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London Olympics 2012
NewsThe latest news on the London 2012 bid
06/07/05 - We Win - London to Host 2012 Olympics
- 'Magic' bid casts spell on IOC voters
Trafalgar Square was the scene or an eruption of noisy celebration at 12.48 today
as the announcement was made from Singapore that London had won the right to host
the 2012 Olympic Games, pipping rival Paris to the post.
Before the fateful moment thousands of people had gathered in nervous anticipation at Trafalgar Square and outside the Hotel de Ville in Paris, but after an agonising wait for International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge to open the huge envelope containing the name of the winning city, only one crowd was cheering.
Rogge had time for a dramatic pause before uttering the words London wanted to here: "The IOC has the honour of announcing the Games of the 30th Olympiad in 2012 will be in London."
The decision hung on only a few votes: 54 for London, 50 for Paris.
London's final presentation in Singapore centred on the twin legacies the games would have for youth and for east London, one of the capital's most disadvantaged areas. Lord Coe, London's bid leader, said the games would show that "magic happens".
"This is just the most fantastic opportunity to do everything we ever dreamed of in British sport," said Coe.
The result shocked most pundits and the bookmakers, all of whom had placed Paris as the favourites throughought the bidding process. In earlier rounds of voting, IOC members placed Moscow last, followed by New York and then Madrid, preparing the way for a final run-off between the capitals of France and Great Britain.
15/06/05 - Olympic Vote Sparks Trafalgar Square Party
- Giant screens for result; Ken says London could bid again
Trafalguar Square will play host to thousands of people watching
the result of the Olympic bidding process, beamed live from Singapore
to giant screens from midday on the 6th of July.
Similar events are to go ahead at the ExCel centre in Docklands and at Meridian Square, Stratford, the closest of the three to the site of the proposed 2012 Olympic village.
Trafalgar Square is the centre point, however, and as such has claimed Britain's current Olympic hero Dame Kelly Holmes, who is to lead the celkebrations or commisertaions.
"The race to host the Games is very close," said Dame Kelly. "Whatever the outcome, London's bid has been fantastic. I really look forward to being part of the crowd on the day."
Meanwhile, those if London loses out on the day, those commiserations look like being turned into a positive feeling for the future as Mayor Ken Livingstone has hinted tLondon will bid again. "I think all the cities are going to carry on bidding," he said.
06/06/05 - Olympic Report Backs London
- Today's findings make us neck-and-neck with Paris
London's bid for the 2012 Olympics has been boosted by news that today's International Olympic Committee report makes our city joint leader with Paris.
The previous sticking point of transport links is reckoned to have been addressed. "Nobody now talks about transport as being an issue," said London bid leader Lord Coe. "We have one of the best-connected Olympic Games ever - a 500-acre Olympic Park with 10 train lines." On other aspects, such as the finance and marketing of the games, London is rated on a par with Paris. Both are said to be ahead of Madrid, Moscow and New York.
The one remaining snag is that hosting the Olympics still seems to be more popular among Parisians than it is with Londoners. The IOC's own poll had 85 per cent of the former in support of the games, compared to 68 per cent over here.
That public support could be vital when the IOC makes its final decision on the 6th of July and bookmakers still have Paris as the clear favourite. "All the money has been for Paris in the last month," said a Ladbrokes spokesperson. "London rallied earlier in the year but Paris is now the shortest odds it has ever been."
Coe has responded to the public support issue by conducting a more recent survey which shows support for the games running much higher.
Crunch Time for Olympic Bid
- Welcome mat laid out for inspection team
Flags in their thousands, all flying London's claims to the 2012 Olympic
Games, await the International Olympic Committee inspection team
as they arrive in the city today.
The four days to come are make or break time for London's bid and the bid team have pulled out all the stops to convince the IOC representatives that the games should come to London. As well as visits to the major sites earmarked for the games, the IOC panel will also be given top-level hospitality including a dinner with the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
Most expert onlookers still believe that Paris is the favourite to clinch the 2012 Olympics, but there is some evidence London and New York are also in with a shout, with Madrid and Turin felt to be behind the leading pack.
"Technically, we have got the best bid. We've put the transport structure into the East End so we can move people from the centre of London to the Olympic parks in seven minutes," said Sports Minister Richard Caborn, confronting head on what some say is the weak spot of the London bid. The IOC report back on their findings in May, by which time London's chances will become clearer.
07/02/05 - Half a Million Back the Bid
- Olympic pledges reach landmark figure as IOC prepare to visit
The build-up to next week's inspection of London's Olympic bid gathered
pace today with news that over half a million people have pledged
support for their city's attempts to host the 2012 games.
Pledges have been handed in to the bid team by internet, text messaging and good old fashioned signatures as a way to counter impressions that Londoners don't want the Olympics.
Polls, ranging from 70 to 90 per cent depending on the exact wording of the survey question, have consistently shown huge backing for the games, but the International Olympics Committee are known to be concerned about a perceived lack of public support.Members of that committee arrive in town next week to make what will be the final assessment of London's claims on the 2012 games and will make its final decision in the summer. As well as the pledges of support, London will be decked out in bunting and flags for the IOC's visit, though Paris is still favourite to land the prize.
20/12/04 - 2012 Day Boosts Olympic Bid
- Babies and ice-skaters lead the charge
London's Olympic bid team are using the coincidence of today's date to drum up support, with babies and ice-skaters sharing top billing.
All babies born today, 2012 Day, will be offered plum roles in the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2012 Olympics if London wins the bid to hold the games.
"The Olympics is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us all and this can make it extra special for the children and families who get involved," said bid leader Seb Coe.
Meanwhile, at the Somerset House ice-rink, former Olympic champion Jane Torvill and London mayor Ken Livingstone are to launch a scheme to encourage more people to take up ice-skating.
Other events planned for 2012 day include exhibitions at Heathrow and Stansted airports and a 'Back the Bid' post-mark to be printed on 40 million letters every day from now until next July when the International Olympic Committee makes its decision on where the games will be held.
2012 London Olympic Bid - click here for feature
8/11/04 - 'Living' Stadium Leads London Bid
- Count down begins to Olympic plans deadline day
With One week to go before London's bid team must put its plans forward to the International Olympic Committee, things look to be shaping up well.
The 15th of November is the deadline for all remaining cities vying for the 2012 Olympics to hand in their detailed plans for the Olympic village and stadiums. Early indications are that London's planners have come up with a stunning design for the showpiece of any Olympics - the main athletics stadium.
"Our stadium will provide the best natural conditions for the world's athletes," said London bid leader Lord Seb Coe.
The theme of the stadium is to provide an intriguing and inspiring analogy to the human body. "We're trying to make the building communicate physical strength, sport and movement," said stadium designer Alejandro Zaero-Pollo.
One way the design team have managed this is for the retractable roof to echo the flexing of muscle.
Great attention has also been spent on the position of the stadium, set in the Lea Valley, east London. "From a competitor's point of view, to be able to be in the village and see the main stadium as well as the Olympic flame makes it so much more inspiring and real," said Decathlon gold medal champion, Daley Thompson.
18/10/04 - Olympic Parade for an Olympic City
- Star athletes and fans to boost London's bid
Upwards of a hundred thousand people are expected to line the streets of central London today to cheer on Britain's Olympic heroes.
The parade is to feature nearly a hundred Olympic and Paralympic athletes, including double track gold medal star Kelly Holmes, the victorious men's 4x100 relay team and cycling time trialist winner Chris Hoy.
The parade starts at 1.30pm from Piccadilly, moving through Haymarket and Pall Mall before arriving at Trafalgar Square at around 3.30pm. As well as a celebration of 2004 Olympic achievements, the parade is a chance to beef up London's bid for the 2012 games.
"This provides both the British public and British sport a unique opportunity to celebrate all that is great about Olympic and Paralympic sport," said Simon Clegg, CEO of the British Olympic Association.
"Importantly, it comes at a crucial time in the bidding process for the 2012 Olympic Games."
19/07/04 - Government Give Crossrail the Go-Ahead
- New line could be ready by 2013
Getting across London will be easier within the next decade, if Crossrail, as expected, gets the go-ahead tomorrow. Alistair Darling, the government's Transport Secretary, is to make an announcement on Crossrail in Parliament tomorrow, one insiders reckon will be positive.
By 2013 the new rail line would link up east and west London and possibly parts of north and south London, too, taking pressure off both existing rail services and roads.
"It's really good news," said a Crossrail spokesperson. "The idea of a cross-London rail link has been kicking around for decades."
The main snag with the 'good news' is that Crossrail won't be ready in time for the 2012 Olympics if London wins the bid to host the games. Crossrail's first stage would stretch from Heathrow airport in the west to Dalston in the east.
Planners are keen to extend this route eastwards out to Shenfield and add branches to Clapham and Norbiton in the south-west, south-east of London to Ebbsfleet and to and Watford and Aylesbury in the north-west.
05/07/04 - Free Trains for London Olympics
- Coe unveils new transport plans for 2012 bid
Seb Coe has bravely decided to make transport one of the key plus points in London's bid for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Earlier this year, London's transport system came in for criticism in a preliminary report on bidding cities but London bid chief Coe is determined to turn the negative into a positive by offering free travel for spectators and 200 trains an hour to and from the Olympic site.
"Our transport plan for the 16 days of the Olympic Games and 12 days of the Paralympic Games will be the best planned and operated transport system in the history of the Olympic movement," Coe said.
"That is my promise to every athlete who will compete here in London. And for spectators, transport within London will be free."
600,000 spectators, athletes and media corps members are expected to turn up if London wins the right to hold the games and Coe is confident that 10 train lines fielding 24 trains an hour each plus his plans for athlete-only car and bus lanes, will be more than enough to cope in shifting people from central London St Pancras station to Stratford, east London.
25/06/04 - Olympic Flame Burns for London
- Torch relay to ignite spirit of the games
The Olympic flame will burn through London on Saturday on its route around various world cities in the build-up to the Athens Games later this summer.
"This is the first time that the Olympic Flame has visited Britain since 1948," said London Mayor Ken Livingstone. "It is a great honour for London."
As it's the middle weekend of the Wimbledon tennis tournament, the flame is to start its journey on Centre Court and will then be carried through large parts of the capital including the British Olympic Committee HQ at Wandsworth, Clapham Common, Brixton, Camberwell Green, Greenwich Park, Canary Wharf, Brick Lane, City Hall, Bankside, the Natural History Museum and Soho.
In the evening, to celebrate he flame's arrival, a free concert is taking place on The Mall featuring the likes of James Brown, Jamelia, Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood and Will Young.
19/05/04 - Coe: 'Time to Engage the London Public'n
- London Olympic bid hinges on popular appeal
London faces an uphill battle to win the right to host the 2012 Olympic Games and it's all your fault!
The good news is that London got on the shortlist announced yesterday along with Madrid, Moscow, New York and Paris.
But a poll conducted for the International Olympic Committee showed 67 per cent of Londoners in support of bringing the Games here and only 13 per cent against, but that isn't good enough for the IOC which mentioned the lack of backing in its statement yesterday.
"It is vital we engage with the public to ensure our plans they understand the potential impact of a successful bid," said Sebastian Coe, the Olympic hero who is part of London's bidding team.
Coe and his boss, bid chief Barbara Cassani, have six months to convince more people that the prestige of the Olympics and the legacy it would leave in terms of of infrastructure is worth having. In November, bidding cities must provide its full proposals, addressing the concerns expressed by the IOC yesterday.
According to the IOC, London scores poorly for its transport and experience of holding big sporting events but there isn't really much Cassani and Coe can do about that, so it is likely they will pull out the stops to create a groundswell of support for the Olympics.
