The Olympics

The Olympics

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News, information and stories about the Olympics.

Monday, July 31, 2006

Couch Potatoes

Beijing residents have said that TV will be the most important medium for them to experience the Beijing 2008 Olympics, followed by newspaper and radio.

Those are the survey results released by researchers from the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences (BASS).

Approximately 85% of those surveyed said they would watch the Games on TV, while 42% would use newspapers and 35% would listen to the radio.

Only 24% would go to the sports venues.

Over half of those surveyed, 52%, said that high prices would prohibit them from buying tickets to events.

The results are published in the book "The Social Development Report of China's Capital (2006)".

Monday, July 24, 2006

Brown's Olympic Woes

The 2012 London Olympic Games appear to be mired in controversy even though they are still six years away.

Gordon Brown, Chancellor of The Exchequer, is being held to account by MP's over allegations that he has held private meetings with Bechtel, a firm trying to win the right to build the Olympic Games site in east London.

Bechtel, a controversial US construction giant, is one of four groups hoping to win the multi-million-pound contract.

Liberal Democrat MP Don Foster has tabled questions over the issue in the Commons, which are due to be answered today.

The Treasury admitted that it is overseeing the Olympic procurement process.

Foster said:

"There is now clear evidence that the Treasury is going to be involved in the decision over who is the main contractor for the London 2012 Olympics.

In the light of John Prescott's dealings with Philip Anschutz, it is even more vital that the Treasury admits whether it has met with any companies or representatives of those vying to become the 2012 delivery partner
."

Bechtel has been called by some "the working arm of the CIA". It was the first firm the US government turned to when it awarded contracts to rebuild Iraq. It is also the British government's favourite contractor, and has advised the Treasury on nuclear energy as well as working on the Channel Tunnel rail link, the Jubilee line and the West Coast Main Line rail upgrade.

Bechtel is currently tarnished by the costliest road project in American history - Boston's 'Big Dig' road tunnel - which this month was hit by the biggest scandal of its troubled history after a concrete roof collapsed, killing a woman.

Needless to say, the budget for the Games is spiralling out of control. It is likely that by the time the Games are held, the costs will exceed £10BN.

Monday, July 17, 2006

Six Kidnapped Officials Released

Gunmen who kidnapped 30 people from an Iraqi Olympics Committee meeting in Baghdad have released six.

Two sports officials, a former shooting champion and a retired soccer player, and four bodyguards are among those freed a day after being snatched.

However, the fate of the others remains unknown.

Friday, July 14, 2006

The cost of the London Olympic Games in 2012 will balloon from the budgeted £1.5BN, to an whopping £5BN. This being the result of reappraisals of facilities, costs and the proposals for redeveloping the Lea Valley, where the games are to be held.

This of course is merely the start of "budget creep", you can rest assured that by the time the Olympics are held the budget will have broken the £10BN level.

Politicians should never be allowed anywhere near a budget.

Wednesday, July 5, 2006

The Olympics Lottery

The British lottery operator, Camelot, has announced that it will launch a new twice-weekly game to raise money for the 2012 London Olympics.

Tickets for the Dream Number game, priced at £1, will go on sale from July 13. Draws will take place on Saturdays and Wednesdays, alongside the main lottery game.

Camelot is hoping to raise £1.5BN, to help build stadia and the Olympic village.

Camelot will of course also make a profit out of this.

Tuesday, July 4, 2006

Olympics Party

One year on since winning the rights to host the 2012 Olympic Games, London will be holding a celebration party this Thursday in Trafalgar Square.

The party will kick off a national roadshow, aimed at generating interest in the Olympics and explaining the benefits of hosting the Games to the rest of the country.

People will get the chance to try out Olympic sports such as fencing, rowing, cycling, basketball, wheelchair basketball and sprinting.

Monday, July 3, 2006

London Olympics On Target

Lord Coe, head of the London 2012 Olympics, has insisted that everything is on target and that deadlines will be met.

This in spite of the ongoing Wembley stadium fiasco.

Well he would say that, wouldn't he?