When the World Cup finishes this weekend, attention will switch to the next mega global sporting jamboree. That’s the London Olympics in 2012.
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You can almost hear the gulps going on in organiser and athletic throats up and down the country. For the organiser, the well-run event in South Africa is a bit of a pain as any cock-ups in 2012 will now look worse.
On the face of it, the GB athlete is in a stronger position. Thanks to England’s failure at the football, any golds will look all the better. But the canny organisers have come up with a way to keep the athletes under pressure. That is the secret behind the cable car, announced this week, which is to link two Olympic cites, the O2 and ExCel.
For a taste of what is to come, think of the David Blaine stunt where the illusionist, sitting in a capsule above the Thames, got pelted with stuff by unimpressed Londoners.
In 2012, British athletes who fail to take a medal will be herded onto the cable car and angry fans invited to hurl rotten fruit at them from special floating ‘patriot platforms’ below. It’s a safe bet the first direct hit will be from the arm of a German tourist.
