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NEWS ABOUT: 2012 London Olympics

Tab: Wills, Kate to Wed in '12

Because nothing says romance like the London Olympics

(Newser) - We've heard this so often that someone's going to get it right sooner or later: Prince William will at long, long, long last marry ever-so-longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton, reports the News of the World, but it ain't gonna be this weekend in Vegas. The plodding prince will take a trip... More »

London Unveils Weird, One-Eyed Olympic Mascots

World blinks as Wenlock, Mandeville debut

(Newser) - The mascots for London's 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games met the public for the first time yesterday and they're more science fiction than cute and cuddly. Wenlock and Mandeville—named after two small English towns—each have a single eye and the light from a London taxi mounted on their... More »

London Plans 'Rival Eiffel' for Olympics

Boris Johnson unveils plans for 400-foot 'Hubble Bubble'

(Newser) - London is building a tower for the 2012 Olympics that officials hope will become as iconic as the one Gustave Eiffel built for the 1889 World's Fair. The 400-foot-tall structure of coiled metal, designed by artist Anish Kapoor, will tower over the Olympic site in East London. The spiral "... More »

2012 London Olympics Logo Still Hideous

Design has not 'grown on us,' despite organizers' promise

(Newser) - When organizers unveiled the logo for the 2012 London Olympics, they said people would learn to love it. Well, that was 3 years ago, and "tastes do change," so let’s check in. Yeah, still hideous, writes graphic designer Alice Rawsthorn in the New York Times . “Far... More »

Brit Olympic Ski Team Bankrupt

Athletes left to fund themselves on eve of Vancouver Games

(Newser) - The governing body for Britain's skiiers and snowboarders has gone bust just before the Vancouver Olympics. Athletes now in Vancouver have been forced to fund themselves as UK Olympic officials scramble to find cash from sponsors and private donors to cover the team's costs. Organizers complain that the London 2012... More »

Spice Girls Will Help Kick Off 2012 Olympics

(Newser) - When the eyes of the world turn to London for the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics, the land of Shakespeare and the Beatles will present ... the Spice Girls. "They stand for so much in British music history and I can’t think of a better time for them... More »

GOP Revels in US Setbacks

1-2 punch of job stats, Olympic decision gets a third stage

(Newser) - From worse-than-expected unemployment numbers to Chicago’s foiled Olympic bid, today was a lousy day for America, but Republicans reacted as if Christmas had come early. Soon after the jobs numbers hit, Glenn Thrush of Politico got a slew of GOP press releases. “Rep. Mike Pence literally hit the... More »

Olympian Opens Brothel to Fund 2012 Bid

(Newser) - A New Zealand athlete has opened a brothel to finance his Olympic aspirations, the BBC reports. Logan Campbell just wants to stop asking his parents for money—his Beijing efforts cost $150,000, and he hopes to start training again in 2011 with $300,000 from the “gentleman’s... More »

Thanks to Implants, Boxing Career Goes Bust

(Newser) - A British model and recreational boxer has been barred from competition because she has breast implants, ABC News reports. The Amateur Boxing Association of England cited possible health risks, but Sarah Blewden says she should be able to use a breast protector, similar to groin cups for men. “If... More »

Kellogg's Faces Pro-Phelps Backlash

Fans launch boycott, slam company with wave of complaints

(Newser) - Kellogg's decision to drop Michael Phelps’ sponsorship deal has created an angry wave of would-be cereal killers, the Baltimore Sun reports. A Facebook group urging consumers to boycott the company has hit 5,000 members and is growing fast. Pro-marijuana groups are also calling for a boycott, labeling the company's... More »

Phelps Not Sure If He'll Swim in 2012 Olympics

Swimmer struggling with fallout from 'stupid' bong encounter

(Newser) - Michael Phelps is weighing whether to compete at the 2012 Olympics in the wake of fallout over his much-publicized encounter with a bong, he tells his hometown paper, the Baltimore Sun. Phelps still has goals to achieve in the sport and will talk his decision over with his family and... More »

Secret UK Report Says Olympics Benefits Overrated

2012 could be awkward

(Newser) - The UK made its grab for the 2012 Olympic Games in defiance of a secret, 205-page strategy report concluding that, apart from being a nice party, the games were essentially useless, the Times reports. Representing almost a year of research by experts, the 2002 document was signed off on by... More »

Let's Go Back to Beijing in 2012

Economic crisis makes spending billions on 2012 London Games unjustifiable

(Newser) - With the economic crisis taking billions out of Britain’s coffers, spending billions more to get ready for the 2012 Olympics makes no sense, writes Alice Miles in the Times of London, who foresees a day when “the unemployed, the homeless, and the destitute will join the athletes parading... More »

After Beijing Pageantry, London 2012 Tries ... a Bus

Brits less than thrilling in Olympic preview

(Newser) - The Beijing Olympics' closing ceremony was predictably stupendous, with thousands of acrobats and "more orthodontically screened children," writes Guardian columnist Marina Hyde. It certainly ran over the 8-minute tableau promoting the 2012 Games in London. While China spent years preparing its "deliciously understated 16-day world domination infomercial,... More »

China Wraps Up Olympic Idyll

A look back at a successful 2 weeks

(Newser) - The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games wrapped up today with a star-studded fireworks-filled extravaganza worthy of its opening, Reuters reports. With 51 golds, China easily topped the medal rankings, capping a near-flawlessly-executed couple of weeks that saw smog lifting, transport worries evaporating, and Tibet protests dwindling. Still, arrests and suppression of... More »

2 Chinese 'Songbirds' May Close Games Together

Dual-billing with counterpart Lin Maioke expected

(Newser) - Yang Peiyi, the 7-year-old songstress whom Chinese officials deemed better heard than seen during the Olympic opening ceremonies, may appear alongside her lip-syncing counterpart during Sunday’s closing ceremonies, the Hong Kong Standard reports. Organizers who claimed that the decision to replace Yang with a cuter girl was “in... More »

Olympic Collectors Go for Gold

Medals, torches, and sweaty uniforms fetch top dollar

(Newser) - The 2008 Olympics have barely begun and collectors are already jockeying for possession of Beijing memorabilia. But serious shoppers are bypassing the hundreds of official knickknacks, hoping instead to score big-ticket items such as medals and sweaty uniforms, Portfolio reports. It's serious business: A gold medal from the 1904 Games... More »

Chess Too Wimpy for Olympics?

IOC says the game, along with bridge, isn't physical enough

(Newser) - Chess players and bridge players will be spectators when the Olympics begin this week, but both are making a strong push to be official sports at the 2012 Games, Time reports. First, they'll have to convince a skeptical International Olympic Committee that they belong, despite their decided lack of physical... More »

Pistorius Misses Last Shot at Beijing

Amputee not selected for relay team

(AP) - Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius was not chosen today to be on South Africa's Olympic team for Beijing. After failing to qualify for the 400 meters earlier, Pistorius was left off the 1,600-meter relay team, the AP reports. Four other South Africans had faster times, and two others were chosen... More »

India's Growing Riches Buoy Olympic Hopes

Billionaire bankrolls effort to increase medal haul in 2012

(Newser) - India is not a nation known for its Olympic prowess—it's never even won more than two medals in one Games—but Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal wants to change all that, the Christian Science Monitor reports. The Mittal Champions Trust is spending millions to train and prepare India's elite—often... More »

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