Young people audition to take part in the Opening Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony is a celebration showcasing the best of the Host Nation. It also features a parade of all competing nations and the highly anticipated entrance of the Olympic Flame, which ignites the Cauldron and signals the start of the Games.

The eyes of the world will be on London for the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. The Ceremony will provide an opportunity for the world to view the artistic expression of the Artistic Director (Danny Boyle) and his team, and the culture of our Host City and the UK. There are certain elements that must feature in every Ceremony, as outlined in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) charter. The artistic performance of the Ceremony then gets underway and welcomes the world to the London 2012 Games.

The name of the Olympic Opening Ceremony show will be ‘Isles of Wonder’ and the worldwide broadcast will commence at 9pm. The Ceremony will kick off with the sound of the largest harmonically tuned bell in Europe, produced by the Whitechapel Foundry, and the Stadium will be transformed into the British countryside for opening scene ‘Green and Pleasant’, which includes real farmyard animals. The Ceremony will also include a special sequence celebrating the best of British, featuring volunteer performers from the NHS.

Danny Boyle, Artistic Director of the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony, said: ‘Our Isles of Wonder salutes and celebrates the exuberant creativity of the British genius in an Opening Ceremony that we hope will be as unpredictable and inventive as the British people.’

Receiving the Head of State

The Head of State of the Host Country is received at the entrance of the Olympic Stadium by the President of the IOC. For the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony, Her Majesty the Queen will be greeted by Jacques Rogge.

Parade of Athletes

A procession of the participating teams in the Stadium, nation by nation. Teams enter in alphabetical order, according to the language of the Host Country, apart from the Greek team, which enters first for the Olympics, and the team of the Host Nation (in this case Team GB), who march in last.

Speeches

Once all the nations have arrived into the Stadium, LOCOG Chair Seb Coe will give a speech, followed by Jacques Rogge. They will end their speeches by inviting the Head of State to officially declare the Games open.

Olympic Anthem and Flag

Once the Games have been declared open, the Olympic Flag is then carried into the Stadium and hoisted into the air as the respective Anthem is played. The Olympic Charter states that each flag must fly for the entire duration of the Games – placed in a prominent position in the main Stadium.

Oaths

A participating athlete, judge and coach from the Host Nation stand on the rostrum and, holding a corner of the IOC flag in their left hand and raising their right, take the Oath, vowing to compete and judge according to the rules of their respective sport,.

The Torch and Cauldron

The big finale is the entrance of the Olympic Flame into the Stadium. It is passed through the athletes to the final Torchbearer, who will ceremoniously light the Cauldron, indicating the beginning of the Games. The Flame will continue to burn for the whole of the Games.

Creative team

A host of world-class British directors and producers are leading the artistic team to stage the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Performers

A total cast of 15,000 will take part in the London 2012 Opening and Closing Ceremonies, which will be watched by an estimated audience of four billion. 

Read more »

Posted in: London 2012 Olympic Games,Opening Ceremony

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more »

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more »

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

London 2012 Olympics: 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.

Read more »

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

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.

Read more »

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

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

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.

Read more »

Posted in: London 2012,London 2012 Olympic,London 2012 Olympic Coins,London 2012 Olympic Games,London 2012 Olympics,London 2012 Ticket Sales,London 2012 Tickets

International Paralympic Day

Paralympic sport was celebrated in Trafalgar Square yesterday as Paralympic athletes showcased the 20 Paralympic sports of the 2012 Games, including Wheelchair Basketball, Powerlifting and Wheelchair Rugby.

Paralympic tickets are on sale now until 26 September 2011, so don’t miss your chance to see these exciting sports next year.

Read more »

Posted in: London 2012 Olympic Games,London Paralympics 2012,paralympic games,paralympics tickets,sport tourism,trafalgar square

£10m deal makes Stratford City official Olympic shopping mall

Europe's largest urban shopping mall will get an Olympic makeover using the London 2012 brand and logo.

Its Australian owners hope the exclusive marketing rights will give the development a boost when it opens next Tuesday.

In return, Games organiser Locog has secured floorspace in the 1.9million sq ft centre which forms a gateway to the Olympic Park. An official merchandise store will open next month and will be crucial to London 2012 reaching its target of raising £80 million through sales of licensed products.

Locog, which will employ 200,000 people at next summer's peak, will also use the mall as an operational and logistics hub by taking over the 3,000-space car park and setting up temporary offices. The mall will also host the official hospitality zone for Team GB.

Westfield has handed over cash for part of the deal but the largest part is believed to be "value-in-kind" use of the shopping centre.

Games chiefs commonly sign licensing deals with retail chains but it is thought to be the first time a shopping centre has bought official Olympic status.

Three quarters of Olympic spectators will be routed through the mall, passing along the tree-lined Chestnut Plaza before entering security checks.

Separate to the deal, Locog has taken the 600-plus rooms in Stratford City's three hotels, the Holiday Inn, Premier Inn and Stalybridge Rooms. The deal with Westfield takes Locog to its £700million domestic sponsorship target with revenues going towards the £2billion-plus cost of the Games.

Locog chief executive Paul Deighton said: "With Westfield Stratford City on the doorstep of the Olympic Park and set to be a major destination for athletes and spectators alike at Games-time, it is an obvious and perfect fit."

Michael Gutman, managing director for Westfield UK/Europe and New Markets, said: "We are delighted to be extending our relationship with Locog."

Read more »

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

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.

Read more »

Posted in: London 2012,London 2012 Olympic,London 2012 Olympic Games,London 2012 Olympics,London 2012 Olympics Online,London 2012 Olympics Tickets,London 2012 Stadium,London 2012 Ticket Sales,London 2012 Tickets

Join us as we count down to London 2012

Haverhill Paralympian and London 2012 hopeful Caroline Maclean

Published on Friday 22 July 2011 11:30

The clock has been ticking down to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games ever since International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge made the dramatic announcement at 12.49pm on Wednesday, July 6, 2005.

But after years of preparation, just 52 weeks will remain next Friday before the torch is lit and the curtain rises on the Games of the XXX Olympiad.

Over the next year, the Haverhill Echo will be guiding you through the build up to the “greatest show on earth” as Great Britain hosts its first Olympics since London 1948.

A number of gold medal hopefuls will be hoping to reach the top of the podium on home soil, including Paralympian Caroline Maclean — who will be hoping to compete at her fourth Games.

But we will be bringing you a range of Olympic and Paralympic updates and information, from our local medal hopefuls to where you can participate in a range of sports that will be featured at the Games.

We also want to hear your 2012 stories.

Were you lucky enough to receive the best seats in the Olympic Stadium for the 100m final?

Have you been involved in putting the Games together?

Or will you have a role to play when the best athletes in the world reach our shores next summer?

Whatever your Olympic story is, we would like to hear it.

Contact us by writing to: Olympic Stories, Sports Desk, Haverhill Echo, 7 Queen’s Square, Haverhill, Suffolk, CB9 9EG.

Altervatively, email: sport@haverhillecho.co.uk or call the sports desk on 01440 764004.

Olympic Headlines

Open water swimmer Keri-Ann Payne becomes the first Brit to qualify for the 2012 Games.

The 23-year-old won gold at the Fina World Championships 10k event.

Great Britain’s track and field team will not be allowed to attend the opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium.

UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee told the BBC: “It doesn’t fit in the professional preparation for the biggest event of your life.”

For all the latest sport see yesterday’s (Thursday, July 21) Echo.

Read more »

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

Now the 2012 Olympic Games is faster, higher, stronger And FATTER!

The organisers of the London 2012 Olympic Games have sold out to McDonald's so spectacularly I wouldn't be surprised if Jessica Ennis collects her medal on the podium and is then asked 'Do you want fries with that?'

If you missed the grotesque development I'm referring to, allow me to provide a free refill - I mean recap. McDonald's has been allowed to open its largest-ever 'restaurant' right in the heart of the Olympic Park, a facility stretching 3,000sq metres across two floors, with three more of its burger outlets plonked elsewhere on the 2012 site.

Supersized: An image of the record-breaking McDonald's restaurant in the Olympic village at Stratford

Apparently this centrepiece McDonald's will have 1,500 seats and 'brightly coloured stools', which is an unfortunate by-product of selling all that fast food I suppose. There are also claims it will provide the largest peacetime catering operation the country has ever seen.

Well done everyone. Kerching! Defibrillators all round.

The Golden Arches of the American burger giants have been entwined with the five Olympic rings in a mutually beneficial death grip for so long we almost forget to be staggered by the strange marriage sport forges with junk food.

The idea McDonald's is even allowed to be a sponsorship partner for sport or pretend it in any way contributes to sporting prowess is simply illogical.

Talk about mixed messages. I haven't been this confused since my accountant told me I could save money by giving to charity. It's like tackling global warming by putting air conditioning units on the polar ice caps to keep them cool.

But there are times when a few words of sense remind us of the underlying idiocy behind these associations; step forward Olympic silver medal-winning boxer Amir Khan.

Asked about McDonald's massive presence at London 2012 he said: 'This is clearly sending the wrong signal to kids and young people. If we want them to be healthy and educate them to eat healthily, we need to think about approaching them in a different way, especially around sport.

'The Olympics are a great opportunity to show young people what types of food they need in different aspects of their lives. I think this is a mistake.'

And there you have it. Khan had landed one of the more meaningful punches of his life. A top athlete had reminded the 2012 organisers that their responsibilities extend beyond merely clearing a space for a burger giant in return for a supersized cheque.

McDonald's (and Coca-Cola and others) tip money into sport's pockets because it is a wonderful public relations exercise. They want you to make an automatic, often subliminal, link between their brand and sporting excellence.

At this point some paid lackey will be emailing me to point out how much money McDonald's puts into youth coaching.

One of its executives even argued recently that its initiatives offer youngsters a chance to burn off excess calories accumulated by eating junk food. (At places like, McDonald's for instance).

That may be the case. I will even concede it is possible to eat at McDonald's every single day and not gain any weight. And here's how you do it:

• Take your Big Mac and remove the meat slices...
• Place the two burgers carefully over your eyes...
• Lick the mayo off the underside of roll while eating the gherkin...
• Then nibble the remaining items while standing on one leg.

You might feel ridiculous as you do this, but you won't be half as ridiculous as the people who think you can eat McDonald's every day and not gain any weight.

The global companies would prefer you to forget their sweaty, artery-clogging burgers made from '100 per cent beef' - and definitely not ground up cow's lips, eyelids and bumholes as some claim - are unlikely to ever make you a champion. They hope you will forget their tooth-rotting fizzy concoction contains 10 teaspoons of sugar in every can as well.

They want you to believe Big Macs and Coca-Cola are a natural fit with sporting endeavour, which is why footballers are paid to kick a ball about in front of their logos and why athletes will swear a trip to McDonald's once in a blue moon won't do any harm, when they are at a McDonald's event.

Of course it won't. The odd burger is fine for someone doing regular exercise. But the target audience for these initiatives are usually far too busy eating McNuggets in front of the Nintendo to do any running about.

Childhood obesity has more than doubled in the last decade. One in four children is now officially obese. Diabetes is on the rise and a lack of education about dietary habits is a root cause.

Hanging a medal around Ronald McDonald's neck at the biggest sporting festival this country has ever held isn't going to reverse that alarming trend, although it might accelerate it.

This is not about food snobbery, either. I am not a vegetarian, a food Nazi or a 'fussy eater' (a euphemism for 'brat'). I eat anything and have a healthy appetite. Admittedly, that has caused problems . There was the unfortunate night in the French restaurant when I said: 'Waiter, I'm so hungry I could eat a horse' and he took the remark more literally than I'd intended.

But sports authorities are plain greedy. Football clubs run around selling alcohol brands on the front of their jerseys, yet fans can't buy a beer at the ground. Gambling is the preserve of the over-16s, but children have the names of various bookmakers on their football shirts.

Cigarette brands, once the mother lode of commercial partnerships, are now considered sponsorship lepers.

I don't suppose one cigarette every few weeks will do much harm to the system either, but they were still rightly banned from any association with sport because they were plain unhealthy.

Sport has obligations that go beyond making cash, but it has been surrendered here.

Naturally, the Government hasn't said a peep. It has stood idly by, salivating at the sweet smell of money mixed with deep-fried fat wafting towards them.

It made a mockery of the guff about how 2012 would bring great health benefits and be 'the real legacy of the Games'.

It's nothing new, of course. Back in Roman times, Emperors distracted the public from the issues of the day with food and spectacular contests at their colosseums, a policy the poet Juvenal described as 'bread and circuses'. It seems little has changed, except the price, although ' burgers and circuses' might be more accurate these days.

A brilliant Oscar win

There were two truly heartening Olympic stories this week. First among them was the sight of the incredible double amputee Oscar Pistorius qualifying for the 400metres at the 2012 Games.

The man erased boundaries between the Olympics and Paralympics with one astonishing run. It is a remarkable achievement. Pistorius is already a winner at London.

Blades of glory: Oscar Pistorius deserves his place at London 2012

The British have an Olympic sensation too. The world champion open water swimmer Keri-Anne Payne was the country's first athlete to qualify for 2012 and is sure to be one of the faces of the Games. I know how much hard work she puts in. She deserves every success coming her way.

Williams is just the moan man

Tiger Woods' caddie Steve Williams got a little carried away with his Aretha Franklin this week.

After hearing his 12-year job hauling a bag around for the once brilliant golfer turned waitress botherer was over, Williams demanded some R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

'I think anybody in my situation would say they didn't have total respect and that respect would have to be earned,' he moaned. 'Obviously this is certainly not earning my respect. I told him he had to earn my respect back.

'He was aware of that and right now I've lost a tremendous amount of respect for him. Through time I hope he can gain my respect back. He definitely needs to earn my respect again, that's for sure.'

Tiger attack: Axed caddie Steve Williams (left)

He may have added: 'And all I'm asking in return, honey, Is to give me my profits, when you get home - just a little bit'. But I can't verify that last extract because by then he was talking to the hand.

Remember this caddie got more than just a little bit. Tiger once gave the bag carrier a Ford GT worth $140,000 after winning a tournament. In fact, the sublime sporting talent of Woods earned Williams an estimated $12million in their time together.

That is for reading a yardage chart, wiping a nine iron with a towel, holding a flagpole and then saying 'it looks like it might go left to right'. But not in a lap dancing club, of course. Because Williams says he knew nothing about Woods' insanely manic private life during their time together, which is an extraordinary admission over 12 years.

So either he's covering his tracks with the missus, or the two men had a relationship based on pure business, not friendship.

Either way - with respect, Steve - do shut up. What you want? You know you got it.

Not so hot off the press

Breaking transfer news: Cesc Fabregas still wants to join Barcelona; Carlos Tevez still intends to join a club that isn't in Manchester; Luka Modric is at Tottenham but still doesn't want to be and Wesley Sneijder is still earning a lot of money at Inter Milan and seems far from inclined to give it up.

That's right, people. The situation is constantly changing by the hour.

Read more »

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

London 2012 Celebrates 500 Days To Go As Tickets Go On Sale

©LOCOG

London 2012 began its 500-days-to-go celebrations yesterday with the unveiling of the OMEGA countdown clock in Trafalgar Square. As official timekeeper for the London 2012 Games, OMEGA has provided a large countdown clock that will allow Londoners to see the days, hours, minutes and seconds until London’s big day on 27 July 2012 – the day of the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. In addition, Olympic tickets have also gone on sale around the world, with sports and Olympic fans now able to apply to see the world’s best athletes compete at the Games.

The Greatest Tickets on Earth

Described by London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) Chairman Sebastian Coe as the “greatest tickets on earth”, now is your chance to apply for tickets to the London 2012 Olympic Games. UK and residents of designated European countries can apply through London 2012’s ticketing website at any time during the 42-day application period. It is not a first-come, first-served system within the UK, so take your time and decide which events you want to try and attend with your family and friends. Fans living outside the UK (including in the designated European countries) will be able to apply for tickets through their local National Olympic Committee (NOC) and/or its Authorised Ticket Reseller (ATR). Sales processes may vary according to territory, so fans are encouraged to contact their NOC and/or local ATR for more details. We are proud to work with Worldwide TOP Partner Visa as the exclusive payment services provider.

Be There

Summing up what fans can expect in 2012, LOCOG Chairman Coe said, “London will be a fantastic place to be in the summer of 2012, with a unique atmosphere, and we look forward to welcoming the world to our city and to the UK. There is a huge range of tickets available, to see the best athletes in the world competing. My message is simple – be there.”

Counting Down

The OMEGA countdown clock was unveiled by four Olympic gold medallists from Team GB - rowers Pete Reed and Andy Hodge and sailors Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson. It stands 6.5 metres high, is 5 metres long and weighs around 4 tonnes. Its design reflects the look of the Games, with the beams of light on the clock being inspired by London and its connection with the Meridian Line in Greenwich, the home of time. The final countdown has now well and truly begun for those athletes looking to be at the London Games in 500 days’ time.

LONDON 2012

London was elected as the host city for the Games of the XXX Olympiad on 6 July 2005 at the 117^th IOC Session in Singapore. London eventually succeeded in the fourth round of voting, taking 54 votes from a possible 104. London faced stiff opposition during the vote from the other four candidate cities: Paris, New York, Moscow and Madrid. There will be 26 sports on the Olympic programme in London in 2012 and around 10,500 athletes.

Read more »

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

London 2012 Olympics: Locog needs to come clean on Games tickets

Anyone else on the Olympic ticket emotional rollercoaster?

One day I was overwhelmed with buyer remorse, panicking that my order was rather over-ambitious and over-extended.

The next day I was feeling all smug – safe in the knowledge that I did  the right thing by picking out cycling, swimming, the men’s 100m final – for they are the truly must have tickets.

The day of reckoning is nigh for all of us. In the next few days the London 2012 Olympic Games organisers will be either ripping money out of my account or leaving it alone. Either way I win.

It’s tickets or a non-overdrawn account.

On the upside I can see where Locog has tried to be fair – offering a ballot system for the oversubscribed sessions, rather than favouring the computer experts able to manipulate systems to score the best seats in a first in best dressed system.

But there are plenty of twists in this particular ride. I still can’t fathom why they can’t tell us what we have secured at the same time as taking the money out.

They surely know what sessions have been allocated to each applicant in order take the money, so why the time lag and secrecy for another month?

Surely it’s not to create a massive sense of disappointment and a collective frenzy from those who missed out to sell the remaining less attractive seats?

Wouldn’t it have been simplier for Locog to give out ticket information as they process batches of orders, rather than have one big email-out on or before June 24?

Adding to the sudden drop in confidence is all purchasers have to wait an entire year to find out exactly where their seating will be in any venue, let alone a seat number.

How can Locog sell the tickets, yet claim it hasn’t finalised the seating plans?. How can Locog take the money, yet maintain we should trust them in dividing the venue into broadly equal divisions of categories?

After the Sydney Olympic Games ticket ballot it emerged that the organisers had just 14 ‘A’ category seats for sale to the Australian public to a diving final.

So Locog, come clean. How many A, B, C and D category tickets are for sale in each of the velodrome final sessions, or the opening ceremony, or the swim finals?

It is not good enough to be told a vague meaningless statistic that there are more than a million ticket orders for the men’s 100m final.

I am more interested in understanding that I had a realistic chance of getting a seat, and that the ballot system wasn’t simply bait advertising.

Such information is not commercially sensitive. It is about respecting the consumer – the people that are handing over £500 million to buy the tickets – and being a transparent organisation.

Read more »

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

London 2012 announces Paralympic Games ticket prices

The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) today published its prices for Paralympic Games tickets, with more than half of the two million tickets available priced at £10 or less. More than 95 per cent of the tickets will be priced at £50 or less, with 75 per cent at £20 or less. Tickets for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies start at £20.12, with a top price of £500 for the Opening Ceremony.

The Paralympic Games takes place between 29 August and 9 September 2012, with 20 sports taking place at 19 venues. Tickets go on sale on the London 2012 ticketing website from 9 September 2011, with applications accepted until 30 September.

Ticketing initiatives
A number of ticketing initiatives have been designed to make the Games as accessible as possible for all spectators.

'Group Organiser' tickets are available in sessions with a ticket limit of 20 or more, and will allow groups who apply for 20 tickets or more per session to receive additional tickets at no extra charge. A Group Organiser applying for 20 tickets would receive two extra tickets at no extra charge, an application of 30 tickets would receive 33 tickets, and so on up to a Group Organiser applying for 50 tickets receiving a total of 55 tickets.

Special day passes have also been developed which will enable ticket holders to see a range of sports in the Olympic Park or at ExCeL on that day on a general admission basis.

Tickets for spectators who will be under 16 or over 60 on 29 August 2012 will start from just £5, while a London Travelcard is included within the price of tickets for the day of the event.

LOCOG CEO Paul Deighton commented: 'The Paralympic Games will light up London with quite simply brilliant sport next year.

'The UK is the spiritual home of the Paralympic movement and with superb medal prospects for ParalympicsGB, we believe that the British public will come out in their thousands to watch.

'We have created a fair pricing structure, which we hope will encourage people to come along and create fantastic atmospheres at our venues.'

Wheelchair spaces will be available in all price categories for every Paralympic sport, and the price of these tickets will include a companion seat next to it. Applicants who are deaf or have a hearing impairment, visually impaired people or people with limited mobility can indicate additional requirements.

The London 2012 ‘Ticketcare’ scheme will also feature, whereby any successful ticket applicant with high dependency care needs can apply for an additional ticket for their carer or PA.

Read more »

Posted in: 2012 London Olympic,2012 London Olympics,2012 olympics travel packages,London 2012 Olympic,London 2012 Olympic Games,London 2012 Olympics Tickets,London 2012 Ticket Sales,London 2012 Tickets

London 2012 announces Brands Hatch as Paralympic Road Cycling venue

Brands Hatch, near Sevenoaks in Kent, will host the Paralympic Road Cycling events, incorporating the Road Race and Time Trial, from 5-8 September 2012.

LOCOG Chair Seb Coe, Paralympic gold medallist Rachel Morris and Jonathan Palmer, Chief Executive of MotorSport Vision, celebrate the announcement at Brands Hatch

The riders will race round a course that passes through the county of Kent and the district of Sevenoaks in Kent. The former F1 Grand Prix circuit at Brands Hatch will be the base for approximately half of the course including the start and finish. The remaining race will take place on local roads nearby.

This announcement marks the final venue to be confirmed for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and pays homage to Brands Hatch’s cycling routes, as it first developed in the 1920s as a grass track cycle racing venue.
The course was chosen after extensive consultation with the relevant local authorities and stakeholders to find a route that will provide an outstanding experience for both athletes and spectators. It will also allow LOCOG to use much of the existing venue infrastructure at Brands Hatch and is within approximately one hour’s travel time of the Athletes’ Village on the Olympic Park.
Requirements for the Paralympic Road Cycling course are very precise – the course has to be suitable and challenging for a wide variety of disability groups. The requirements are based on a loop course of 7-10km, which is completed a different number of times based on the event distance.

Approximately 25 per cent of the course is uphill sections of not more than six per cent gradient and the route includes some challenging bends or technical sections, while the road width is adequate to allow for bunch sprints in the finish straight.
During the London 2012 Paralympic Games there will be 32 Road Cycling events for men and women with a range of disabilities including visual impairments, cerebral palsy and amputations competing on bicycles, tricycles, tandems and hand cycles.
The events will be ticketed in large part, but part of the route will be free for spectators to line the route providing a fantastic way of watching high profile action. Tickets will cost £10 and there will also be Special Price tickets available (£5 for young people aged 16 and under and seniors aged 60 and over) as well as Group Organiser tickets for large groups which will see them receive additional tickets at no extra cost.

Read more »

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

Wimbledon Way project launched for Olympics 2012 tennis

A project to turn the route from Wimbledon station to the All England Club into a walking tourist attraction would bring the community together and give the borough a lasting Olympic legacy, it has been claimed.

The chief executive of Merton Chamber of Commerce, (MCoC) Diana Sterck, made the comments as she launched the Wimbledon Way proposal at the home the All England Club, but warned there was “only a year to do it”.

She said visitors would be guided along a marked route – which goes from the station to Wimbledon High Street and in to Church Lane – with “interpretation boards” along the way providing them with history, news and other information as they walk through three different zones.

Ms Sterck said the project – part of which must be completed in time for next year’s Olympics – would “bring the community together to embrace our heritage, the arts and the town’s connection with tennis”.

She said: “With an estimated 500,000 visitors to London, south London should benefit by providing a strong offer in relation to its accommodation, attractions and history and heritage.”

One of the zones, Victory Walk, would celebrate tennis events and personalities, she said adding the route could be dotted with public art installations and used year-round for events.

MCoC has secured some project funding from Young’s brewery, which has three pubs along the route – the Alexandra, Dog and Fox and the Fire Stables – and the Wimbledon Village Business Association.

It is also in the process of submitting a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for extra cash.

The Wimbledon Society and Wimbledon Film have also agreed to provide content and the group said it had support from the council and politicians.

Ms Sterck said: “With the support of Merton Council I know we can establish the Wimbledon Way as a permanent feature in SW19 and achieve the Olympic legacy for Wimbledon and south-west London.”

For further information visit wimbledongoingforgold.co.uk.

Read more »

Posted in: London 2012,London 2012 Olympic,London 2012 Olympic Coins,London 2012 Olympic Games,London 2012 Olympics,London 2012 Olympics Tickets,London 2012 Ticket Sales,Olympic 2012,Olympic Ticket,Olympics,Olympics 2012 Tennis,Wimbledon

39 Olympic Logos From 1924 to 2012

Living in Vancouver, Canada, I’ve been seeing the logo of the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympic Games more and more around the city as the date draws closer.

I thought it would be interesting to take a look at how the design trends in Olympic logos have evolved over the years.

Noticeably, the logos seem to have changed from a monochromatic trend to a more multicolor approach in recent years.

Logo design seems to have been streamlined to simpler and cleaner shapes. This article features every logo from the summer and winter Olympic games from 1924 to 2012.

Paris – Summer 1924

Lake Placid – Winter 1932

Los Angeles – Summer 1932

Garmisch-Partenkirchen – Winter 1936

Berlin – Summer 1936

St. Moritz – Winter 1948

London – Summer 1948

Oslo – Winter 1952

Helsinki – Summer 1952

Cortina d’Ampezzo – Winter 1956

Melbourne / Stockholm – Summer 1956

Squaw Valley – Winter 1960

Rome – Summer 1960

Innsbruck – Winter 1964

Tokyo – Summer 1964

Grenoble – Winter 1968

Mexico – Summer 1968

Sapporo – Winter 1972

Munich – Summer 1972

Innsbruck – Winter 1976

Montreal – Summer 1976

Lake Placid – Winter 1980

Moscow – Summer 1980

Sarajevo – Winter 1984

Los Angeles – Summer 1984

Calgary – Winter 1988

Seoul – Summer 1988

Albertville – Winter 1992

Barcelona – Summer 1992

Lillehammer – Winter 1994

Atlanta – Summer 1996

Nagano – Winter 1998

Sydney – Summer 2000

Salt Lake City – Winter 2002

Athens – Summer 2004

Turin – Winter 2006

Beijing – Summer 2008

Vancouver – Winter 2010

London – Summer 2012

Which is your favorite logo and what do you think of the logos of the upcoming Vancouver and London games?

Read more »

Posted in: London 2011,London 2012,London 2012 Olympic,London 2012 Olympic Games,London 2012 Olympics,London 2012 Olympics Tickets,London 2012 Stadium