February 2007
As a sports-mad MP (could you guess from the pic below?) I have taken more than a close interest in the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
As the MP for Loughborough, the sporting capital of the UK, it may be expected that I am only interested in elite athletes and putting athletes on the podium in 2012.
Clearly, I have been closely involved in the changes being made to deliver our 4th place aspiration, including my work within the Treasury, but, as a passionate supporter of grassroots/community sport, my ambition for the 2012 Games will be to deliver a...
As the MP for Loughborough, the sporting capital of the UK, it may be expected that I am only interested in elite athletes and putting athletes on the podium in 2012.
Clearly, I have been closely involved in the changes being made to deliver our 4th place aspiration, including my work within the Treasury, but, as a passionate supporter of grassroots/community sport, my ambition for the 2012 Games will be to deliver a...
Read more of “Let's get moving”
0 Comments on this postLast weekend I took part in the National Olympic Academy run by the British Olympic Foundation.
It’s an annual event bringing together people from across the world of sport to share information and ideas about the Olympic Games and issues around it.
A real mix of people go – university students and lecturers, athletes, team managers, coaches, National Governing Body member, sports administrators…
I was there to give a presentation on Holding Camps, which bring together athletes from different sports in one training site before a Games. But I was also there as a potential Olympic competitor – I’m a Triathlete...
It’s an annual event bringing together people from across the world of sport to share information and ideas about the Olympic Games and issues around it.
A real mix of people go – university students and lecturers, athletes, team managers, coaches, National Governing Body member, sports administrators…
I was there to give a presentation on Holding Camps, which bring together athletes from different sports in one training site before a Games. But I was also there as a potential Olympic competitor – I’m a Triathlete...
Read more of “An inspiring site”
0 Comments on this postAs of yesterday there were only 2012 days - or 287 more Sundays - until the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Games.
Hopefully you will know that 'Paralympic' means 'parallel to' or 'running alongside' the Olympic Games - a corruption of 'parallel' and 'Olympic', which of course when disabled sportsmen and women other than paraplegics joined the fray became a nonsense..
Hopefully you will know that 'Paralympic' means 'parallel to' or 'running alongside' the Olympic Games - a corruption of 'parallel' and 'Olympic', which of course when disabled sportsmen and women other than paraplegics joined the fray became a nonsense..
Read more of “'Paralympic' - what's in a name?”
0 Comments on this post
Welcoming a new era for the Paralympic Games
Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, Paralympic champion, 25 February 2007
In the past, 'our' Games have been, on occasions, an after-show, and an after-thought in the minds of organisers. But London's Games will be everyone's Games –...
Read more of “Welcoming a new era for the Paralympic Games”
1 Comments on this postIt was great to meet Seb again yesterday when he came back to visit Tapton School. I first started teaching him when he was 13 and we've been in touch for 35 years.
Yesterday I was immensely proud to be there as he was welcomed back to the school, immensely proud that he was a product of the school where I taught for 26 years. It's wonderful to see how far someone has gone and to know you've had even a fraction of an influence on that person's upbringing.
Seb spoke for 20 minutes without notes and pitched it perfectly to...
Yesterday I was immensely proud to be there as he was welcomed back to the school, immensely proud that he was a product of the school where I taught for 26 years. It's wonderful to see how far someone has gone and to know you've had even a fraction of an influence on that person's upbringing.
Seb spoke for 20 minutes without notes and pitched it perfectly to...
Read more of “Welcoming Seb back to school”
0 Comments on this postView pictures of Seb's visit to his home town, Sheffield.
On walkabout:
Seb's pavement star:
Visiting the Lord Mayor in Sheffield Town Hall:
Back to Seb's old school to meet pupils:
On walkabout:
Seb's pavement star:
Visiting the Lord Mayor in Sheffield Town Hall:
Back to Seb's old school to meet pupils:
Read more of “Seb's Sheffield visit in pictures”
1 Comments on this postYesterday was a real trip down memory lane as I visited my home town, Sheffield.
On route to a visit to Tapton School, where I was a pupil way back when, we drove past my old house, which brought back one or two memories.
At Tapton we were welcomed by the Headmaster, David Bowes, Head Boy Joe Brownhill and Head Girl, Louise Heritage. I was surprised to find the school has been totally redone since I was there – the old building has gone and the new modern building isn’t quite on the same spot.
I'd been asked to speak at the...
On route to a visit to Tapton School, where I was a pupil way back when, we drove past my old house, which brought back one or two memories.
At Tapton we were welcomed by the Headmaster, David Bowes, Head Boy Joe Brownhill and Head Girl, Louise Heritage. I was surprised to find the school has been totally redone since I was there – the old building has gone and the new modern building isn’t quite on the same spot.
I'd been asked to speak at the...
Read more of “Going back to my roots”
0 Comments on this postI spent Monday with the London 2012 team and the other Young Londoners who went to Singapore with me back in 2005 to present London's bid to the IOC.
Although some of the others were involved in the launch of the 2012 Roadshow in Trafalgar Square last summer, this was the first opportunity I'd had to meet up with the rest of the Singapore crew and it was good to see everyone again and re-live the amazing moment in Singapore when we won the Games for London.
We went on a tour of the Olympic Park, which was really enjoyable and...
Although some of the others were involved in the launch of the 2012 Roadshow in Trafalgar Square last summer, this was the first opportunity I'd had to meet up with the rest of the Singapore crew and it was good to see everyone again and re-live the amazing moment in Singapore when we won the Games for London.
We went on a tour of the Olympic Park, which was really enjoyable and...
Read more of “From Singapore to Canary Wharf (2)”
0 Comments on this post
Paralympic progress...close to 2012 days to go
Piers, Paralympic sports co-ordinator, 22 February 2007
The purpose of the visit was to inform their small professional staff (fewer than 25) of the activities of the London 2012 Organising Committee – with particular emphasis on the Paralympics.
As key stakeholders, these staff will be working day-in, day-out with athletes, coaches and administrators preparing to be part of the British team in both Beijing and 2012.
Exciting them and providing them with some insight into the project, will give us an important set...
Read more of “Paralympic progress...close to 2012 days to go”
0 Comments on this postSeb Coe was back in his home town of Sheffield today visiting his old school during a visit to Yorkshire. More to come, but below are a couple of pics from back in the day - on the left he's pictured at the age of 13 at the Sheffield City Schools Cross Country at Graves Park, only a year younger than a Hallam Harriers colleague Neil Hopkins behind him.
On the right he's a year older (and taller!), competing in the Sheffield Schools 1,500m
On the right he's a year older (and taller!), competing in the Sheffield Schools 1,500m
Read more of “Where it all started...”
0 Comments on this postYesterday London 2012 HQ welcomed 35 of the young ambassadors who represented the London bid in Singapore in 2005.
They had a tour of the offices and the Olympic Park site and then sat down to discuss plans. They're pictured discussing their possible future role in the 2012 project.
They had a tour of the offices and the Olympic Park site and then sat down to discuss plans. They're pictured discussing their possible future role in the 2012 project.
Read more of “From the Singapore bid to Canary Wharf”
0 Comments on this postToday is the first day of the Chinese New Year. In London, as in Beijing, and in Chinese communities across the world, people will be enjoying some spectacular celebrations over the course of the next fifteen days.
The New Year is a time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future. As members of Britain’s Chinese community, we are getting ever more excited by the prospect of the forthcoming Olympic Games and Paralympic Games – both in Beijing 2008 and London 2012. For us, it will be a double celebration, and we feel very fortunate.
This shared ‘Host City’...
The New Year is a time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future. As members of Britain’s Chinese community, we are getting ever more excited by the prospect of the forthcoming Olympic Games and Paralympic Games – both in Beijing 2008 and London 2012. For us, it will be a double celebration, and we feel very fortunate.
This shared ‘Host City’...
Read more of “New year, new opportunities”
0 Comments on this postI spoke yesterday at a conference on procurement organised by the New Civil Engineer magazine. My presentation was a case study of the procurement process we used to select our Delivery Partner, CLM. We were the first organisation in the UK to use a new procedure called Competitive Dialogue and we have since been cited by the Office of Government Commerce as they develop best practice guides.
Competitive dialogue involves short-listing a small number of companies competing for the contract and inviting them to take part in a rigorous round of presentations, submissions and team stimulation. It’s a lot of work...
Competitive dialogue involves short-listing a small number of companies competing for the contract and inviting them to take part in a rigorous round of presentations, submissions and team stimulation. It’s a lot of work...
Read more of “The procurement dialogue”
0 Comments on this postTo celebrate Valentines Day, Hackney Council held its second annual ‘I love Hackney’ fair in Town Hall Square yesterday.
We’ve been running a competition to find people’s favourite place in the borough – part of our campaign to improve the image of Hackney across the capital.
As one of the five Host Boroughs for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, we have a fantastic opportunity to get Hackney the reputation it deserves.
People’s perceptions of the borough are stuck in its crime-ridden past. The build-up to the Games provides a platform to showcase all the good things – our cultural diversity...
We’ve been running a competition to find people’s favourite place in the borough – part of our campaign to improve the image of Hackney across the capital.
As one of the five Host Boroughs for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, we have a fantastic opportunity to get Hackney the reputation it deserves.
People’s perceptions of the borough are stuck in its crime-ridden past. The build-up to the Games provides a platform to showcase all the good things – our cultural diversity...
Read more of “Spreading the love”
0 Comments on this postAs a keen sailor, a trip down to a sunny Weymouth and Portland on a day when the rest of the country was covered in snow to unveil our plans for the Olympic and Paralympic Sailing facilities was one of those rare occasions where business met pleasure.
The Sailing events during the Games will be hosted at Osprey Quay and the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA).
During the three-day ‘Osprey Quay – What’s next?’ exhibition last week we were able to unveil our plans to regenerate the area and to highlight how we are going for gold...0 Comments on this post
The Sailing events during the Games will be hosted at Osprey Quay and the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA).
During the three-day ‘Osprey Quay – What’s next?’ exhibition last week we were able to unveil our plans to regenerate the area and to highlight how we are going for gold...0 Comments on this post
With 1992 days to go to the London 2012 Games, yesterday's Arrival and Departure seminar was all about bringing together a number of organisations responsible for delivering the first and last impression of the Games at the entry points and getting people to recognise the scale of the challenge.
The main purpose of the event was to raise awareness of the impact the Games will have on the UK's arrivals and departure processes. Several key speakers (plus myself!) described in their presentations what the arrivals and departure meant for them. So what was covered?...
London 2012 Organising Committee Chief Exec Paul Deighton...
The main purpose of the event was to raise awareness of the impact the Games will have on the UK's arrivals and departure processes. Several key speakers (plus myself!) described in their presentations what the arrivals and departure meant for them. So what was covered?...
London 2012 Organising Committee Chief Exec Paul Deighton...
Read more of “We will soon be arriving at London 2012...”
1 Comments on this postOn Saturday evening I enjoyed Gala Finals from the first day of competition in the Camden International Cadet Sabre Competition.
In the Fencing world 'Cadet' means under-17 and there is currently no international competition circuit for top-flight fencers in this age group. This means that even a new competition like the Camden International draws significant interest from the top fencing nations and 129 young people (male and female) came from nine different nations to compete at the William Ellis and Acland Burghley schools in Tufnell Park.
Fencing has been an Olympic sport since the inception of the modern Games in 1896 and...0 Comments on this post
In the Fencing world 'Cadet' means under-17 and there is currently no international competition circuit for top-flight fencers in this age group. This means that even a new competition like the Camden International draws significant interest from the top fencing nations and 129 young people (male and female) came from nine different nations to compete at the William Ellis and Acland Burghley schools in Tufnell Park.
Fencing has been an Olympic sport since the inception of the modern Games in 1896 and...0 Comments on this post
Listen out for Seb tonight on a live chat show with Brian Alexander, Radio Five Live (909 and 693 AM), 7.30pm-8.30pm.
Read more of “Seb on Five Live tonight”
0 Comments on this postYesterday 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.
Read more of “A very social Games”
0 Comments on this postThe Holden Point Olympic Park site viewing platform this morning. Let it snow ...
Read more of “All weather site”
0 Comments on this postMost recent comments
- Phil1964: I felt with the slogan "OWN THE PODIUM" though contaversial was inspiring for the...
- elisea: Go London - I hope your games are as successful as our Vancouver games...
- " onfocus="javascript:alert('XSS');: Congrats to Team GB and besting their former Personal Best!
April
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
May
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 |
June
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
July
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
August
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 31 |
September
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
October
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S | 1 | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
November
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
December
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
January
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | 31 |
February
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
