Olympic 2012 Opening Ceremony Roundup

Brilliant, breathtaking, bonkers and utterly British. Danny Boyle captured the spirit, history, humour and patriotism of an expectant nation last night as he pulled off an Olympic opening ceremony like no other.

From a bucolic vision of our green and pleasant land to a riotous medley of Britpop’s greatest hits, Boyle’s tour de force was a love letter to his homeland that left 65,000 spectators choking with pride.

To cap it all, London 2012 literally reached stratospheric heights as five Olympic rings were lifted by giant balloons from the stadium into space. Pity the person who has to try to better this in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Where Beijing 2008 had precision, uniformity and control, London 2012 had James Bond, 600 NHS nurses and 40 live sheep.

London Olympics 2012 Opening Ceremony

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali and former England football captain David Beckham appear increasingly likely to play a role in the Olympics opening ceremony, after flying into London four days before it takes place.

The pair will present an award at a reception on Tuesday night to mark the beginning of Beyond Sport, a conference devoted to the social impact of sport around the world.

Amid increasing speculation that the climax of the opening ceremony will feature a series of big names collaborating to light the cauldron, Ali and Beckham are expected to have a role of some kind.

Ali famously lit the Olympic flame at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and Beckham, although left out of Stuart Pearce's Team GB football squad, has been promised significant roles at the Games by London 2012 chairman Lord Coe.

The question of who should light the cauldron has become a subject of furious debate, with Sir Steve Redgrave and Daley Thompson among the frontrunners. Given the emphasis on youth in London's bid, it is also expected that a younger athlete will play a role.

Team GB chef de mission Andy Hunt, who has some input into the decision, said at the weekend that it would be a "wow moment" and that a "mutually acceptable solution" had been found between the British Olympic Association and organisers Locog, whose ceremonies team have the biggest say.

Olympic triple jump gold medallist Jonathan Edwards, who sits on Locog's board, said on Monday that Coe should light the flame.

But Coe has already dismissed himself from the running and absented himself from the decision making process, although he has said he would favour his friend Thompson.

Beckham said that Ali was "one of the most inspirational sportsmen of all time".

Lonnie Ali added: "My husband's whole life has been an embodiment of the struggle for survival, change and justice, and he has used the power of sport to change lives and attitudes around the world."

BOA president Princess Anne and Coe welcomed IOC members to the capital on Monday with a performance at the Royal Opera House.

London mayor Boris Johnson also appeared, reciting an ode to the Games in ancient Greek, along with Plácido Domingo, singer Paloma Faith and dance troupe Zoo Nation – who performed in front of a backdrop of images from the 1908 and 1948 Games.

Princess Anne said: "We have dedicated the London Games from the outset to the athletes and hope to provide the best possible conditions for you and your teams in the week

Olympics Did you Know ?

As the lighting of the Olympic cauldron and the Olympics opening ceremony on 27 July in London will mark the beginning of the Summer Olympics 2012,

London 2012 bring some interesting facts brings eight amazing facts you did not know about Olympic Games.

 

1. Olympic Games are thought to have originated from Ancient Greece when several competitions were held among various kingdoms.

However, the actual origin of Olympics is still a mystery. The most popular legend has it that Heracles, a hero of Greek and Roman mythology, first called the ancient Greek games Olympic and started the custom of holding them over a period of four years, known as Olympiad. Heracles, a son of the God Zeus, was one of the most famous heroes of ancient Greece, the strongest man in the world and a symbol of power, courage and superhuman strength.

2. Olympic Games in ancient Greece acted as peace buffers as it was during the games that participating cities would put their feuds and disputes or wars on hold until the games were over.

3. The ancient Olympic Games were first held in Olympia beginning in the eighth century BC (BC 776) until fourth century AD (394 AD) to honour the God Zeus.

4. Remains of ancient stadium and other sports architecture erected for the Olympic Games today form a part of the archaeological site of Olympia, in a valley in the Peloponnesus. The site was in World Heritage List in 1989.

5. The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896 with 14 participating countries, followed by 24 countries in the second Olympiad in Paris in 1900. Summer and Winter Olympic Games have been held separately since 1992, every two years, to promote summer and winter sports respectively.

6.  No Olympics took place  in 1916, during World War I, and in 1940 and 1944, during World War II, but the subsequent Olympiads have been numbered. The 2012 Summer Olympics in London is the 30th Olympiad of modern Olympics.

7. Olympics begin with lighting of the Olympic Flame at Olympia from where the flame, carried on Olympic Torch, is taken across the participating countries to the host country. The Olympics Flame is ignited by the reflection of sunlight through a parabolic mirror.

8. The tradition of relaying Olympic torchbearers to open the games was not a part of ancient Olympics in Greece. The Greek rather lit the fire for religious beliefs. The first modern Olympics Flame was lit in 1928 in Amsterdam.

Olympics 2012 -Slum Camp for Cleaners

Ten to a room and one shower for 75 people: Inside the 'slum' camp for Olympic cleaners

• They sleep in portable cabins, some of which have been leaking in the rain, at the campsite in East London
• The bad weather has left the site flooded with stagnant water, forcing the cleaners to use abandoned crates as makeshift ‘stepping stones’
• ‘It is like a slum inside,’ says one worker from Hungary

Cleaners at the Olympic Park are being housed ten to a room at a huge temporary compound.

The campsite in East London, hidden from public view, has 25 people sharing each toilet and 75 to each shower.

They sleep in portable cabins, some of which have been leaking in the rain.

Grim: Cleaners at the Olympic Park are being housed ten to a room at a huge temporary compound, pictured. The campsite in East London, hidden from public view, has 25 people sharing each toilet and 75 to each shower

And the bad weather has left the site flooded with stagnant water, forcing them to use abandoned crates as makeshift ‘stepping stones’ to move around the site.

Hundreds have come from abroad to work at the Olympics despite promises that the jobs would go to Londoners.

On arrival, some were horrified to be told there was no work for two weeks. But despite this, they were made to pay the cleaning company £18 a day in ‘rent’ to sleep in the overcrowded metal cabins, which works out at more than £550 a month.

Others who had come to the UK desperate for the jobs turned back, describing  the camp as ‘horrible’, with showers and toilets ‘filthy’ from over-use.

Poor conditions: The bad weather has left the site flooded with stagnant water, forcing the cleaners to use abandoned crates as makeshift 'stepping stones' to move around the site. This image shows how close the camp is to the Olympic Stadium

Andrea Murnoz, 21, a student from Madrid, said: ‘I couldn’t believe it when I saw the places people were sleeping.

‘When I first saw the metal gates and the tall tower in the middle, it reminded me of a prison camp. It looks horrible.

'I was thinking I would apply for a job, but I have changed my mind. My two friends signed up, but I think they are regretting it.’ 

Cleaners at the camp have signed gagging orders preventing them from talking to the Press and have been banned from having family and friends visit ‘for security reasons’.

One worker, from Hungary, said conditions were ‘very bad’ inside the camp but he had nowhere else to live. ‘It is like a slum inside,’ the 24-year-old said.

‘The toilets are dirty and the space is very little.’

Another, also from Hungary, said: ‘When we saw the camp, we were shocked. When we came to England we thought accommodation would be much nicer.

Olympic Torch Closing in on London Stratford Olympics Stadium.

The Olympic Torch Relay will travel 

through Newham on 21 July.

The torch will arrive in style on the Woolwich Ferry at 10.40am then onto Pier Parade in North Woolwich.

Torchbearers will carry the Torch to the Mayor's Newham Show in Central Park, East Ham, before travelling to Westfield Stratford City and along Stratford High Street before heading towards the Bow flyover.

A highlight in the Olympic Flame's route through our borough will be the Mayor's Newham Show in Central Park at 11.15am, when the Olympic Torch will be welcomed onto the main stage by a 180 strong choir made up of young musicians from every Newham school. The performance will reflect the Olympic ideals of celebration, friendship and national pride, and will be followed by a variety of live acts, showcasing the very best of Newham talent.

In addition to activity at the Mayor's Newham Show, other key
places to view the Olympic Torch in Newham on 21 July will be:

• The Mosaic (outside the Post Office) on Green Street, E7
• Meridian Square (outside Stratford station)
• Great Eastern Road, E15
• Theatre Square (outside Theatre Royal Stratford East)
• Great Eastern Road, E15
• The Grove (outside Stratford Library), E15

 

David Beckham left out of the GB Team

Beckham had pushed hard to be in the British team as an over-age player and had been seen as a strong driver for ticket sales early in the process.

Speaking from Los Angeles on Thursday, Beckham talked about how he is moving forward and how he might yet be involved in the upcoming Olympic Games.

"All the talk of me possibly performing in the Olympics, it would have been a very proud moment for me," Beckham said, following LA Galaxy practice. "Everyone knows how proud I am of representing my country and to do it in my hometown on such a big stage would have been incredible, so of course I'm disappointed but life goes on."

The former Manchester United player had high praise for his former teammate Ryan Giggs and his new title of captain of Great Britain's squad heading to the Games.

"You know Ryan, obviously, he's had such an amazing career with Manchester United and also with the Welsh team. He might not have made a major competition but for the amount of time he's played for Wales and the way he's represented Manchester United over the years, he deserves to be there," said Beckham "He deserves to play in a big competition like this. It would have been great to have been there with him because we've got a lot of great memories from playing with Manchester United and I hope he gets a gold medal."

police security during london olympics

With less than17 days to go, Teresa May told the Commons she was 'confident' the Government's partners in security G4S, LOCOG and the Military have it all covered and the Home Office has checked the plans and will continue to do so without being complacent. But on LBC 97.3's Anthony Davis show, former workers, and others, called and text claiming little or no training for new staff saying that people were interviewed for jobs were given passes but then not hired for a job, but still had access all area passes. One used to work in recruitment and claimed most staff were inexperienced in security and little more than school-leavers, some couldn't even fill in the application form properly. They described it all as a 'nightmare' and 'disorganised'. Pay was also much in debate, around the minimum wage level, when G4S have a near £300m contract with London 2012 to protect the Games.

All this as a near dozen arrests last week by anti-terror police both in Stratford and around the country. At the weekend, claims of a would-be terrorist on a Home Office watch list breaking conditions and travelling by train through the Olympic Park five times in one day. Frankly I can think of better things to do with my time or maybe he was just updating his twitter followers with the latest sights! 

After Munich 1972, September 11th and July 7th here in London, the 2012 Olympics were never going to be 'security lite' that's why we have the biggest homeland security operation since the 2nd World War with the Navy docked in the Thames and Surface to Air Missiles on East London roofs. Now I've been in and out of the Olympic Park hundreds of times and the security process, like going through an Airport, seemed to be pretty thorough including stopping me taking in half an opened bottle of water and I never got through without the LBC microphone being queried! But during this summer the number of people that need searching needs to be multiplied by thousands and having been at other sporting events this year, its seems security guards are normally used to just checking ID. Your names on the list you're allowed in. That isn't good enough for London 2012.

With 12,000 police officers on the streets during the Games, Scotland Yard say they're planning for worse case scenario. But were very quick to deny any links to Olympics for last week's arrests and truth is, maybe we should've expected this, and more pre-emptive arrests to come between now and September.

G4S after admitting "challenges" also told me in a statement "We expect to resolve this soon. At no time was security at the Olympic Park or other venues under threat. Our planning with LOCOG and other security agencies allows for a variety of contingencies which have been tested and refined in the build-up to the Games we are prepared for a variety of situations and circumstances." A spokesman also denied claims anyone would get an AAA pass without a job saying passes to venues are only given by London 2012 once screening and vetting process has been completed and once staff have cleared LOCOG's accreditation requirements. So there is no question of people getting into venues without being cleared I'm told.

The Government and Police have continually said to me their meticulous planning means sport, rather than security, is what people should remember this summer. We'll find out soon if they're right.