London 2012 news & features service
"This Government believes a London Olympics is a prize worth fighting for."
British Prime Minister, Tony Blair
"The [London] sports concept is well planned... The Olympic Park includes the Olympic Village, providing a very good competition environment for the majority of athletes... new venues supported by upgraded existing sports facilities would leave London and the country with a significantly enhanced sports legacy."
IOC Candidature Acceptance Working Group Report to the IOC Executive Board, March 2004
"The [London] Candidature File and the information provided to the [IOC Evaluation] Commission during its visit were of a very high quality..."
Report of the IOC Evaluation Commission for the Games of the XXX Olympiad in 2012
The United Kingdom's passion for sport is at the heart of London's bid to host the most athlete-centred Olympic Games and Paralympic Games ever staged. The London 2012 bid is the fourth British Summer Olympic Games Bid in the past 20 years.
This time, the bid from London reflects the new era in planning for the Olympic Games based on the Olympic Games Study Commission (Pound) Report and has been designed to deliver 'Excellence without Extravagance'.
The London bid is based on extensive use of world-famous sporting venues, much-loved London landmarks, rapid new transport connections, a new Olympic Park and much needed new sports facilities to increase participation in Olympic sports.
The London bid also features new and innovative ways of using and upgrading existing venues and settings to reduce the size and costs of staging the Olympic Games. This includes a new series of temporary venues that will be relocated in other parts of the United Kingdom after the Games as new sporting venues.
The experience and knowledge gained from using these re-locatable venues will help to support international efforts to stage the Olympic Games and other major sporting events in other parts of the world.
The Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in London are expected to return a £100 million surplus to the IOC and British sport.
Staging the Olympic Games in London, the world's most fashionable city for young people, will also increase awareness of the Olympic Games and values amongst a new generation of young people around the world.
London's Olympic blueprint has won approval of worldwide Olympic champions including Cathy Freeman and Haile Gebreselassie as well as sporting greats such as legendary sub-four-minute miler, Sir Roger Bannister and internationally respected and revered figures including Nelson Mandela.
"There is no city like London. It is a wonderfully diverse and open city providing a home to hundreds of different nationalities from all over the world. I can't think of a better place than London to hold an event that unites the world," Mandela said recently in a public statement of support for the London bid.
The London Bid has the whole-hearted support of British Government, the British Parliament and the British people.
"London's Olympic bid is important to me, the British Government and to our country," said British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who will travel to Singapore in early July in the build up the IOC vote.
"I know London would put on a spectacular Games if the IOC grants us the honour. If they do, I know we will not let them down," said Prime Minister Blair.
London offers a long-term legacy for every Olympic and Paralympic sport, with new sporting venues and facilities that will help to grow and develop sport from the school playground to the medal podium.
The London 2012 Games would showcase Olympic athletes and Olympic sports in spectacular sporting, cultural and environmental settings that will inspire spectators, television audiences and young people around the world.
These include venues such as Wimbledon (Tennis), the new Wembley (Football finals), Eton Dorney (Rowing) and Lord's (Archery), along with much-loved London landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, the Eye, Houses of Parliament (Marathon), and London's famous Royal Parks, including Hyde Park (Triathlon) Regent's Park (Softball and Baseball) and Greenwich Park (Modern Pentathlon and Equestrian).
Other venues include the atmospheric Dome (Basketball and Gymnastics); the ExCeL Centre, Europe's largest convention, conference and exhibition centre (Boxing, Weightlifting, Judo, Wrestling, Table Tennis and Taekwondo); and the Royal Artillery Barricks in Woolwich (Shooting) all close to the Olympic Park cluster and Weymouth and Portland (Sailing).
Extensive use of London's world familiar sporting venues and historic landmarks will be complemented by state-of-the-art venues in the new east London Olympic Park, the catalyst for the biggest urban regeneration programme in London for over 100 years which will create thousands of new jobs and homes and demonstrate the power of the Olympic Movement to change people's lives on and off the sporting field.
The Olympic Park and all new sports facilities in the Park including a new Olympic (Athletics) stadium; Aquatics Centre; Velopark; Hockey facility and indoor sports hall - have been given full Government planning approval and guaranteed Government funding.
Vibrant central London is just seven minutes away by train via a new high speed Olympic Javelin shuttle service. Another nine existing rail and underground lines will form the basis of a comprehensive Olympic public transport system part of an ongoing $30 billion Government investment programme.
One of the most innovative features of the London 2012 Games Plan is the integration of venues and facilities for both the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games, leaving a marvellous sporting legacy for athletes from all backgrounds.
"This will deliver a great Games and a better London; it will inspire and guide other mega-cities on how to deal with the emerging environmental and social challenges, and be proof of the Olympic Movement's desire to be an agent of change," said Peter Ottesen, former manger of the highly acclaimed environment programme for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, also known as the Green Games.
-ENDS-
Translations of this article are available in the following languages by clicking on the links below.
"This Government believes a London Olympics is a prize worth fighting for."
British Prime Minister, Tony Blair
"The [London] sports concept is well planned... The Olympic Park includes the Olympic Village, providing a very good competition environment for the majority of athletes... new venues supported by upgraded existing sports facilities would leave London and the country with a significantly enhanced sports legacy."
IOC Candidature Acceptance Working Group Report to the IOC Executive Board, March 2004
"The [London] Candidature File and the information provided to the [IOC Evaluation] Commission during its visit were of a very high quality..."
Report of the IOC Evaluation Commission for the Games of the XXX Olympiad in 2012
The United Kingdom's passion for sport is at the heart of London's bid to host the most athlete-centred Olympic Games and Paralympic Games ever staged. The London 2012 bid is the fourth British Summer Olympic Games Bid in the past 20 years.
This time, the bid from London reflects the new era in planning for the Olympic Games based on the Olympic Games Study Commission (Pound) Report and has been designed to deliver 'Excellence without Extravagance'.
The London bid is based on extensive use of world-famous sporting venues, much-loved London landmarks, rapid new transport connections, a new Olympic Park and much needed new sports facilities to increase participation in Olympic sports.
The London bid also features new and innovative ways of using and upgrading existing venues and settings to reduce the size and costs of staging the Olympic Games. This includes a new series of temporary venues that will be relocated in other parts of the United Kingdom after the Games as new sporting venues.
The experience and knowledge gained from using these re-locatable venues will help to support international efforts to stage the Olympic Games and other major sporting events in other parts of the world.
The Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in London are expected to return a £100 million surplus to the IOC and British sport.
Staging the Olympic Games in London, the world's most fashionable city for young people, will also increase awareness of the Olympic Games and values amongst a new generation of young people around the world.
London's Olympic blueprint has won approval of worldwide Olympic champions including Cathy Freeman and Haile Gebreselassie as well as sporting greats such as legendary sub-four-minute miler, Sir Roger Bannister and internationally respected and revered figures including Nelson Mandela.
"There is no city like London. It is a wonderfully diverse and open city providing a home to hundreds of different nationalities from all over the world. I can't think of a better place than London to hold an event that unites the world," Mandela said recently in a public statement of support for the London bid.
The London Bid has the whole-hearted support of British Government, the British Parliament and the British people.
"London's Olympic bid is important to me, the British Government and to our country," said British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who will travel to Singapore in early July in the build up the IOC vote.
"I know London would put on a spectacular Games if the IOC grants us the honour. If they do, I know we will not let them down," said Prime Minister Blair.
London offers a long-term legacy for every Olympic and Paralympic sport, with new sporting venues and facilities that will help to grow and develop sport from the school playground to the medal podium.
The London 2012 Games would showcase Olympic athletes and Olympic sports in spectacular sporting, cultural and environmental settings that will inspire spectators, television audiences and young people around the world.
These include venues such as Wimbledon (Tennis), the new Wembley (Football finals), Eton Dorney (Rowing) and Lord's (Archery), along with much-loved London landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, the Eye, Houses of Parliament (Marathon), and London's famous Royal Parks, including Hyde Park (Triathlon) Regent's Park (Softball and Baseball) and Greenwich Park (Modern Pentathlon and Equestrian).
Other venues include the atmospheric Dome (Basketball and Gymnastics); the ExCeL Centre, Europe's largest convention, conference and exhibition centre (Boxing, Weightlifting, Judo, Wrestling, Table Tennis and Taekwondo); and the Royal Artillery Barricks in Woolwich (Shooting) all close to the Olympic Park cluster and Weymouth and Portland (Sailing).
Extensive use of London's world familiar sporting venues and historic landmarks will be complemented by state-of-the-art venues in the new east London Olympic Park, the catalyst for the biggest urban regeneration programme in London for over 100 years which will create thousands of new jobs and homes and demonstrate the power of the Olympic Movement to change people's lives on and off the sporting field.
The Olympic Park and all new sports facilities in the Park including a new Olympic (Athletics) stadium; Aquatics Centre; Velopark; Hockey facility and indoor sports hall - have been given full Government planning approval and guaranteed Government funding.
Vibrant central London is just seven minutes away by train via a new high speed Olympic Javelin shuttle service. Another nine existing rail and underground lines will form the basis of a comprehensive Olympic public transport system part of an ongoing $30 billion Government investment programme.
One of the most innovative features of the London 2012 Games Plan is the integration of venues and facilities for both the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games, leaving a marvellous sporting legacy for athletes from all backgrounds.
"This will deliver a great Games and a better London; it will inspire and guide other mega-cities on how to deal with the emerging environmental and social challenges, and be proof of the Olympic Movement's desire to be an agent of change," said Peter Ottesen, former manger of the highly acclaimed environment programme for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, also known as the Green Games.
-ENDS-
Translations of this article are available in the following languages by clicking on the links below.
- Spanish.doc
- Arabic.doc
- Chinese.doc
- Dutch.doc
- French.doc
- German.doc
- Japanese.doc
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