Olympics Zil Lanes Deactivated

It seems that, quite rightly, those organising the London Olympics have realised that the Olympics Zil road lanes (designated for use only by Olympics VIPs) may not be so popular with the "working masses".

As such, Boris Johnson has just announced that some of the lanes have been turned off.

As per ITV :

"London's mayor has said that "a lot" of the Olympic Games lanes have been "turned off". He was speaking on his way out of the daily COBRA meeting of security officials. There will be more details shortly.

He added that even the head of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, has refused to use the lanes that are specially designated for Games officials and athletes."

Quite right!

However, as Christie Malry has just pointed out:

"Zil lanes exist solely to get officials to the Games quickly. Seatgate shows they're not going to the Games!"

Quite so!

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Beware Olympics Hubris

Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee, is flying into London for the final inspection before the Summer Olympics.

Rogge is expected to heap praise upon the organisers. In fact the Olympic co-ordination commission chairman, Denis Oswald, is also very pleased with how things are going and is quoted in the Telegraph:

“We are in a rather comfortable situation.

A few months before the Games, everything is in place.

We are not pushing to finish things as we had to do before. We feel confident. We can refine a few small things, but basically London is ready and will be ready.” 

Gentlemen beware Olympics hubris!

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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Rogge In Denial

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) president, Jacques Rogge, has rather bizarrely claimed that the London 2012 Olympics has not overshot its budget.

This is rather an "odd" statement given that the original "budget" for the games was £3.4BN, it currently stands at £12BN (including £2BN running costs) and is likely to rise further.

Rogge clearly does not have good grasp of financial matters.

He went on to claim that, despite the recession, the scale of the Games should not be rolled back.

Maybe he will help make up the shortfall out his personal finances?

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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IOC Warns Against White Elephant Legacy

The head of the IOC, Jacques Rogge, has stirred up a hornets' nest by publicly stating that London 2012's main stadium does not need an athletics legacy.

He told the BBC that the main concern for London 2012's organisers should be to avoid leaving behind "white elephants".

Quote:

"If the best solution is to transform the track into something else then we would be in favour of that.

We had the same situation in Atlanta where the Olympic Stadium was changed into a baseball stadium, which kept an interest for sport.

We don't have problems with that. I don't want to enter into specifics but we don't want to leave white elephants."

This of course means that the stadium can be turned into a football stadium afterwards. All very well, but hardly the "legacy" that the government had promised.

Lord Coe promised that the £525M complex would be a "stadium with track and field as its primary legacy".

Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics

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Respect is Due

Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee, has criticised the double gold medallist Usain Bolt for unsporting behaviour following his victories in the 100m and 200m.

In the final part of the 100m race Bolt slowed down and turned to the crowd, and opened his hands in a gesture that looked like he was mocking his seven other opponents.

Rogge said:

"I have no problem with him doing a show.

I think he should show more respect for his competitors and shake hands, give a tap on the shoulder to the other ones immediately after the finish and not make gestures like the one he made in the 100 metres.

I understand the joy. He might have interpreted that in another way, but the way it was perceived was 'catch me if you can'. You don't do that. But he'll learn. He's still a young man."

Olympic Medals Won

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Confused?

Jacques Rogge, president of the IOC, has stated that there is "confusion" among the public about the rising costs of the 2012 London Olympics. In his view this confusion arises because of the differences "between the operational budget and the infrastructure budget".

The total budget for the infrastructure of the Games is set at £10BN, the running costs are set to be around £2BN on top of that.

Those who regularly read this site will have had no such confusion, as I have always clearly stated that there is a budget (currently £12BN) which includes £2BN running costs.

However, I suspect that some of those allegedly "in charge" of the budget or overseeing it in the UK may have forgotten the £2BN running costs.

The fact remains that the current budget of £12BN will rise, as it is clear that those "in charge" of it are not effective in their roles or suitably qualified.

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IOC President Lambasts London Olympics Budget

The chickens are well and truly coming home to roost for the government and the organisers of the London 2012 Olympics, over the spiralling and out of control budget (currently £12BN including running costs) for these unwanted games.

Jacques Rogge, President of the IOC, has put the boot in by saying that the government handling of the budget review had imperilled public support.

Rogge, being a true politician, tries to pour oil on troubled waters by noting that much of the increase can be accounted for by the fact that 2004 prices were used in the bid and VAT was ignored.

Disregarding that spin, he then notes that the huge increase in the headline figure has led to public uncertainty.

He is quoted in The Guardian:

"There are two issues that have made things confusing for the general public because they were not included in the original budget.

These are elements that have been added to the budget. They are VAT, which was not included at the beginning, and the second is a strong contingency fund, all of which gives the idea to the general public that there has been an escalation. In fact these are new elements.

Another issue is that in the bid books we had 2004 prices, but we are speaking about a project that will culminate in 2012 ... and that creates confusion among the general public who think that the budget has exploded.

There is a perception that there is a big difference but if you look at the constant impact of inflation it's not such an explosion."

Whatever political spin is put on the £12BN cost figure that the taxpayers are now facing, can't hide the fact that £12BN is a very large sum of money (one which will rise as the deadline draws ever closer) and that one that the British taxpayer does not want to fund.

The organisers by their ineptitude and spin tried to hide the true cost of the games when they made the bid, as they knew that the public would never have supported them.

The chickens are well and truly coming home to roost, and the politicians are finding it more difficult to hide the true costs of the games.

Dopes

The International Olympic Committee President, Jacques Rogge, has reaffirmed that the IOC will continue its fight against doping.

Quote:

"I would like to reiterate the IOC's total commitment to the fight against doping."

The IOC will adopt a law that would see athletes who had served a doping ban of six months or more, being banned from the Olympic Games.

Quote:

"This measure will be accepted at the next IOC congress in Beijing in August, just before the Games, meaning it will come into effect in time for the 2010 winter Games in Vancouver and the 2012 summer Games in London."

Why do the athletes damage their bodies in this manner?

Get On With It

The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge, has issued a thinly disguised "hurry up" message to the London Olympics organisers.

Rogge told the BBC that London "is doing OK", but must focus on delivering the Games on time.

Quote:

"We urge them to work as soon as possible and to prepare today for the unforeseen of tomorrow."

Hardly a ringing endorsement of progress made so far.

Rogge also said that he remained optimistic that a permanent tenant for the London Olympic stadium will be found.

The current legacy plan is to reduce the stadium's capacity from 80,000 to 25,000 in 2013, and use it as a multi-sport venue with athletics and community facilities at its heart.

However, LOCOG need a football or rugby club to become the "anchor tenant" and thus subsidise the stadium. The trouble being that the plans for the stadium do not include a roof for the majority of the seats.

Another example of the poor planning of this event.

New Doping Rules

Jacques Rogge, International Olympic Committee president, has announced new rules on doping. Any athlete banned for a doping offence, which carries a suspension of six months or more, will have to wait eight years for another chance to enter the Games.

This means that athletes found guilty of doping offences in the Beijing Games in 2008, will not be able to compete in the London Games in 2012.