London had had the rainiest, coldest spring and early summer in recent memory, but for two weeks, the sun came out, with rare exceptions, such as the women’s cycling road race, and Britain basked in warm Mediterranean-like weather on the final few days of the Games. The London Olympics were a magnificent embodiment of the British people, who embraced London 2012 as the organizers, LOCOG, put on a wondrous show. Paul McCartney ended the ceremony with “Hey Jude”, and London was ready to revel.Īnd revel it did. One innovation at the Opening Ceremony was that the coach’s representative declared an oath for the first time, this done by canoeing coach Eric Farrell. Andrews to the accompaniment of the “ Chariots of Fire” theme. The Games opened at night with a wondrous Opening Ceremony, highlighted by Queen Elizabeth II seemingly parachuting out of a helicopter accompanied by James Bond, and Mr. They had not hired enough staff and the British Government and police forces were forced to step in and requisition more troops to assist with security. But after that initial attack, London was safe from 2005 through the Games and there were no major problems during the Olympics, although pre-Games publicity focused on the G4S, the security agency that was hired to assist during the Olympics. It raised fears of security problems in the world’s most metropolitan city, and a huge one to protect at best.
The city won the bid in a closely fought contest against Paris, but only the day after the bid, suicide bombers struck the London Underground, killing 52 passengers, as well as the cowardly terrorists. One would not expect anything less for London 2012.
They have been called the Austerity Olympics, but again London did their job and did it well. In 1948 London was chosen as host city despite recovering from World War II, its streets and buildings bombed out, and its citizens still on rations, of food and other essentials. Thus, the London 1908 organizers had only 2 years to put on the Games but they did well, hosting the first truly modern Olympic Games.
In 1908 the Games were originally awarded to Roma, which relinquished the responsibility in 1906 because of government funding problems, then exacerbated by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius. London hosted the Olympic Games for the third time in 2012, but neither of the previous could be considered normal host efforts.
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