London Flame 2012 - Latest Blog Entries

Sir Paul to perform at Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:40:00 +0200

Sir Paul McCartney has reportedly signed up to perform at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee concert.

The Beatles star – who released his new album ‘Kisses On The Bottom’ yesterday (06.02.12) – is expected to take to the stage at the June celebration.

The news follows a year-long campaign by Take That star and concert organizer Gary Barlow to get Paul, 69, on board for the Buckingham Palace extravaganza.

A source told The Sun: "He laid it on thick, telling him he was the only man for the job."

Other British icons including Sir Tom Jones, 71 and Dame Shirley Bassey, 75, are also on the bill along with Jessie J, 23, boy band JLS and Ed Sheeran, 20.

Meanwhile, Paul – who married New York businesswoman Nancy Shevell last year – explains why he chose the cheeky title for his latest record. Read more >>

Source : http://www.iol.co.za/tonight/sir-paul-to-perform-at-queen-s-celebration-1.1229103

Oscar Pistorius "Blade Runner" named as a 2012 Laureus World Sportsperson of the year

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:55:00 +0200

Johannesburg - South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius, the athlete known as the ˜Blade Runner” because he runs on carbon fibre blades, was named as the winner of the 2012 Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award on Monday.

In 2011, Pistorius became the first amputee to win a non-disabled World Championship track medal, as a member of the South African silver-medal-winning 4x400m relay team, in Daegu, South Korea.

His desire to bridge the gap between disabled and non-disabled sport became reality in Daegu. Now his goal is to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

After receiving the Laureus Statuette from Spanish actress Elsa Pataky and skateboard legend Tony Hawk in the globally televised Awards Ceremony in London, Oscar Pistorius said: “This is just a great privilege to be nominated, it is really humbling to be here. To all the Laureus Academy Members, all you guys and icons who a lot of us still competing look up to, thank you very much.”

The Laureus World Sports Awards are the premier honours on the international sporting calendar. Read more >>

Source : http://www.iol.co.za/sport/athletics/honour-for-remarkable-pistorius-1.1228490

PDF Download: Seizing business opportunities around the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:44:00 +0200

Seizing the business opportunities around the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games

Download the Lloyds TSB Guide

Source : http://www.corporatemarkets.lloydstsb.com

PDF Download: Official Guide to the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:58:00 +0200

For everyone to get updated on London 2012 Olympic preparations - and to inform og the many opportunities involved.

Download the guide - www.london2012.com

Contents: Key dates / Issues

London and UK Venues
Watching the Games
Torch Relays
Promoting Sport
Volunteering
Jobs and Skills
Business benefits: Games-related contracts
Cultural Olympiad
Inspire programme
Education
Sustainability
Useful websites

Source : www.london2012.com

Diamond Jubilee 2012 - Queen Elizabeth II 60 years on the throne

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0200

A "nationwide celebration" will be held to mark The Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the government has announced.

Events to mark The Queen's 60 years on the throne will take place in the first weekend of June 2012, with an extra bank holiday being created.

Lord Mandelson said it would be a "truly historic occasion" which would allow the British people to show their "pride and affection" for The Queen.

He also announced that Greenwich would become a royal borough.

The Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002 was marked by celebrations across the UK, including a royal tour and a pop concert featuring guitarist Brian May playing a God Save the Queen solo from the roof of Buckingham Palace.

First Secretary of State Lord Mandelson told peers that a series of "fitting events" would be held in the summer to 2012 to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and that planning was at an early stage.

'Remarkable achievement'

He said the government had agreed to grant an additional bank holiday on Tuesday 5 June to provide a focal point for the celebrations.

In addition, the traditional Bank Holiday at the end of May will, in 2012, be moved to 4 June to make it a four day weekend.

He said that although bank holidays were a devolved matter the government would "work closely" with the Scottish Government "to ensure that people across the United Kingdom can celebrate the jubilee together".

Noting that Queen Victoria was the only previous British monarch to have reigned for 60 years, Lord Mandelson said 2012 would be a "landmark year".

Hailing The Queen's time as sovereign as "near-perfect", Lord Mandelson said the celebrations would give the British people the opportunity to show their "great pride and affection" for the Queen and her contribution to British life.

"People across the whole country will want the chance to recognise this remarkable achievement," he said.

Special commemorative medals are to be issued to mark the anniversary, with recipients likely to be those who have shown "tremendous service" to the country.

Olympics

Lord Mandelson said he would consult on this and said he would also consider other suggestions including a special horse race - reflecting the Queen's love of equine interests - to mark the event.

Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne in February 1952 after the death of her father, King George VI.

The Diamond Jubilee weekend will take place just weeks before the start of the London Olympics with host of other events are likely to take place in the monarch's honour such as a service of thanksgiving, possibly at St Paul's Cathedral.

Republic, which supports an elected head of state in the UK, said 2012 should see a "meaningful debate" on the future of the monarchy and proposals for "serious reform".

"If we want an extra public holiday, aren't there better dates to choose from?" said spokesman Graham Smith.

"Armistice Day would be a good start, recognising those ordinary men and women who make real sacrifices for our country."

Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8441972.stm

Book Flights to London for the 2012 Olympic Games

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 12:06:00 +0200

Fans of the Olympics should seriously consider booking low cost flights to London now while they still can. The Olympics is going to be a big deal in 2012, and the World is already gearing up for it even at the end of 2010. By booking your flight as far in advance as possible, you increase your chances of watching your favourite athletes compete in this internationally famous tournament.

Opening on July 27, 2012, the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held in the beautiful and historic city of London. The UK capital beat the other cities to get the chance to host this event. New York and Paris were just two of the cities that were in the running for hosting the Games.

The decision to name London as the host of the 2012 games was made in 2005. That means the people and city of London had seven years to prepare for it. The World will see if this has been enough time to get everything ready to not only host the Olympians but also all of the spectators.

It is estimated that close to 180,000 people will attend the Olympic Games each day. This means the Olympic Park has had to be set up in an area of London that will be able to accommodate so many visitors without disrupting the everyday ebb and flow of the city. The park is currently being constructed on the east side of London at Stratford. There will be an 80,000 seat Olympic Stadium, a Velodrome and arenas that have been specially designed to handle the basketball, fencing, handball and hockey events. All of the venues will be accessible through walkways and footbridges that have been built in the park.

This will be the third time London has been chosen to host the Olympic Games. You will need to purchase your flights to London soon if you want to be part of another historic occasion. Seats will go fast the closer it gets to the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games. In situations and events such as this, you really should start thinking about where you will stay in London, how you will acquire tickets to the events and getting cheap London flights so that you are able make it in time.

How did London get lucky enough to be able to host the Olympic Games for a third time? The first hosting in London occurred in 1908. These were the summer Games and they were originally supposed to be held in Rome, Italy. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen thanks to Mount Vesuvius choosing to erupt which damaged Naples. The Italian government had no choice but to use the funds allocated for building their Olympic complex to rebuild Naples and aid the people of the city who were left with nothing.

Enter London, England. Because of the economic crisis in Italy owing to the volcanic eruption, the 1908 Summer Games were moved to London. They were held at the White City Stadium which catered for 68,000 people and included the facilities needed for the swimming, diving, gymnastic and wrestling events. Unlike many other stadiums that were constructed for the Olympics and later stood empty, the White City Stadium actually enjoyed life as a greyhound racing track in addition to a speedway venue, while it also hosted other sports events. It was demolished in 1985.

The next time London hosted the Olympics was in 1948. These were also Summer Olympics and they were the first to be held after a 12-year hiatus during which World War II took place. The previous Olympics had been held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. The 1948 Olympics were held in the infamous Wembley Stadium, which accommodated 85,000 people. They were the first Olympics to be televised as well as the first to feature pictograms that represented each sport, the opening ceremony and the closing ceremony. It was also the first games to feature a women’s canoeing event.

The Paralympics Games were recognised as an official sporting competition for disabled individuals in 1976. The idea for the games, however, was actually born in 1948. Sir Ludwig Guttmann of Stoke Mandeville, England, came up with the idea of having an archery competition for veterans of World War II who had suffered spinal cord injury. The event had such a good turnout that they were held again in 1952 and featured competitors from The Netherlands. By 1960, the games had become popular enough to have Olympic-style competitions organised in Rome, and disabled athletes have been making headlines ever since.

The Paralympics are designed to showcase the prowess of disabled athletes and indeed the wider disabled community. Participants must have some type of disability in order to compete. Since the first set of games, the number of athletes has increased from a mere 400 to over 3,000 in 2008 representing 146 countries.

The Paralympics feature both summer and winter Games. They are held in the same year the Olympic Games are held. Since 1988, the games have been held in the same venue as the Olympics. Whichever city wins the hosting duties for one set of Games also hosts the Paralympics.

It is important that support for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games is given by everyone around the World. London is preparing to host all of these athletes as well as accommodating all of those spectators that have come to experience an historic occasion and of course the spectators watching the games live from the crowded stands.

If you want to make it to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, then you need to shop for London cheap flights sooner rather than later. If you wait, you may lose out on getting the flight you want in order to attend the games. Plus, if you are lucky enough to find a flight in 2012 before the games begin, you may have to pay over the odds for tickets. Start shopping now and get your tickets so that you will be able to enjoy London and the events at the 2012 games.

http://www.traveldaily.co.uk/Features/Olympics2012/

How to obtain a London 2012 Olympic Games Ticket

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:04:00 +0200

With tickets for the Olympic games going on sale in March it's time to plan. First you'll need a Visa card ... and deep pockets

See this post - Offficial Ticket Partners

Back in the summer of 2005, when it was announced London had won the right to host the Olympic games, 2012 seemed like half a lifetime away. But the world's greatest sporting event will be here in 18 months' time – and tickets go on sale in March, so it's not too soon to start giving it some thought.

If you're keen to go to several events, you will need two things: a Visa card and deep pockets. The official advice is that to maximise your chances of getting tickets, you will need to apply for lots of things. But be warned: if you get everything you apply for, you are committed to buying all those tickets – which could mean a bill of hundreds of pounds. So families on a budget will need to think carefully.

Forget Take That, Wimbledon and Glastonbury – London 2012 is set to trigger a ticket frenzy that will dwarf all of those. Around 8.8m tickets will be available, plus another 2m for the Paralympic Games. So far, well over 1.9 million people have registered an interest in buying them.

When ticket prices were announced in October, Olympics minister Hugh Robertson pledged that "people of all ages and budgets will have the chance to attend". But some voiced doubts after it emerged that only 2.5m of the tickets would cost £20 or less, with a top-price seat at the men's 100m final or one of the swimming finals set to cost £725 and £450 respectively. Here, we tell you all you need to know (based on what we know so far) about getting those must-have pieces of paper.

How will it work?

You will be able to apply for tickets from March 2011. About 75% of the 8.8m total will go on sale to the public. Sign up to receive information by logging on to the 2012 tickets website.

How much will they cost?

Full-price tickets start at £20 for all sports, though what you pay will vary depending on the event and where you sit/stand. You can view the detailed pricing information on the 2012 website.

Prices will be per session, the length of which will vary from sport to sport. There will be 649 sessions across 26 sports. Good news if you have kids: more than 200 of the sessions will allow anyone 16 or under at the start of the games to "pay their age" for the ticket – and anyone over 60 pays £16.

How can I get the tickets I want?

Unlike Take That shows or other "hot" events, this isn't going to be first come, first served, so there is nothing to be gained from submitting your application on the first day, organisers say.

The application window will be open for a set time, after which all applications will be considered equally, they add: "With so many sports, venues and days to consider, we recommend you take your time and discuss your plans with family and friends."

For sessions where demand exceeds supply, there will be a ballot. "To increase your chances of being successful, we recommend you apply for more than one or two sessions and for a range of sports," says the Olympics ticketing team. Early indications are that the sports that will see the highest demand include athletics, swimming, gymnastics, diving, tennis and cycling.

What happens after I've applied?

It's only after the tickets have been allocated and payment taken that you will find out whether you have got what you applied for. "If you are successful in all your session applications, you are committed to buying all the tickets," say the organisers.

Can I sell tickets I don't want?

It will be illegal to sell tickets for a profit, unless you are an authorised partner, such as Thomas Cook, which will be offering hotel and ticket packages to international travellers. So if you put tickets up on, say, eBay, you will be committing an offence. However, London 2012 is developing an online exchange through which people can resell them.

Can I give them to friends/family?

The name of the buyer will be printed on the ticket, but it's unlikely that ID will be required when presenting them. A London 2012 spokesman says: "The person buying the ticket will have their name on the ticket and therefore be responsible for them. If you can't make it and pass it on to someone else, then we will be sensible about it, but our default position is that the buyer is responsible."

I don't live in London. Is there anything for me?

Travel and accommodation costs may put off lots of Brits from outside the capital. Non-London options are sailing, which is being held off the coast of Weymouth and Portland Harbour in Dorset; rowing, which will be at Eton Dorney near Windsor Castle, 40km west of London; and football, which will be held at the City of Coventry Stadium, Hampden Park in Glasgow, the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Old Trafford in Manchester and St James' Park in Newcastle. Mountain biking will take place in Hadleigh Farm, between Basildon and Southend in Essex.

How do I apply – and what's all this about a Visa card?

You will be able to apply online at the 2012 website or via forms that will be available from shops. A Visa card (credit, debit or prepaid) will be the only payment method accepted for online applications – in recognition, organisers say, of the company's support for the games. However, cheques and postal orders will also be accepted for paper applications. If you've only got a MasterCard or Amex, you should probably think about taking out one of the numerous Visa prepaid cards available.

What about Paralympic Games tickets?

These will go on sale separately later in 2011.

Source : http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/jan/08/how-to-get-an-olympic-seat

Heathrow airport to build temporary terminal for 2012 London Olympics

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:23:00 +0200

Foreigners traveling to the UK for the 2012 London Olympics will be happy to know that Heathrow Airport has unveiled plans to build a temporary terminal to deal with increased demand from departing athletes after the games finish. This means the other terminals and immigration checks at Heathrow will be more accessible to travelers and, hopefully, less congested than would otherwise be the case

After the end of the Olympic Games the 'Games Terminal' will be the departure point for an estimated 10,100 athletes. It is needed to help manage the anticipated surge in passenger numbers, resulting in an increase in the number of immigration and visa checks, and an increase in baggage volume.

According to Heathrow airport, the day after the London Olympics closing ceremony, August 13, is likely to be the busiest day in the airport's history. The airport is forecasting 35 percent more departing bags than on a normal day. Heathrow is also expecting a 45 percent increase over the usual number of arriving passengers on 26 July, the day before the Opening Ceremony.

The 'Games Terminal' will operate between 13 to 15 August and is expected to divert up to 10,100 people and 37,900 bags from other terminals. It will contain 31 check-in desks and be dismantled after the games. No flights will leave from the terminal. Athletes will be bussed to departure lounges. Immigration and visa check will continue to be dealt with in the main terminals.Read more >>

Source : http://www.workpermit.com/news/2012-01-31/uk/heathrow-airport-to-build-temporary-terminal-to-accommodate-foreigners-traveling-for-2012-london-olympics.htm

Olympic Tourch to arrive via Prince William's helicopter training base

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:13:00 +0200

The London Olympics Flame will arrive in the UK at a military search and rescue base.

The Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall is where Prince William underwent helicopter training to qualify as a rescue pilot.

The Flame for the Games will be kindled in the traditional location of Olympia in Greece on May 10, before a short relay around the country.

It will then take a British Airways flight to the UK, landing the night before the Torch Relay begins at Land’s End on May 19.

In secret documents, organisers reveal: “The Olympic flame will be flown into the Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose near Helston in Cornwall.

“Culdrose is first and foremost a Royal Navy search and rescue service.

For the last two Torch Relays, to Athens in 2004 and Beijing 2008, the Olympic Flame arrived at commercial airports.

During the 70-day, 8,000 mile journey, the Flame will travel to 1,019 places and be carried by 8,000 Torchbearers.

It will pass through every English county and every local authority area in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and even visit Dublin on a unique one-day trip.

On the day of the Opening Ceremony - July 27 - it will travel along the River Thames to the Olympic Park.

London 2012 organisers Locog have planned the route to allow the Flame to come within 10 miles of 95 per cent of the population.

Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2012/02/01/london-2012-olympics-flame-to-arrive-at-prince-william-s-helicopter-training-base-115875-23731553/#ixzz1lCc8US8v

Olympics Tourch to arrive via Prince William's helicopter training base

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:13:00 +0200

The London Olympics Flame will arrive in the UK at a military search and rescue base.

The Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall is where Prince William underwent helicopter training to qualify as a rescue pilot.

The Flame for the Games will be kindled in the traditional location of Olympia in Greece on May 10, before a short relay around the country.

It will then take a British Airways flight to the UK, landing the night before the Torch Relay begins at Land’s End on May 19.

In secret documents, organisers reveal: “The Olympic flame will be flown into the Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose near Helston in Cornwall.

“Culdrose is first and foremost a Royal Navy search and rescue service.

For the last two Torch Relays, to Athens in 2004 and Beijing 2008, the Olympic Flame arrived at commercial airports.

During the 70-day, 8,000 mile journey, the Flame will travel to 1,019 places and be carried by 8,000 Torchbearers.

It will pass through every English county and every local authority area in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and even visit Dublin on a unique one-day trip.

On the day of the Opening Ceremony - July 27 - it will travel along the River Thames to the Olympic Park.

London 2012 organisers Locog have planned the route to allow the Flame to come within 10 miles of 95 per cent of the population.

10 Facts about the Olympic Games in London 2012

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:09:00 +0200

By the summer of 2008, the majority of the site was cleared and cleaned. "The big build" could now begin. Works on all the permanent venues on the Olympic Park are making good progress: the Olympic Stadium, the Aquatics Centre, the International Broadcast Centre and Main Press Centre (IBC/ MPC), the Velo Park, the Olympic Village and Handball Arena; they are all under construction. The enhanced sailing facilities at Weymouth and Portland are the first London 2012 venue to be finished at this stage.

Athough no medals are won yet, There are many mind blowing records to reveal already about the London 2012 Games. Here are a few interesting facts and figures.

Facts About the Olympic Games in London 2012

7.7 million Olympic Games tickets will be available for London 2012.
2000 newts will be relocated from the Olympic Park to the Waterworks Nature Reserve.
200 km of cabling will be used for the underground powerlines (this is the equivalent of the distance between London and Nottingham).
8.35 km of waterways will be within or close to the Olympic Park (this is the equivalent of 167 lengths of a 50 m swimming pool).
800,000 people are expected to use public transport to travel to the Games on the busiest day. This is more than the entire population of Leeds.
53m will be the height of the Olympic Stadion. This is three metres taller than Nelson's Column.
205 Nations will be competing at the London 2012 Games.
4,000 trees will be planted on the Olympic Park and Olympic Village sites. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth planted the first tree in October 2009 on the Olympic Stadium site.
90% of material that will be reclaimed from demolition within the Olympic park can be reused or recycled.
Approximately 260,000 loaves of bread are expected to be consumed at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Official Olympic 2012 Ticket Sales: Obtaining London 2012 Olympic Tickets

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:09:00 +0200

London Olympic 2012 Tickets

Official London 2012 Olympic Ticket Provider / Ticket Sales Websites

2012 Men's ATP Tennis Top 10 Player Rankings

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:07:00 +0200

Current 2012 Top 10 Women's WTA Rankings

Current 2012 Top 10 Men's ATP Tennis Rankings

Rank, Name & Nationality	Points	Week Change	Tourn Played
1 Djokovic, Novak (SRB)	13,630	0	19
2 Nadal, Rafael (ESP)	10,435	0	20
3 Federer, Roger (SUI)	8,010	0	19
4 Murray, Andy (GBR)	6,900	0	20
5 Ferrer, David (ESP)	4,565	0	23
6 Tsonga, Jo-Wilfried (FRA)	4,425	0	25
7 Berdych, Tomas (CZE)	3,700	0	23
8 Fish, Mardy (USA)	2,965	0	23
9 Tipsarevic, Janko (SRB)	2,700	0	28
10 Del Potro, Juan Martin (ARG)	2,630	1	22

Source: http://www.atpworldtour.com/Rankings/Singles.aspx

London 2012 Olympics: Travel Packages and Vacation Deals

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:07:00 +0200

The Olympics is one of the biggest sporting events in the world and to ensure you have a good trip it is best to plan out your 2012 summer Olympics travel in advance. The 2012 Olympics will be held in London. This is a major transportation hub for the UK as well as Europe so travel will be fairly straightforward as long as you do not leave it until the last minute.

London is a busy city and it will be even more crowded during the Olympics. It will not be possible to just show up and find accommodation. Reservations are essential! Book early and check out what accommodation is available. Be assured that any family with an extra room will be renting it out during the Olympics. If you wait until it is too late then you may end up staying somewhere that is not too nice or clean. This can make a great Olympics trip very disappointing.

To get good deals try to book as soon as possible. Most hotels will offer a full refund if you should need to cancel so booking before you have tickets is an option.

Some travel companies have yet to post their travel packages. They will take your e-mail and send information when it is available. Try to gather as much information as possible. Once you have the details do not take too long deciding. It is best to have a budget in place and then choose what best fits the events you want to see and your budget.

2012 Women's WTA Tennis Top 10 Player Rankings

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:07:00 +0200

Current 2012 Top 10 Men's ATP Rankings

Current 2012 Top 10 Women's WTA Tennis Rankings

Curr	Prev	Name	DOB	Nation	Rank pts	Tours
1	3	Azarenka, Victoria	31/07/89	BLR	8585	21
2	2	Kvitova, Petra	08/03/90	CZE	7690	19
3	4	Sharapova, Maria	19/04/87	RUS	7560	14
4	1	Wozniacki, Caroline	11/07/90	DEN	7085	22
5	5	Stosur, Samantha	30/03/84	AUS	5430	21
6	8	Radwanska, Agnieszka	06/03/89	POL	5330	21
7	9	Bartoli, Marion	02/10/84	FRA	4770	28
8	7	Zvonareva, Vera	07/09/84	RUS	4695	22
9	6	Li, Na	26/02/82	CHN	4450	18
10	10	Petkovic, Andrea	09/09/87	GER	4000	19

Source : http://www.wtatennis.com/page/RankingsSingles/0,,12781~0~1~100,00.html

Wimbledon 2012 Tennis Championships Social Media Applications

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:07:00 +0200

Use the following Social Media links to follow the latest news directly from the official Wimbledon Social Media tools:

Wimbledon Online

Facebook__ Official Facebook Page

Twitter____ @wimbledon

Website Wimbledon

Press Release: The Official Video Game of the London Olympic Games

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:59:00 +0200

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON (January 17, 2012) –SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA® Europe Ltd. are excited to announce further details for the upcoming London 2012™ - The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games. Favorite Olympic events make a welcome return in 2012, with the addition of new Olympic disciplines, improved modes of play and motion control support for PlayStation®Move and Kinect™ for Xbox 360®. Available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, London 2012™ will be in stores June 2012.

For the first time in an officially licensed Olympic video game, London 2012™ will support motion control in a number of different Olympic events. Budding sports heroes will have an enhanced and realistic way of competing in a number of events that are compatible with PlayStation®Move and Kinect™ including 110m Hurdles, Beach Volleyball (Kinect only) and 25m Rapid Fire Pistol (Move only). Over 30 Olympic events have been authentically recreated in their official Olympic arenas with a host of new disciplines making their debut for London 2012™. Keirin (Cycling) at the Velodrome, 10m Synchronized Platform (Diving) at the Aquatics Centre and Trampoline at North Greenwich Arena are just some of the new events in which you can compete for that coveted gold medal.

In another first for this iteration of the video game, London 2012™ will take the world’s biggest sporting event online in the form of global leaderboards. The leaderboards will track personal medals gained while playing online, with each personal medal won added to that nation’s medal table. Every medal won will help to improve a nation’s standing in the leaderboards, creating even more moments of sporting glory and fame across the globe. London 2012™ will contain a number of game modes including single player Olympic Games mode, online and offline multiplayer and party play.

“London 2012™ sees the successful relationship between SEGA, ISM and the IOC become even more exciting in the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games”, commented Gary Knight, Senior Vice President of Marketing at SEGA Europe and SEGA of America. “With all new Olympic events and returning favorite sports brought to life with the very latest video gaming technology, everyone can truly compete in the greatest sporting event on earth”.

For more information about the game, please visit: http://www.olympicvideogames.com/london2012

Athletics Release : Kenya names provisional Olympic Marathon squads

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:27:00 +0200

Nairobi, Kenya - World Marathon record holder Patrick Makau and the women's world titleholder Edna Kiplagat are among the top ultimate distance runners named by Athletics Kenya (AK) on Tuesday (17) on the squad of 12 provisional athletes for London Olympics consideration.

The federation stated the final squad of six - three male and an equal number of female competitors - would be announced after the end of the European spring Marathon season on 30 April.

And some of the top runners who made the cut were quick to express their appreciation for the decision to name the probables early enough.

As expected Makau, the Boston and New York champion Geoffrey Mutai, double World gold winner Abel Kirui, Chicago titleholder Moses Mosop, Frankfurt champion Wilson Kipsang and World Majors crown holder Emmanuel Mutai got the nod in the men’s line-up.

World titleholder Edna Kiplagat, London winner Mary Keitany, Berlin winner Florence Kiplagat, Daegu silver winner Priscah Jeptoo, the bronze winner in Korea Sharon Cherop and surprise inclusion veteran Lydia Cheromei who placed second at last year’s Dubai Marathon, were named as the women’s probables. Read more >>

Source : http://www.iaaf.org/Mini/OLY12/News/NewsDetail.aspx?id=63374

Olympic ticket resale may resume next week

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:15:00 +0200

London 2012's problem-hit Olympic and Paralympic ticket resale site will not reopen until next week, organisers have confirmed.

It is a full week since the website was suspended due to the system being unable to cope with the computer traffic, since when agents Ticketmaster have been trying to find a solution.

London 2012 have said that solution has now been found and the site should reopen next week, though organisers would not give a specific day when that will happen nor details of the solution.

A spokeswoman said: 'LOCOG confirms that a solution has been found to enable the ticket resale platform to reopen next week.'

The resale site was aimed at people selling unwanted tickets with others able to buy them on a first-come, first-served basis.

But most attempts to buy tickets that were apparently available failed and hours later, the website showed the same tickets still apparently available - but still unable to be bought.

London 2012 said this was due to tens of thousands of people trying to buy the tickets and a delay in those tickets being removed from the system once they had been purchased.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/article-2086649/London-2012-Olympics-Resale-tickets-sale.html#ixzz1jXnyvKWA

Tennis: Djokovic includes Olympics among 2012 priorities

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 18:05:00 +0200

MELBOURNE: After conquering three of the four majors and gaining the No. 1 ranking last season, Novak Djokovic is targeting prizes beyond Grand Slam events in 2012.

An Olympic gold medal, he thinks, would go nicely in his collection.

"It's one of the biggest priorities this year, Olympic Games," Djokovic told a news conference Saturday, only days before he starts the defense of his Australian Open title with a first-round match against Paolo Lorenzi.

"I had that privilege and honour to represent my country in 2008 Beijing Olympics. It was a remarkable experience, like no other."

He won the Olympic bronze medal in 2008, when then No. 1-ranked Rafael Nadal won the gold. Roger Federer also has an Olympic gold medal from Beijing, although his is in doubles. Read more >>

Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/events-tournaments/london-olympics/Djokovic-includes-Olympics-among-2012-priorities/articleshow/11487195.cms