The London 2012 Olympics
The city of London has been looking forward to hosting the 30th Olympic Games since beating out their rival, Paris, to be awarded the event. They were awarded the games on July 6th, 2005 beating out Moscow, New York, Madrid and then finally Paris in the last round. London will become the first to host the Summer Games three times and, while the Games in Beijing are a hard one to follow, London is working hard at putting its own stamp on the event.
The London 2012 Olympics will take place between July 27th and August 12th, 2012. The Games are expected to attract thousands of tourists in a city that is already popular with visitors and crammed with it's own locals. In preparation, London is revamping their transportation system in order to be able to cope with the influx. Improvements to the transportation network were key in winning the bid and the goal of Olympic organizers is to have 100% of spectators arriving by public transport and 80% of athletes a short 20 minute commute from their event.
The London 2012 Olympic venues will be a mix of old and new facilities, including some historic London landmarks. Anxious not to repeat the Millennium Dome mistake, organizers have been sure to include plans for downsizing venues for use in the future and some will be temporary or moved to a new location after the Games.
The London Olympics have not been without controversy, the major issue being financing. A budget of �5.3 billion was announced for the building of infrastructure and venues for the Games and a further �1.7 billion has been earmarked for the regeneration of the Lower Lea Valley where much of the Games is to be held. Various other costs are expected to add a further �2.7 billion to the budget. With the amount of money being spent, there are many vocal anti-Olympics groups.
The logo has also been a source of controversy due to the poor response it has received along with the amount spent on it. The fact that the logo, that popular opinion says sucks, cost �400,000 has angered a lot of people.
Tickets are due to go on sale in the spring of 2011 with an estimated 8 million tickets available for the Olympics and 1.5 million for the Paralympics. The London Olympics will feature 26 sports and 38 disciplines with baseball and softball being dropped from the Games 2 days after London was awarded the bid. Women's boxing will be an event for the first time.
The London 2012 Olympics are being touted as the eco-friendly Games, and a lot is being done to assure that they are environmentally friend and sustainable. The city's waterways are being regenerated and a large amount of parkland is being set aside for visitors to explore.
London is a fantastic city with a lot to offer any visitor, even when the Olympics aren't on. The Summer Olympics is sure to bring with it a fantastic atmosphere and bring London's multicultural residents together while still maintaining a friendly rivalry. London is sure to be a great host for one of the world's premier events.
Kirsty had attended two Olympics so far and has plans to attend the London 2012 Olympics. She has spent five years living in London and has written a guide to help Olympics fans plan their trip to the London 2012 Games.
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