London 2012 Games

London beat many other cities, including Paris, to be host to the 2012 Olympic Games.

London's official bid for the 2012 Olympic Games was made on January 16, 2004. After 18 months of preparation, inspection and presentation, it was announced on July 6, 2005, that London was to be the host city, beating Paris by 54 votes to 50. The London 2012 Games will take place from July 27 to August 12, 2012, followed by the Paralympic Games from August 29 to September 9, 2012.

History

Starting blocks were introduced for sprinting events at the London 1948 Games.

The history of the Olympic Games in London goes back to 1908, when the city stood in as host for Rome after an eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The White City Olympic Stadium was built that year especially for the Games. The 1908 Games involved 22 nations, 2,008 athletes (of which only 37 were women) and 110 events. In 1948, London became a last-minute host for the second time, after World War II. New features of the Games in 1948 included starting blocks for the sprinting events and television broadcast of the Games.

Venues

The Olympic Stadium, in Olympic Park, will be the venue for the athletic events.

The London 2012 Games will take place at several venues in the Olympic Park, throughout London and outside the city.

The Olympic Park will have an aquatics centre, basketball arena, hockey centre and Olympic Stadium. The Olympic Stadium, which will have a capacity of 80,000, will be the venue for the athletic and paralympic athletic events and the opening and closing ceremonies. Venues within London include Earls Court, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Lord's Cricket Ground, Wembley Arena, Wembley Stadium and Wimbledon. Venues outside the city include City of Coventry Stadium, Hampden Park in Glasgow, Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Old Trafford in Manchester and St. James' Park in Newcastle.

Environmental Issues

Preparation for the Games has involved the UK's largest soil-washing procedure.

The organisers of the London 2012 Games have been mindful of environmental issues throughout the build-up to the Games and have taken unprecedented measures during the construction process. For example, they have carried out the UK's largest ever soil-washing procedure: almost 2 million tonnes of contaminated soil have been cleaned to be reused on the Olympic Park. The soil was contaminated with arsenic, cyanide, lead, oil, petrol and tar. Additionally, 98 per cent of the demolition material used on the site has been recycled.

Funding

The London 2012 Games is being funded partly by a private organisation and partly by public funds.

The London 2012 Olympic Games are being funded by two main organisations: the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA). LOCOG is the private-sector company with a budget of £2 billion who are staging the Games. ODA is a public-sector organisation funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Greater London Authority, the London Development Agency and the Olympic Lottery Distributor. The ODA is primarily responsible for creating the new venues required for the Games.

Tickets

The London 2012 Olympic marathon will be free to watch.

The easiest way to receive ticket information is to register your details on the official London 2012 website. In 2011 around 8 million tickets will go on sale for the Olympic Games and a further 2 million for the Paralympic Games. Included in the ticket price is free public transport travel in London on the day of the event. A number of events will be free to spectators, such the Triathlon and Marathon, which will take place on streets within the city. In addition, huge screens will show all the latest live action at several sites across the UK.

References

• London 2012: Venues
• London 2012: Tickets