 £40 £20
Handball - Olympic Park - Handball Arena Preliminary M/W £50 £40 £30 £20
Quarter-final W £75 £50 £35 £20
Olympic Park - Basketball Arena Quarter-final M £75 £50 £35 £20
Semi-final M/W £75 £50 £35 £20
Bronze M/W £95 £65 £45 £35
Final M/W £125 £95 £65 £45
Hockey - Olympic Park - Hockey Centre Preliminary M/W £65 £45 £35 £20
Classification M/W £65 £45 £35 £20
Semi-final M/W £95 £65 £45 £30
Bronze M/W £115 £75 £45 £35
Final M/W £150 £95 £65 £45
Judo ExCeL Preliminary M/W £85 £55 £35 £20
Final M/W £125 £95 £65 £45
Modern Pentathlon Greenwich Park Final M/W £35 £20
All venues Final M/W £75
Rowing - Eton Dorney Preliminary M/W £95 £65 £50 £40 £20
Final M/W £150 £95 £70 £50 £30
Sailing Weymouth and Portland Preliminary M/W £35 £20

Final M/W £55
Shooting - The Royal Artillery Barracks Preliminary M/W Yes £20
Final M/W £30
M/W £40
Swimming - Olympic Park - Aquatics Centre Preliminary M/W £150 £95 £65 £40 £20
Final M/W £450 £295 £185 £95 £50
Swimming - Marathon Hyde Park Final M/W £60 £40 £20
Synchronised Swimming - Olympic Park - Aquatics Centre Preliminary W £95 £75 £50 £30 £20
Final W £175 £120 £80 £50 £30
Table Tennis - ExCeL Preliminary M/W £85 £55 £35 £20
Quarter-final M/W £85 £55 £35 £20
Semi-final M/W £85 £55 £35 £20
Bronze M/W £110 £75 £45 £30
Final M/W £125 £95 £65 £45
Taekwondo - ExCeL Preliminary M/W £60 £45 £30 £20
Quarter-final
Semi-final M/W £85 £55 £35 £20

Final M/W £95 £65 £45 £30
Tennis - Wimbledon - Outer Courts Preliminary M/W £20
Quarter-final M/W £20
Wimbledon - No.1 Court Preliminary M/W £55 £40 £30
Quarter-final M/W £75 £45 £35
Semi-final M/W £75 £45 £35
Bronze M/W Yes £95 £55 £35
Wimbledon - Centre Court Preliminary M/W £85 £65 £55 £40 £30
Quarter-final M/W £115 £75 £65 £45 £35
Semi-final M/W £115 £75 £65 £45 £35
Final M/W £185 £125 £110 £95 £65
M/W £225 £150 £110 £95 £65
Triathlon Hyde Park Final M/W £60 £40 £20
Volleyball - Earls Court Preliminary M/W £65 £55 £45 £30 £20
Quarter-final M/W £95 £65 £55 £45 £30
Semi-final M/W £115 £85 £75 £65 £40
Bronze M/W £115 £85 £75 £65 £40
Final M/W £185 £150 £125 £95 £65
Water Polo - Olympic Park - Water Polo Arena Preliminary M/W £65 £45 £30 £20
Classification M/W £65 £45 £30 £20
Quarter-final M/W £65 £45 £30 £20
Semi-final M/W £95 £65 £45 £30
Final M/W £185 £125 £95 £65
Weightlifting - ExCeL Preliminary M/W £65 £45 £30 £20
Final M/W £125 £95 £65 £45
M/W £175 £125 £65 £45
Wrestling - Freestyle ExCeL Preliminary M/W £65 £45 £35 £20
Final M/W £95 £55 £35 £20
Wrestling - Greco-Roman ExCeL Preliminary M £65 £45 £35 £20
Final M £95 £55 £35 £20
Index:
M: Male
W: Women

Source: www.london2012.com

Monday, October 17, 2011

Canada qualifies 2 marathoners for London Olympics

Reid Coolsaet took a risk in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on Sunday, walked away with a berth in next summer’s London Olympics, and nearly a Canadian record.

The 32-year-old from Hamilton narrowly missed Jerome Drayton’s 36-year-old mark, crossing the line in an unofficial two hours 10 minutes and 55 seconds for a third-place finish. Drayton ran 2:10:09 in Fukoka, Japan, in 1975.

“I decided to roll the dice and [run] with the leaders,” Coolsaet told CBC’s Scott Russell after the race. “I wanted in the middle but because of the wind I had to pick [a race position].

“It was a lot faster than I had planned going out. I thought I’d take a risk today and it kind of blew up in my face at 36, 37 [kilometres]. I didn't think I was running fast anymore and was just happy to be in third overall at that point. Then I came around the corner and saw the clock and was pleasantly surprised to have run a PB [personal best]."

Coolsaet did meet the Canadian Olympic standard of 2:11:29, and will be joined in London by Eric Gillis of Antigonish, N.S., his training partner at Speed River Track Club in Guelph, Ont.

Coolsaet posted his time despite having to take a washroom break at about the 25 km mark.

"It didn't take too much time but obviously I lost contact with the front pack," he said. "Luckily I had a pacer and clawed my way up the next three kilometres and got myself up with that front pack again."
Banner day for Canada

Gillis finished fourth Sunday in an unofficial time of 2:11:28 while Dylan Wykes turned in the third-best Canadian performance.

"I could've just as easily been one second over," said Gillis. "I feel really, really lucky to get that [Canadian Olympic] standard. I couldn't have done it this time last year, I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to go after that. Things are working out well now, things are clicking."

Kenneth Mungara of Kenya won Sunday's Toronto marathon for a fourth consecutive year. He finished in 2:09:51 and Ethiopia's Shami Abdulahi Dawit was second.

"This was a very good day for me but it was very tough because it was very windy and cold," Mungara said.

Coolsaet, who ran more than 200 km a week to prepare for Sunday's marathon, previously ran 2:11:22.5, but that was prior to the official London Olympic qualifying period.

At last year's Toronto marathon, the University of Guelph alumnus recorded the fifth-fastest marathon time for a Canadian.

Bruce Deacon is the last marathoner to represent Canada in the men's event at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where he placed 44th.

Gillis, 31, ran for Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and finished 33rd.

He moved to Guelph five years ago and made his marathon debut last year in Houston, where he posted a time of 2:13:52, more than two minutes longer than Sunday's performance.
Cool, blustery conditions

"It was not perfect out there [with the cool, blustery conditions]," Gillis told Russell after the Toronto marathon, "but we did what we had to do."

Gillis said despite the weather conditions, he felt very good physically through the first 34 kilometres of the race and was on pace to qualify for London comfortably. But that all changed near the end.

"With 300 metres to go, I wasn't sure," he said. "I just knew I had to put my head down and get up on my toes as much as I could.

"The support [in Toronto] is amazing," Gillis told the CBC. "This is officially a big-city race. I welcome everyone to come, either race, participate, watch, raise money. It's an amazing event."

Coolsaet said also having Gillis qualify for London will prove beneficial to both runners.

"Just the fact that now we can work together for the same marathon again is a huge benefit for both of us," he said. "It works both ways and we're really excited to be able to focus on London from here on in."

Ethiopia's Koren Yal was the top female finisher in 2:22.43, with compatriot Mare Dibaba second in 2:23.25. Vancouver's Katherine Moore was eighth in 2:48.48.

Meanwhile, police said a 27-year-old man died after collapsing while running in the event. He was taken to St. Michael's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

London 2102 Olympics: Todd gives another masterclass to the young pretenders

One is  loath to tempt fate  with the show jumping still to come, but even if Mark Todd  does not win Boekelo three-day event tomorrow, it is increasingly difficult to bet against the 55-year-old claiming a fourth Olympic individual medal – 28 years after his first – at London 2012.

With NZB Campino,  a relative newcomer to this level, Todd led both after dressage and cross-country in Holland.  He is the only rider from the first two days to have remained in the top 10, after giving riders of all generations a lesson in bold but economical riding over Sue Benson’s trademark  accuracy fences.

Boekelo is a three-star event, a level  below Badminton and Burghley but always a  fantastically competitive  end to the horse trials season in northern Europe. It’s notable for starting a huge number of horses (110) from more nations (21) than any other comparable  competition; organisers say that 30 per cent of Boekelo runners always go on to the following year’s European championship or Olympic Games, and there will have been extra interest in getting a run this weekend, for Boekelo   is  the last opportunity for many to ride a track designed by Sue Benson before she unveils her Olympic cross-country  at Greenwich next summer.

In May, Todd rode another debutant, NZB Land Vision, to re-write his own extraordinary history by winning his fourth Badminton, 11 years after officially “retiring “ from eventing and going home to New Zealand to train racehorses.  Todd says it took a solid three years to get back to the riding standard he had left off.  His peers voted Todd “Rider of the 20th Century” after he’d apparently hung up his boots. He certainly warrants the billing, for as well as riding as well as ever he has seamlessly assimilated numerous technicalities that changed the character of eventing in his absence.

Boekelo always attracts numerous  Brits,  a mix of established riders with younger  horses ready to be asked  tough questions, and up and coming  riders aiming to cement their own credentials. This year’s was not memorable for the  19 who crossed the channel, with only five  British still in the top 30 after cross-country.

Best is Tina Cook, fifth overnight with De Novo News.  Cook has produced the horse  from his “baby”  days. He is not yet in the same league with his dressage but she will be thrilled to have a capable understudy for 2009 European champion Miners Frolic. The latter missed the 2011 season after suffering life-threatening colitis, which reduced him to a skeletal state, and while  Cook is simply happy he has he survived,  his ability to defend his 2008 Olympic individual bronze is inevitably unclear at this stage.

Domestic distractions may have meant that Zara Phillips did not have the best preparation for Boekelo with Lord Lauries, who won a one-day international in Ireland on his previous outing,  but Boekelo  was a step up both in distance and class  for this German-bred horse and they had a demoralising three refusals at “accuracy” fences when lying third overnight.  However, Phillips’ top string High Kingdom excelled on his  Burghley debut and has put her back in Olympic contention. Even if it’s back to the drawing board with Lord Lauries, she can still be satisfied with her best competitive season since  Toytown’s retirement.

Producing horses to this level is a long game and most major names accept there will be consecutive seasons on the sidelines as they train-up the next  equine generation.  The desire to be part of London 2012 is immense, though, and there is an unusual amount of gossip about negotiations between riders of rival nations  anxious to lease horses from each other for next year.

Two without this imminent worry are William Fox-Pitt and  Mary King, who have qualified over 12 horses between them already.  Missing Boekelo, they   make the long drive south on Monday  to the Pyrennees  where their  season-long tussle for both the world number one slot  and the HSBC Classics series prize comes to a conclusion at Pau.

2012 Olympics broadcast

Ericsson will bring the 2012 London Olympic Games to a global audience of almost 5 billion after supplying the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) with solutions for the delivery of coverage of the event, and other future sporting occasions, to broadcasters around the world.

This premium global sports content will be distributed to EBU members and other rights holders globally over both satellite and fibre networks in MPEG-2 Standard Definition (SD) or MPEG-4 AVC 4:2:2 High Definition (HD) using nearly 1,000 Ericsson RX8200 professional receivers.

This extends the relationship between the EBU and the Ericsson team, which has previously provided the EBU with solutions for major sporting occasions including the 2008 Games in Beijing, Tour De France, Wimbledon and European football.

“The EBU has over 60 years’ experience in delivering premium live content in a seamless, reliable and cost-effective way. We are delighted to extend our relationship with Ericsson for the 2012 Games – the biggest sporting event in the world – to allow us to provide our broadcast customers with the high-quality and flexible service they demand,” said Paolo Pusterla, Head of Procurement & Network Partnerships, EBU.

The EBU operates a global satellite and fibre network out of Geneva, Switzerland, covering all of Europe, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region. The requirements of the broadcasters that it serves for differing equipment configurations and the many and varied ways in which receivers are used are driving the need for a flexible receiver platform. The Ericsson RX8200 Advanced Modular Receiver has been designed to precisely meet these requirements.

“The 2012 Games in London is one of those critical events for which reliability and quality are of absolute paramount importance to the viewer, and therefore to broadcasters as well,” said Staffan Pehrson, Vice-President and Head of Solution Area TV, Ericsson. “The Ericsson team has worked with the EBU for over 14 years on the world’s highest profile sports coverage, supplying the industry’s most advanced solutions for live event broadcasting.”

London 2012 Olympics: Sir Clive Woodward backs technology 'gamechanger' to deliver Olympic golds

Sir Clive Woodward is a man who most English rugby union fans would love to see come to the rescue of the national team after their disastrous World Cup campaign, but he is currently property of the British Olympic Association, where his innovations continue to produce results.

One of his slogans in his previous tenure as head coach of the England team, a time defined both by his methods and his victories, was typical of his efforts to do anything to gain an advantage: "If you win in IT, you tend to win".

Between 1998 and 2004 Woodward implemented a number of methods that raised eyebrows amongst his rivals but that ultimately gave England small "half a per cent" advantages over their opponents. He employed a vast backroom staff including coaches for specific aspects of the game (unheard of at the turn of the century): a masseur, a chef, and even a QC for any legal issues that arose on tours.

Woodward understood that to be the best rugby team in the world the England side had to be the fittest. So he completely revamped the players' health and conditioning habits. Under the advice of their nutritionist - another member of the backroom staff - the England team were put on a high protein diet that prohibited them from eating carbohydrates after lunch and recovery after matches and training was led by the use of ice baths to help halt the build up of lactic acid.

Sherylle Calder, the visualisation coach who had helped establish Australia as the dominant cricket team of the 1990s, was also brought on board by Woodward. She created a software program that players used in training and spoke with them on a one-on-one basis to try to increase their spatial awareness.


Jason Robinson, in tight fitting England kit, scorches over for a try in England's 2003 Rugby World Cup final win over Australia

Every detail was accounted for, even the rugby jerseys the team wore. Woodward had noticed that some of England's fastest players were being prevented from accelerating away because their opponents were able to tug at their jerseys. Their kit suppliers Nike were alerted to the complaint and England entered the World Cup clad in tight-fitting shirts that Woodward insists made his players harder to tackle.

At the Rugby Football Union he also introduced Prozone, an evaluation system that fed back from 12 cameras strapped to the roof of Twickenham, which allowed him to track all the performance levels of his players.

This, he says, allowed England to overtake their southern hemisphere rivals and become the best team in the world, winning the only World Cup victory by a northern hemisphere team in the tournament’s history.

Now in his role of director of elite performance at the BOA Woodward is at it again, determined to make Team GB the most technologically advanced outfit at the London Olympics.

And encouragingly for those who want to see GB athletes on the podium next year, he thinks he has the answer, thanks to the analysis software and storage products provided by a company called Dartfish. Little known outside professional sports, it is creating a minor revolution within them.

Woodward, in fact, rates the Dartfish technology, used by 22 of the BOA's Olympic sport teams, as highly as the Prozone software used on the way to Rugby World Cup victory.

"With England we understood how important technology was,” says Woodward. “So I implemented the use of Prozone and it allowed us to lead the way ahead of the Aussies and the Kiwis.

"We’ve now set up an IT hub down in Stratford where we're planning on getting live feeds from the all London 2012 events, and we're hoping to work with Dartfish in terms of the overall software programme that we're using."

The intention is for the BOA to use the live video footage provided by the Olympic Broadcasting Services during the Games and plug that footage into the Dartfish software. Coaches on the sidelines during live events are then able to watch and analyse the pictures using their iPhones and iPads and can make live decisions based on real-time performance.

London 2012, Atos launch Technology Operations Centre

The launch of the centre follows the first phase of London Prepares Series

London 2012 and Atos, the IT Partner for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, have launched the Technology Operations Centre.

The new centre is designed to be the mission control for all 94 Olympic competition and non-competition venues.

Atos said the launch of Technology Operations Centre follows the first phase of the London Prepares Series.

Technology Operations Centre monitors and controls the IT systems that deliver the results from all the Olympic and Paralympic sports competitions to the world's media in real time and Atos expects to process 30% more results data than in Beijing, said the company.

Atos predicts that the London Games are set with 8.5 billion PCs, smartphones and tablets connected to the Internet by 2012.

In this year's Summer Olympics, all 26 Olympic sports and 5 of the Paralympic sports have been added to the Commentator Information System (CIS). The CIS is managed, centrally from the Technology Operations Centre to enable commentators and journalists with touch-screen technology that gives results in real time.

Broadcasters will have access both in London and their home countries to the system for all Olympic and 5 Paralympic sports, said Atos.

When the Games are on, the Technology Operations Centre will operate at full capacity with about 450 business technologists covering 180 positions to manage and monitor the technology infrastructure and systems including IT security, telecommunications, power and the results systems.

Atos said the first phase of the London Prepare Series serve as the first real life practice events for not just athletes, but also the technology team, as well as the media, and the venues themselves.

During the 79 days of competition, the London 2012 technology team, Atos and all the technology partners set up and took down almost 180 servers, over 1160 PCs and laptops, 190 network and security devices and more than 400 printers and copiers, said the company.
International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said technology is radically changing how spectators enjoy the Olympic Games.

"The IOC is very impressed with the progress of the preparations in London," said Rogge.

London 2012 chief executive Paul Deighton said technology often goes unnoticed and yet is absolutely critical to London 2012 success in 2012.

"The Games cannot happen without technology and I am delighted that that our London 2012 Technology team together with Atos and the team of technology partners are on track to deliver the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012," said Deighton.

Atos Iberia Olympics and Major Events CEO Patrick Adiba said Technology Operations Centre will be the central technology hub providing the results to the Olympic family and world's media in less than a second, so spectators around the world can follow events in real time wherever they are and on any device.

"Today is a major technology milestone and demonstrates that we are on target to deliver the London 2012 Games," said Adiba.

London 2012 Olympics: officials to be questioned by Parliament over collapse of stadium deal

The news came on the day that the West Ham deal collapsed, leaving a black hole of £100 million that may have to be funded by the taxpayer.

Andrew Altman, chief executive of the Olympic Park Legacy Company responsible for negotiations with West Ham, is among the officials who will be called before the influential Public Accounts Committee on Dec 14.

Details of the inquiry can be disclosed as it emerged that the collapse of West Ham’s deal to take over the Olympic Stadium has left a shortfall in the public funding package.

Margaret Hodge MP, the committee’s chairman, said the cost of reconfiguring the stadium was certain to be raised by MPs. She said that the officials in charge “appear to be oblivious to the constraints that the rest of the public sector are experiencing.”

Dennis Hone, chief executive of the Olympic Development Authority, Paul Deighton, chief executive of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, and Jonathan Stephens, the most senior civil servant at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, will also be questioned.


Newham and the Government blamed “legal paralysis” caused by Tottenham and Leyton Orient, who have demanded a judicial review scheduled to be heard next Tuesday.

Newham were also facing an anonymous complaint to the European Commission, arguing that their loan constituted illegal state aid.

There was also the possibility that Newham-West Ham could lose the case if it went to a full hearing. Leyton Orient were increasingly confident about the strength of their case.

The hearing will come after the National Audit Office, the public spending watchdog, publishes a value-for-money review of the Olympics in the next few weeks.

The OPLC confirmed on Tuesday that it had ended negotiations with West Ham and funding partner Newham Council because legal challenges meant they could no longer guarantee to have the stadium open for the start of the 2014-15 football season.

The OPLC said it would issue new tender documents for a 60,000-seat stadium retaining the running track by early next month and is seeking expression of interest by January. The intention is for the stadium to remain in public ownership with the successful bidder paying an annual rent of around £2 million.

Under the new proposal, however, the cost of converting the stadium from its 85,000 Olympic capacity to a 60,000-seat arena with the facilities required by a Premier League football club will fall to the taxpayer.

Sports minister Hugh Robertson said on Tuesday that the cost was estimated at £95 million.


Some £35 million of that has already been allocated by the OPLC to a conversion fund, but the remaining £60million is likely to be met from public funds unless a tenant can be persuaded to contribute.

Estimates on Tuesday night suggested the costs could exceed £100 million.

The OPLC and Government would hope to recover the investment in rent over the lifetime of the stadium. They will also hope to attract other sports and concert promoters to show an interest.

Robertson suggested that Newham might be persuaded to provide £40 million to the conversion costs as under the initial deal with West Ham, but conceded that there was no requirement for them to do so.

West Ham immediately said they would bid to move to the stadium. Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said the new tenants would “almost certainly be West Ham”. This drew an angry response and the threat of further legal action from Leyton Orient, who are also intent on bidding for the stadium, which is less than a mile from Brisbane Road.

“It appears from the mayor’s comments that he has not grasped the reality of an impartial tender process unless he knows something that we don’t,” club chairman Barry Hearn said.

“One would have thought that if there have been any lessons from this debacle of a bid process that they have not been learnt. We will be watching carefully.”

Chelsea and QPR, both exploring new stadium options, last night said they were not interested. Tottenham will examine the tender documents but if the track is non-negotiable they will concentrate on securing additional public sector funding for their new ground in Haringey.

Leyton Orient will go to the High Court on Thursday seeking to recover their full costs.

Andrew Boff, Olympic spokesman for the Conservative Group on the London Assembly, branded the collapse “a catastrophe” and blamed London 2012 chairman Lord Coe for insisting the running track be kept.

The announcement was welcomed by Johnson and UK Athletics, who believe the commitment to retain the track will enhance their bid for the 2017 World Athletics Championships.

What the OPLC decision means for the key players in stadium drama

UK ATHLETICS
The decision represents a welcome boost to UKA, as it guarantees the retention of a running track – crucial for London’s bid to host the 2017 World Championships. Athletics is the major beneficiary without contributing any funding.

What they say: UKA chairman Ed Warner: "The legacy company has acted swiftly and smartly. They’re going to get a positive result.”

OLYMPIC PARK LEGACY COMPANY
A serious embarrassment. They had been confident the deal with West Ham would survive legal challenges. They will now have to spend up to £100 million of public money on transforming the stadium.

What they say: Sports Minister Hugh Robertson: "This is not a white elephant. The action we have taken today is about removing uncertainty.”

WEST HAM
West Ham appear to remain the OPLC’s preferred bidder for the £2 million-a-year tenancy. This new scenario could be a better deal for the club, who could not have afforded to move into the stadium without the £40 million of state aid promised by Newham Council. That money was under threat if Tottenham and Leyton Orient had won their High Court case against the West Ham-Newham bid.

What they say: Karren Brady, vice-chairman: "Our bid is the only one that will secure the sporting and community legacy promise.”

TOTTENHAM
The club welcomed the decision and will look at the OPLC’s tenancy terms. But if a running track is non-negotiable, they have already stated they are not interested. Instead they will focus on securing public funding for a new stadium in Haringey.

What they say: Club statement: "The bid we put forward was a realistic solution.”

LEYTON ORIENT
A major victory for the League One club in the short term. The decision does not banish their big fear – West Ham moving in – but they will now bid to become the stadium’s tenant.

What they say: Chairman Barry Hearn: "If it’s not us moving in, we will continue to object.”

London ready for 2012 “Great” Olympic Games - UK High Commissioner declares

With a little less than a year to go for the 2012 London Olympics, the UK High Commissioner to Ghana, Peter Jones, has declared London ready and good to go for the world’s most glamorous sporting event.

According to him, the infrastructure for the event are all ready for use, a sharp contrast to previous events in which host cities raced against time to complete the stadia on time for the competition.

"We are on track. The good news is that most of the stadiums and the sporting venues are already available. As you probably know, for international sporting events, that’s kind of unusual. Normally there is a rush towards the end. But we got ours completed with a year to go,” Jones stated.

He was speaking to Myjoyonline.com during the second inter-Embassy competition held at the El-wak Sports Stadium over the week-end.

Describing the London Olympics as the “Great Games” he said the 2012 edition “is going to be one of the best games ever.”

Whilst assuring that Great Britain will put up a spirited performance in the competition, the honour for individual athletes to participate in such an event was for him more crucial than the league table.

Peter Jones said London and indeed the UK will look forward to 2012 with great expectation largely because apart from the Olympics, the Queen will be celebrating her 60th Anniversary on the throne, a magnificent feat worth celebrating.

“It is going to be a terrific year. We are going to have the whole world looking at us,” he intimated.

Healthy competition

 London ready for 2012 “Great” Olympic Games - UK High Commissioner declares

The UK football team against the US

As if by design, it was the turn of the UK High Commission in Ghana to organize this year’s edition of the inter-Embassy competition and they did so with panache.

The USA, Japan, Spanish, Chinese, India, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Embassies and High Commission competed in various games, including five-aside football, table tennis, athletics, volley ball, basket ball, chess, Tug of peace and scrabble.

For embassy officials, who often, have been offering visas or ‘bouncing’ others, it was a rare opportunity to flex their muscles in a healthy competitive atmosphere.

The host Embassy won gold in the table tennis – men division with their women winning silver in the female division. Their female again won gold in the football tournament.

The Spanish Embassy showed why Spain and Barcelona are the current World and European Club champions by winning the male football competition.

The US dominated the Basketball competition by winning gold in both the male and female divisions. The US men again won gold in both the Volley ball and Tug of Peace events.

Denmark (men) won the chess competition, with Japan (men) winning 100 meters event. The Indian women picked silver in the women 100m event.

Canada won gold in the 4×100 male and female event.

The games were also to afford embassy officials and employees the opportunity to get to familiarize with each other.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

London 2012 Olympics: Smart phone strategy needed to secure memorable Games

What will everyone be saying about London and how the city coped with hosting the Olympic Games when it comes to 2013 or 2023?

Will it be that the city, a global financial centre, didn't miss a beat? That the Olympics saved the British economy? Tourists flocked to London? The transport system heaved but coped?

While transport and security are the two big unknowns, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson last week noted what he thought was a real reputational risk to the city – communications. He highlighted his concerns about the increasing reliance on smart phone technology and the challenges the city faces in keeping up with that demand as well as the exponential pressures hosting the Olympic Games will put on the communications systems.

His nightmare could be the world thinking: "London Olympics was a communications disaster."

Johnson is right, because the main commentators and journalists who arrive in London from afar rely on that technology and if it doesn't work adequately the whole world will know.

The London organisers haven't helped matters by charging each journalist £150 for computer access at the Olympic venues. So the first story written about London will be how WiFi and computer access is expensive. That fact, coupled with the constant phone drop outs in the middle of the city, even now, ahead of the Games, give potential for widespread negativity.

But as historians well know, the further in the past an event is, the larger the discrepancies of the facts are. In the past eight months at various breakfasts and conferences there has been a revision of history of previous Olympics and the reputational risks they encountered. The Sydney 2000 Olympics boosted the city’s tourism or caused dramatic falls in tourist numbers, depending on the speakers point of view. Atlanta was, according to various politicians and experts, a complete disaster because of the traffic congestion. And Beijing, despite its spectacular opening ceremony, couldn't attract crowds to the competition.

That all of these statements are incorrect matters for naught. As London will experience, it is the perception rather than the reality that is important.

Sydney did suffer a small drop in tourism numbers the following year because of the 9/11 terror attacks. Atlanta's traffic was not a problem, it was the hub and spoke system of transporting athletes that caused issues, and the city's reputation collapsed because of poor technology, a failure to control street vendors and the pipe bombing. As for Beijing, tickets were officially sold out – just as they are for London – but some events had a poor turnout of Communist Party officials from distant regions, who had been given corporate tickets, while government security fears restricted access to some open events like the road race.

All of this means, of course, that London officials need to make sure their communications system is robust enough to deal with the spike during the Olympics. Johnson is talking positively, saying he is confident all well be well. He knows, at the very least, to make it appear as if London is coping.

Friday, September 30, 2011

London 2012 Olympics diary: athletes help Mark Ronson find his rhythm

DJ and producer Mark Ronson,  famed for producing Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen, has collaborated with Katy B for Coca Cola's Olympic campaign.

Ronson recorded sounds athletes make, including the click clack of the ball hit by British table tennis player Darius Knight.

"But the sounds Darius creates, his grunts squeals and stuff are unusual and great," said Ronson, who has just one athlete left to record, the US hurdler David Oliver.

Ronson said he tempted Russian 400m runner Kseniya Vdovina onto a treadmill so he could accurately record her heartbeat at 120 beats per minute, the speed of the soundtrack.

Ronson said interesting sounds emanated from Mexican taekwondo athlete Maria Espinoza "when she kicks the crap out of people".

Coke erected a huge stage in the carpark of Forman's Fish Island, with the Olympic stadium as a backdrop, for the filming of a documentary about the ad. But no dieters here. Coke bottles and cans were everywhere, with the Diet Coke hidden out of sight.

Secret swim

Next Friday the British swim team members will have a swim in the Olympic Aquaticc Centre. But don't tell anybody. London olympic officials have told the swimmers the event is "top secret".

Televised? To who?

I'm just wondering what the Transport for London managing director Leon Daniels was doing during the Olympic road cycling test event.

Daniels has told the London Assembly that the event "was also a large,televised international event… it provided a number of benfits, not least of which was highlighting London as a cycling city to the world".

As Telegraph Sport readers know, the event wasn't televised anywhere except a few highlights a week later on the BBC.

Sky TV was specifically refused permission to film the race. Daniels also claimed "there was some very localised congestion".. but said it was "managed and minimised".

Hmm, some Surrey drivers stuck in five mile queues for five hours might beg to differ.

Drug cheats airbrushed from Games

LaShawn Merritt, the American runner infamous for use a 'male enhancement product' and testing positive to drugs will discover next Thursday if his appeal against the IOC's mandatory four year ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport is successful.

If so, Britain's own drug users like David Millar and Dwain Chambers could stage their own legal battle to have the British Olympic Association's life ban similarly disregarded.

Still, that won't help Linford Christie's persona non grata status around Olympic circles. Locog chairman Sebastian Coe has a strict drug-free association for anyone working on the Games.

TV rules OK

What are the chances distance running great Haile Gebrselassie will force a re-think on the start time of the London 2012 Olympic marathon? Gebrselassie wants it two hours earlier at 9am, but broadcasters say that's way too early for the prime US audience.

What TV wants, TV gets: remember the bizarre morning finals for the swimming at the Beijing Olympics?

England's green and pleasant land

Fields In Trust, the authority that oversees the 471 King George's Fields across the country, is looking to expand the numbers of protected national playing fields, trails, play areas and gardens to a total of 2012 to honour the Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee and the London Olympics.

Olympic legal sponsor Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is helping to formalise the deals.

Day of destiny for 2017 bid

The world athletics body IAAF will be in London next week, running their eye over the city's bid to host the 2017 world track and field championships and signing off the red-coloured athletics track that has been laid at the Olympic stadium.

No surprise the Mayor of London Boris Johnson wanted an immediate response from Tottenham Hotspur to accept a £17 million funding package and drop their legal action against the Olympic Park Legacy Company.

The continual court threats are weighing heavily against the athletics bid.


Friday, September 9, 2011

London 2012 Paralympic Games tickets now on sale

In the UK and within the EU, people can apply for tickets online between 9am on 9 September and 6pm on 26 September 2011.

Approximately two million tickets will go on sale to the public between now and Games time, with 1.5 million being available in this first phase.

A third of tickets are priced at £5, half of tickets priced at £10 or less and three quarters of tickets are £20 or less. As with Olympic Games tickets, the system is not first come, first served and there is no advantage to applying earlier in the process.

Tickets for oversubscribed sessions will be allocated via a ballot. Payment will be taken by 31 October 2011 with notification of whether applications have been successful sent by 18 November 2011.
Sebastian Coe, Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG), commented: 'The Paralympic Games are coming home in 2012 and I’m confident that the whole country will get behind them. People will have the chance to see sport like never before, with world class athletes who challenge the notion of 'disability'; it’s a huge opportunity for Paralympic sport to become part of the nation’s consciousness and finally, it will be a moment of extraordinary pride.'

Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee, said: 'Those who buy tickets for London 2012 will see sport like never before, featuring incredible athletes participating in incredible sport. These Games are an opportunity to drive societal change and create a legacy for this country that was first started in 1948 at Stoke Mandeville.'

Different types of tickets

In total there will be over 300 sessions across the 20 Paralympic sports at 20 venues. Day passes will be available exclusively for the Paralympic Games, enabling spectators to see a range of sports taking place in the Olympic Park, ExCeL or The Royal Artillery Barracks on that day on a general admission basis.

A Group Organiser scheme has also been created which will see large groups receive additional tickets at no extra charge.

Truly accessible Games

LOCOG is also committed to making sure that the London 2012 Games will be the most accessible possible and that everyone has the opportunity to be involved. A variety of schemes have been announced including the ‘Ticketcare’ scheme, which will enable any successful ticket applicant with high dependency care needs to apply for an additional ticket for their carer or Personal Assistant.

Tickets for the London 2012 Paralympic Games are now on sale around the world.

How to apply for tickets for the Paralympic Games

Many of us were caught out by the huge demand for tickets for next year’s London Olympics events. The good news is that from today, you can apply for tickets to the London 2012 Paralympic Games. This takes place immediately after the main Olympics in the same venues, so you’ll be able to enjoy the excitement of this once-in-a-lifetime event at the same iconic London 2012 arenas and Olympic venues.

Applications for tickets to the Paralympic Games 2012 are open from today until 6pm on 26 September. Tickets will be allocated on a lottery basis. Successful applications will be notified and payment taken by 31 October.

To apply, you need to create a London 2012 Ticketing account at http://www.tickets.london2012.com/.com. In order to be able to apply via the UK ticketing service you need to be at least 16 years of age and have a valid Visa card with which to pay for your tickets. The Visa card must be valid until at least 31 October 2011 so payments can be processed. You also need to be resident in the UK or one of the designated European Union countries listed at http://www.tickets.london2012.com/eligibility_p2.html

London 2012 Paralympics tickets siteAnyone resident elsewhere needs to apply for tickets through the National Olympic Committee website of the country where they live.

Assuming you are eligible to apply for tickets via the London 2012 Tickets website, press the ‘Click to get started’. Read through the details of eligibility before pressing the Apply Now lozenge. Note that you’ll be able to choose between a general access day pass or for seats to a specific Paralympic Games event. Tickets for some events also include day pass access to the Olympic site.

Fill out the registration information requested and submit your application. A temporary password will be generated. Once you’ve received this by email, use it to log in to the site and change the password to something more memorable. The current status of your applications will be shown.

London 2012 Paralympics application statusClick on 'Apply for London 2012 Paralympics tickets now'. You’ll now see a dropdown list of venues, sports and dates. Decide the events or venues for which you’d like to apply for tickets and click Search to find further details and pricing.

Select a date and session that suits, then scroll down to specify the number of tickets you’d like and the price band. Click Select to add them to your account. You can add further ticket applications now or at a later date, but you will only be able to submit one application using your London 2012 Ticketing account. Paper applications are also accepted, but instead not in addition to the online application. You can apply for Paralympics Games tickets at any point from today until 6pm on 26 September. As with applications for the main London 2012 Olympics tickets, applications for oversubscribed events will be subject to a ballot (lottery).

London 2012 Paralympics choose tickets

 
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