Stuffy

The IOC seems to have reacted a tad stuffily by complaining about the Canadian Women's Ice Hockey team celebrating their victory by drinking a few beers and champagne in the rink after the match.

Doesn't the IOC have more pressing issues to worry about?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Britain Wins Gold Medal

Britain seems to have won one gold medal at the Vancouver Winter Olympics, that at least is the view of ctvolympics.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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An Object Lesson

The shambles of the Vancouver Winter Olympics is providing a valuable object lesson for the organisers of the London 2012 Olympics.

The trouble is that the London Olympics are already massively over budget (£12BN against an initial budget of around £3BN), and have a much derided logo (Lisa Simpson giving head).

One wonders what other disasters can befall the London Olympics?

Lots actually, most especially those relating to our third world transportation system.

Even Tess Jowell, Olympics Minister, seems to have realised this. She told the Evening Standard:

"There are certainly lessons we can learn. We need to trial getting people to and from the venues so we are absolutely clear about the stress on the transport system and we can anticipate any problems."

Good luck with that then!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Vancouver - Worst Olympics Ever?

The Guardian is of the view that the Vancouver Winter Olympics are turning into the worst Olympics ever, even beating the financially ruinous games held in Montreal in 1976.

For why?

The paper lists a number of "indicators" of failure:

- The faulty hydraulics on the torch bowl in the opening event.

- Lousy transportation infrastructure that caused the Premier of British Columbia, Gordon Campbell, and the chiefs of the four host First Nations to miss the singing of the Canadian anthem at Friday's opening ceremony.

- Safety issues over the Whistler sliding centre.

- The faulty wiring on the Cypress mountain, which blew a fuse at the weekend and closed the concession stands.

- Rain that has washed away snow on Cypress mountain, making it impossible to build spectator viewing areas that would be safe.

All in all a damning indictment of failure.

What else will go wrong I wonder?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Rent A Mob

An anti Olympic march in Vancouver on Saturday turned ugly, when some protesters started smashing windows.

Quite what smashing windows and general thuggery has got to do with protesting against the winter Olympics is beyond me.

Certain groups/individuals seemingly use any excuse for mindless vandalism.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Winter Olympics 2010

Good luck to the citizens of Canada/Vancouver, as they will end up footing the "mere" £3.6BN bill for the 2010 Winter Olympics which have kicked off in Vancouver.

It took decades for Canada to pay off the cost of the 1976 Montreal summer Olympic Games.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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No Bailout Needed

Jacques Rogge, the International Olympic Committee president, has told The Daily Telegraph that there is no need for the IOC to offer bailout money to the London 2012 Olympics, as it has done for Vancouver.

Seemingly, in the eyes of the IOC, the finances of the games are robust. This in spite of the fact that the London Olympics "budget" now stands at £12BN (including £2BN running costs) and is likely to exceed that amount as and when the final reckoning is made.

Doubtless the hapless British taxpayers, who have been saddled with paying for this monument to Labour's folly, agree wholeheartedly with Rogge and are happy to pay for them!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Raiding The Contingency Fund

It seems that the much used Olympics contingency fund will have to be raided again, this time to cover previously undeclared maintenance and security costs (estimated at between £150M-£230M).

The £2.7BN fund has already been depleted by £1.3BN.

The raid on the contingency fund can only be made after approval from a committee of senior ministers, including the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

They need to ask why these costs were not identified before, when the "budget" was being prepared.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Unlawful Anti Terror Law

The Times reports that the police intend to use Section 44 of The Terrorism Act 2000 at every tube station in London during the London 2012 Olympics, this gives them the power to search people without any suspicion that they are terrorists.

The only problem with this is that the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that this is unlawful.

Section 44 must be granted by the Home Secretary for a designated area.

The Home Office is appealing against the European Court ruling.

Doubtless, were these powers to be enacted, the terrorists would avoid using the tube system.

After games, will the powers be revoked?

I doubt!

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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A Jolly Junket To A Winter Wonderland

I see that the London Olympics organisers are sending a delegation to Vancouver for the Winter Games next week, on a fact finding mission.

They want to learn all the "learnable" about the issues, pitfalls and "opportunities" arising from hosting an Olympics.

Three small points:

1 They have already done this at the Beijing Olympics.

2 They are sending a massive delegation of 50 people (I wonder that that will cost the British taxpayer?). Why so many?

3 The Canadian infrastructure budget was originally £350M, it is now expected to rise to almost £3.5BN. Do we really want to follow Canada's example?

This junket seems to be a remarkable waste of our money.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Solar Storms

It seems that holding the Olympics in 2012 may not be such an auspicious year, from the perspective of the communications and media industries.

Scientist have warned that the London 2012 Olympics Communication systems could be damaged by magnetic storms and solar flares, which hit their 11 year peak just as the Olympics kicks off.

The solar storms can affect satellites and power grids on Earth.

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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