It’s amazing to think it was just three and a half years since President Rogge of the International Olympic Committee took what seemed an age to open the envelope that contained that news but the project is on track and visiting the site today with Prime Minister Gordon Brown revealed the real progress already made on the cleaned and cleared site where construction is proceeding ahead of schedule.
Since winning the bid, LOCOG has undertaken a huge planning exercise to make sure we stage a fantastic Games for athletes and spectators alike and it has already started delivering results. The IOC’s award of ‘9.75 marks out of 10’ demonstrated that for sport. I also see it in my regular visits across the UK's nations and regions where it’s clear that though the Games will be principally staged in London there are benefits across the entire United Kingdom.
It was at Singapore that we set out our vision to use the power of the Games to inspire change and as LOCOG’s journey moves to serious delivery this year I am pleased to see that we are already bringing this about through initiatives like our Pre-Games Training Camp guide, the Cultural Olympiad and an education programme with the potential to reach every child in the country.
We will continue to work with our stakeholders and delivery partners in order to give the UK public a once-in-a-lifetime Games experience in 2012 and the opportunity to participate in this amazing event.
The magnificent Olympic and Paralympic Games staged in Beijing last year and the performances of Team GB and ParalympicsGB were an inspiration to the entire UK. They also demonstrated to my teams here at LOCOG the standards we have to live up to.
It’s been a fantastic journey so far and at this mid-point today I have every confidence that London 2012 is going to be a massive success.
On site today to celebrate the halfway mark (l-r): Andy Burnham MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, me, John Armitt, Chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority, middle-distance runner Lisa Dobriskey, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Minister for the Olympics Tessa Jowell and Lyn Brown MP for West Ham and Private Personal Secretary for the Secretary of State, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills:
