Europe VS USA On The Blocks

London's 2012 Olympic aquatics centre is in line to host swimming's answer to the Ryder Cup - Europe V US - in 2011 as a warm-up for the Games a year later.

The details of the Duel-in-the-Pool are likely to be thrashed out at a meeting between the Ligue Européenne de Natation (LEN) and USA Swimming this coming autumn, though the event could become a Trio-in-the-Pool if the parties agree to a move for Australia to be included.

Whatever form the event takes, it will represent a monument to American swimming's forward-planning skills: negotiations began as far back as 2003, when Peter Daland, an Octogenarian who during his days on the deck was one of the most successful coaches in swimming history, raised the idea with the Europe's governing federation league in the belief that either Paris or London would host the 2012 Olympic Games.

Laszlo Szakadati, Hungarian director of LEN, the European body working hard to make the event a reality, said: "We should not be blind about this: America wants this event because London has the Games and the US team wants to be here a year in advance to test the waters and their training and preparation for 2012. But Europe thinks this is a great idea, it could be a fantastic spectacle for swimming and we would like to see it become a tradition, more than something we have just twice."

Szakadati added that Europe favoured staging the inaugural Duel in 2009, though it was "not yet certain whether the 2012 pool in London will be ready then". Dublin is a favourite alternative venue for a 2009 event. There is no candidate other than London for 2011 provided Britain is ready to host the competition.

Technical and financial details have yet to be agreed and potential sponsors yet to be approached formally, while Europe has yet to decide how a team from many nations would be selected and who would foot the bill.

Disagreements with the US centre on the competition format: Europe favours two competitors from each team in each race (for a final of six should Australia be present), while the US wants to see three swimmers per team in a final of nine (Olympic pools are ten lanes wide, the outside two lanes left empty at the Games and for world championships).

Szakadati said that Europe favoured staging a two-day competition that would break away from the current Olympic format (eight days, 40 events) and be more TV-friendly. "Swimmers would enjoy that too, I'm sure. It would be a break from the routine," he added.

A meeting between Europe and the US will take place "either in October or November" to finalise details. Asked whether Australia, which already takes part in a Duel-In-The-Pool exclusively with the US, would be at those talks, the director said: "Initially this was all about US v Europe, but now there is some insistence on Australia being there. It is not that we object to that, not at all, but frankly speaking, this is about the US: it was an honour for Europe to be invited to talk about this by the Americans.

"In Melbourne (world championships last March), we were not beaten, we were ultra-beaten just a few months after a paper exercise showed how close things were between the US and Europe as a continent. I think this meet could be fantastic for the sport and for European swimming and we're working to make it happen," said Szakadati.

A Europe v USA duel is likely to attract the attention of good sponsorship and widespread TV coverage.

Giant flag marks new phase for the 2012 campaign

London 2012's new campaign slogan has been launched with a giant flag urging supporters to 'Make Britain Proud'.

The flag, which measures 20m by 12m, was unveiled at the climax of the 'Parade of Heroes' celebrations in central London.

Olympians Kelly Holmes and Amir Khan were the first to add their signatures to the flag, which will tour the country collecting signatures from sports stars and celebrities.

Fans crowded into Trafalgar Square for the climax of the Athens celebrations saw the huge flag draped over the steps of the National Portrait Gallery.

After signing the flag, Holmes gave her backing to the campaign's 'Make Britain Proud' message.

She said: "It proves exactly what the British public are like with our sports people. They would be behind us 100 per cent.

"If they can come out for us today, God knows what would happen if we got the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games."

London 2012 Chairman Sebastian Coe said the flag marked a new phase in the campaign to bring the Games to London.

He said: "This flag and the 'Make Britain Proud' campaign are part of the new phase in our bid.

"The hard work on the Candidate File is reaching an end and the job of promoting the bid nationally and internationally is just beginning.

"The giant flag is a key symbol of this new phase. It will tour the country over the next months and be signed by a range of high-profile individuals from diverse backgrounds who have contributed to UK sport and society.

"Bringing the Games to the United Kingdom will increase our pride and our aspirations just ask the thousands of British sports fans that watched our medal successes in Athens."

Olympic sailing police need £21m

The cost of policing Olympic events in Dorset in 2012 is likely to be at least £21m, it has been revealed.

The Dorset force has put in a request to the government to foot the bill for the security needed for the sailing events for the 2012 London Olympics.

It is not yet known how much of the estimated final cost will have to be met by the force.

The cost of the operation in Weymouth and Portland has worried local MPs, who fear its knock-on effects.

Funding under scrutiny

The Home Office said £600m had been earmarked for Olympic policing needs.

A spokeswoman said it would "consider any proposals for Olympic funding from police forces".

She added the total sum allocated was under "continuing scrutiny in the light of the developing security assessment".

Annette Brooke, Lib Dem MP for Mid-Dorset and North Poole, said she was worried about the possible impact on frontline police services.

She added: "My greatest concern is to make sure this does come from central funds allocated for the Olympic Games and most of all that Dorset Police has the money up front.

"It's going to be such a huge proportion of their overall budget."

A spokeswoman for Dorset Police said: "We can confirm a bid of £21m has been put forward to the Home Office but this has not yet been approved and we are not expecting approval anytime soon. These things take a considerable period of time."

Better london logo

Want to see a better London Olympic Logo? Okay!

You can view the concepts we've come up with and concepts from other designers around the world. You can also submit your logo concept if you've got an idea of your own. Below you can see the current standing of the logos so far.














More here: www.betterlondonlogo.co.uk

London 2012 Olympics Promo - Imagine

Not tickled pink by the new logo

COMMUNITY leaders have reacted furiously to the design and cost of the new London 2012 Olympic Games logo.

Costing £400,000, the jagged emblem is based on the number 2012 and comes in a series of shades of pink, blue, green and orange. Games officials said it will ‘evolve’ in the run-up to the Games.

London Mayor Ken Livingstone blasted the animated version of the logo over concern it could spark epileptic fits.

He said: “I would not pay a penny for making such a catastrophic mistake – this is a pretty basic thing.”

The word London and the Olympic rings are included in the first two digits of the new logo but critics claim they are oblique and obscured.

London 2012 Logo Creators Break Silence

The two men behind the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games logo finally broke their silence in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, saying they were proud of the design and even pleased about some of the criticism of the logo.

Brian Boylan, chairman of Wolff Olins, the consultancy responsible for the 400,000 pound design said, “let’s be clear – we won’t change the design at all. We are proud of it. It will go down in history. We have created something original in a world where it is increasingly difficult to make something different”.

Patrick Cox, leader of the design team that created the logo said, “it wasn’t created to be warm and fuzzy. Its design is intentionally raw which means it doesn’t immediately sit there and ask to be liked very much. It was meant to be something that did provoke a response, like the little thorn in the chair that gets you to breathe in, sit up and take notice”.

Boylan, who was in charge of the project said, “I don’t think brands need only to be lived any more. They need to be useful, in terms of providing participation and a platform for people to do things with them. I think that is what this is going to be remembered for “.

The Telegraph reports that Boylan admitted he had been surprised by the intensity of the criticism, but said that his travels to Switzerland and Denmark in the last two weeks had convinced him that opinion was getting behind the design.

When asked if most Britons would ever love it he said, “we are not confident or unconfident. The public will judge”.

Chris Townsend, the commercial director of London 2012, said he had been enthusiastic when shown the first drafts of the logo just before Christmas. He said, “the senior management team was unanimous. We saw other designs, but this was the one. The more the brand is understood, the more it will be loved”, adding, “we were creating something we hope reflects the spirit of our times, party youthfulness, and also the sense of participation”.

He said the logo is intended to be a “blank canvas”, a set of blocks in which people can place images of their choice. It is hoped that a “non-commercial” version will be available next year for use by bodies such as amateur sports clubs.

Cox said, “when people are saying that a child could have done it, or are coming up with their own designs, that’s what we want. We want everyone to be able to do something with it”.

London 2012 sites

www.london2012.com - The Main London 2012 site
www.londonolympics2012.com - The Independent London Olympics 2012 website
www.olympic.org/uk/games/london/index_uk.asp - Official website of the Olympic Movement
www.blog.london2012.com/ - London 2012 blog
www.the2012londonolympics.com - UNOFFICIAL London 2012 Summer Olympic Games

The Olympic Logos

This is a slideshow of the logos of The Summer Olympic Games (1896-2016) and The Winter Olympics (1924-2014)
N.B. : If the London 2012 Logo got changed, just let me know.
This movie is silent.

Olympic chairman loves 2012 logo

The chairman of the International Olympic Committee has pledged support for the controversial London 2012 logo.

Speaking at the end of a three-day visit, Dennis Oswald told journalists he "loved it."

During their visit, inspectors received a full report on the row over the new brand and logo.

Mr Oswald also said preparations were "on time and on track" and that Britain's 2012 preparations would prove to be a model for future host cities.

Commenting on the new logo, Mr Oswald said: "I love it. It's very simple. We have a fantastic logo, it's very creative, very young and very dynamic. I'm very enthusiastic about it."

Britain's legacy

The IOC inspection committee had spent the last three days assessing the London 2012 team's preparations, ranging from venue construction to transport.

"It was a very positive visit which confirmed all the impressions we had from previous visits," said Mr Oswald.

"At this stage we're very satisfied. We don't have any specific area of concern. The work should just go on, but compared to other organising committees, London is really on time and on track."

He also said Britain's commitment to ensuring 2012 left a legacy on the landscape was something future host cities must learn.

"We were delighted to have confirmation that the legacy aspect of the Games was what it was promised at the time of the bid," he said.

"This legacy is very important and we really consider London will be a model for future host cities of the Games as far as legacy is concerned. But this legacy will not only be for London but for Britain in general."

Key targets

The IOC team was told key targets for the project include making the UK a leading sporting nation and securing 50,000 new jobs.

Mr Livingstone guaranteed the 2012 Olympics would be the "most successful since Barcelona in 1992 in terms of regeneration and legacy".

"As the next three Olympic Games follow London, we will still be getting the legacy benefits in terms of housing and employment," he said.

He added that London would be able to meet all its Olympics targets and would "stage the greatest Games ever".

"It is time for the pessimists and purveyors of doom to start looking at the facts as laid out today and join the rest of us in backing London," he said.

The IOC will continue to inspect venues once a year until 2008, when progress will be subject to scrutiny every six months.

Olympic Games 2012: Coordination Commission meets with Organising Committee

The IOC’s Coordination Commission for the London 2012 Games, led by its Chairman, Denis Oswald, concluded three days of meetings with the Organising Committee for the Games of the Olympiad – London 2012 (LOCOG) with a strong endorsement of the quality and professionalism of the work being carried out.

Having reviewed a thorough cross section of areas of Games preparation with LOCOG and its partners – the British Olympic Association, the Mayor of London’s office, the Department of Culture Media and Sport and the Olympic Delivery Authority – the IOC stated that sound planning and consistency of vision were combining to ensure that robust foundations were being laid for the five years ahead.

“The IOC has been very impressed with what we have seen this week,” commented Oswald. “There is an excellent team in place, who work together with real spirit. Across the board – from venue construction, sport, the Olympic village, through to technology, media operations and the progress being made in sponsorship negotiations, we see that the work is thoroughly thought through. Operationally and financially they are on-track; interest from the business community is high, with key new commercial partners signing up in the coming months. All this has progressed without any deviation from the vision that was laid out in Singapore. The Commission members – all of whom have a huge amount of Olympic Games experience - and I come away confident in the structures and people, and feeling energised by how the London Games will have a positive legacy and help move sport higher up the agenda – something that is so close to the IOC’s heart.”

Oswald continued, “We have known since London bid that legacy – both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ -was an important element. From the presentations we heard this week it is clear to me that London 2012 will serve as a model in this area. Also evident, alongside sport, is the strength of the cultural and educational aspects of these Games.”

London 2012 Chairman, Sebastian Coe said “This has been an extremely useful and rewarding week for all of us at London 2012. Members of the Coordination Commission have a wealth of experience and expertise as competitors, sports administrators, broadcasters and technical officials at many Olympic and Paralympic Games. We have been able to show clear, demonstrable progress in all areas, illustrated the integration of all stakeholders and partners in the project, and introduced our senior management team,”

On the first day of its visit, the Commission viewed the progress that has been made at the Olympic Park and saw the Dome just before its grand opening. The Commission then became the first passengers to travel from Stratford International Station to St Pancras in Central London, a trip that will allow spectators to travel from Central London to the Olympic Park in only seven minutes at Games time. The meetings in the British capital ran from 12 to 14 June, and were the second time that the full IOC Commission had visited the host city for 2012.

The athlete representative on the Coordination Commission, Olympic medallist Frank Fredericks, commented, “Having toured the Olympic Park, seen the Dome and heard the presentations given by LOCOG this week, I’m really excited about the quality of the London Games. I’m sure that if LOCOG keeps up the good work, the athletes competing in 2012 will have a great Olympic experience – one that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.”

During the meetings, the Commission heard reports on Games-related topics such as sport, the Olympic Village, venue development, NOC Services, transport operations, communications, commercial activities, environment and sustainability and the Paralympic Games. These discussions allow not just for the Commission to be informed of LOCOG’s progress but also for the Commission members to share their Games experience and provide LOCOG with advice and guidance on elements of the 2012 project, thus helping the organisers to produce truly successful Games.

London 2012 Olympic Games Aquatic Centre Animation

Designed by the award winning architect Zaha Hadid, this Aquatic Centre in Stratford, East London forms a key legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games. With a capacity of 20,000 spectators during the Games, the two 50m swimming pools and 25m diving pool will be turned into a 3,500 capacity after the Games, forming the British capital's leading facility for aquatic sports

About Olympic Games

The Olympic Games (often referred to simply as The Olympics or The Games) is an international multi-sport event subdivided into summer and winter sporting events. The summer and winter games are each held every four years (an Olympiad). Until 1992, they were held in the same year. Since then, they have been celebrated two years apart.

The original Olympic Games (Greek: Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες; Olympiakoi Agones) began in 776 BCE in Olympia, Greece, and were celebrated until CE 393. In 1896, the ancient Olympic Games were revived at the initiative of a French nobleman, Pierre Frédy, Baron de Coubertin, thus beginning the era of the Modern Olympic Games.

Since the first modern games, in Athens, Greece, participation in the Olympic Games has increased to include athletes from nearly all nations worldwide. With the improvement of satellite communications and global telecasts of the events, the Olympics are consistently gaining supporters. The most recent Summer Olympics were the 2004 Games in Athens and the most recent Winter Olympics were the 2006 Games in Turin. The upcoming games in Beijing are planned to comprise 302 events in 28 sports. As of 2006, the Winter Olympics were competed in 84 events in 7 sports.