They were celebrated until 393 A.D. Pierre Fridy, Baron de Coubertin, revived the Olympics in their modern form in 1896. The Olympics are a contest of multiple sports and are divided into the Summer and Winter Olympics. The Winter Olympics are a much smaller event than the Summer Games.
In 1896 there were 241 participants from 14 nations. This number grew until there were 11,100 competitors from 202 countries in The 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. The Olympics are a huge media event. Well over half the world watched the Olympics in Sydney in 2000 (3.8 billion to be exact).
The growth of the Olympics is one of the major problems of the Olympics today. Sponsorships solved financial problems in the 1980's. Today the large number of athletes, media and spectators make it difficult and expensive to host the Olympics. A great amount of infrastructure is needed.
London is to host the 2012 Olympic Games. The games are to be held from 27th July to 12th August 2012, to be followed by the Paralympic Games. An Olympic Village has been proposed to be built with 17,320 beds providing a comfortable and spacious environment for athletes.
There is to be a massive redevelopment of public transport. This includes the expansion of the London Underground's East London Line, upgrades to the Docklands Light Railway and the North London Line, and the new "Javelin" service. The organizers aim to make 90% of venues accessible by at least three forms of public transport and 93% of training facilities to be within 30 minutes of travel of the athletes housing. Park and ride schemes are included among the many plans to decongest traffic. Some concern has been expressed on the logistics of travel outside London.
The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will use a mixture of newly built venues, existing and historic facilities, and temporary facilities. Some locations are well known such as Hyde Park and Horse Guards Parade. The land in the east end of London chosen for the site needs decontamination and major remedial work before it can be fit for the games.
What is going to be involved in the development proposal are compulsory purchases of some businesses. This has caused some amount of angst with businesses not being happy with the compensation offered. With all these logistical issues, it seems the cost for the 2012 London Olympics could rise to nearly four times the figure set out during the bid.
From an initial figure of 2.35 billion pounds, what is being discussed now is a staggering cost of 9 billion pounds. Construction alone could now cost 3.3 billion pounds. 2 billion pounds have been allocated as a contingency fund. Regeneration costs of 1.8 billion and a 1 billion pound VAT bill have also been added to the costs. Security costs have grown to 900 million pounds. The causes for a rise in costs include rise in commodity prices, adjustments to transport figures to reflect 2012 prices and a revised estimate for inflation on construction costs.
Will the 2012 Olympics fulfill their aim, which is to stage inspirational Games that capture the imagination of young people around the world and leave a lasting legacy? Only time will tell. However, with the effort being put in, we can hope that London 2012 will fly faster, higher, stronger and leave us happy memories of an Olympics well done.
London 2012 Olympic Stadium
If you are going to the 2012 London Olympic Games then you certainly have a lot to look forward to. In order to ensure you get the most out of your stay, it is best to consider where you are going to stay as soon as possible! When you sort out your accommodation early it is easier to look forward to the trip, and it is also much easier to book a place that will be positioned nearer the main event ? which is a great advantage when public transport and the city as a whole will be so busy at that time.
As well as many practical advantages to booking early, there are also financial incentives too. Because hotels, guest houses and rental accommodation would all rather know they are busy than leave getting fully booked to chance, they will often offer financial incentives to confirming a booking before the event occurs.
If you are unsure about what accommodation to stay in during the 2012 Olympic Games then you will not be the only one. With many luxury hotels and other great accommodation options, it can be hard to be able to choose which is right for you. The cheapest option is usually a guest house or rented accommodation. Although, even those will be much more expensive because of an increase in demand during the time in which the Olympics are on. If you are more concerned about your budget than anything else they are also great hostel accommodation and Lodging deals that you can take advantage of, which will be a fraction of the cost of the other options.
While you are away for the Olympics one of the most important elements is staying in a place which is close enough to the city center to make traveling to the event easier. For this, there is no one type of accommodation which will have an advantage over another. Many of the luxury hotels are positioned there, however so is rental accommodation. Guest houses are generally positioned on the outskirts of the city so you should check the travel arrangements in advance if you are considering staying there.
Many people like to have a personal service, while others would much rather have their privacy instead. If you feel uncomfortable staying alongside a lot of people then you should probably consider rented accommodation. This is the best option for those that do not like to be restricted to the time they can come in at night, as well as those that would rather not worry about children crying or what time they have to get up at in the morning.
On the other hand, hotels and guest rooms are the best way to kick your feet up and not have to cook at all. Another advantage is that you will get an opportunity to meet a lot of people that you are living with and hopefully you will go home with friends that you may have for the rest of your life. Whatever accommodation you choose, make sure you choose soon as it will not be abundant forever!
Both Derek Both & Bruce Abbott are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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