Luciano, Chief Ops Officer, Turino 200619 July 2007
Yesterday I visited the London 2102 offices in Canary Wharf to meet staff and share my own experiences of working on Games - I was the Chief Operating Officer for the Turin 2006 Winter Games.
I was very impressed by the London team when they made their bid in Singapore in 2005 and meeting them now I am confident that they can deliver their inspiring vision for London 2012. (The snow was a nice added welcoming touch to make me feel at home!)
As we learned from Turin 2006, hosting a Games has the power to transform a city. It goes far wider than just increasing interest in sport – our Games made a lasting impact on the city, the country, creating a real feeling of community.
An example – during the Games we had a Medal Plaza in the city, where 20,000 people would gather every night, despite the cold and the snow.
It was something we’d never seen before – we welcomed our national and international visitors but also people from the north and south of the city came together.
After the Games this has continued, with events for people to meet at least once a month.
London 2012 has so much to offer to the city and also the UK as a whole. I look forward to seeing plans progress.
