2012 Olympics

Stories

14 Stories

December 2008
- Secret UK Report Says Olympics Benefits Overrated
  
  Times (UK) | Dec 2, 08 12:54 PM CST
  
  (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 Tony Blair, but then quietly shunted aside when it debunked the main justifications for hosting the games. More »
November 2008
- Let's Go Back to Beijing in 2012
  
  Times (UK) | Nov 26, 08 10:11 AM CST
  
  (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 through London.” The best solution: Give the 2012 Games to already-prepared Beijing. More »
August 2008
- After Beijing Pageantry, London 2012 Tries ... a Bus
  
  Guardian (UK) | Aug 25, 08 2:24 PM CDT
  
  (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," the Brits decided on a low-budget showcase that featured rain-soaked commuters waiting for a bus. More »
- China Wraps Up Olympic Idyll
  
  BBC | Aug 24, 08 11:54 AM CDT
  
  (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 free speech marred China's image, say critics. More »
- Olympic Collectors Go for Gold
  
  Portfolio | Aug 8, 08 4:50 PM CDT
  
  (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 in St. Louis—651 athletes vs. 11,000 this year—recently brought in $49,000, and jerseys from the 1992 “Dream Team” went for $10,800. More »
- Chess Too Wimpy for Olympics?
  
  Time | Aug 6, 08 6:25 PM CDT
  
  (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 activity. "Mind sports, by their nature, cannot be part of the program," says one IOC official. More »
July 2008
- India's Growing Riches Buoy Olympic Hopes
  
  Christian Science Monitor | Jul 9, 08 7:59 PM CDT
  
  (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 dissuaded from seriously pursuing sports in the past—for the 2012 Olympic Games. More »
May 2008
- For Sale: Stadium Seating, Lightly Used
  
  Guardian (UK) | May 27, 08 10:45 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - If Chicago wins its bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games, it might follow more closely in London 2012's footsteps than expected. The cities have begun discussing the possible sale of large parts of London's new stadium to Chicago, the Guardian reports. The deal could result in 55,000 seats crossing the Atlantic for reuse in a new Windy City arena. More »
April 2008
- Brits 'Duped' Over Olympic Pricetag
  
  Guardian (UK) | Apr 22, 08 3:00 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The projected pricetag of the 2012 Olympic games in London has more than doubled to $18 billion since the city was picked as host three years ago—and the British government is being accused of deliberately low-balling estimates to sell the event to the public, the Guardian reports. A public spending watchdog says the original figure was completely unrealistic. More »
February 2008
- Britain Seeks 'Giant' Steps at 2012 Olympics
  
  Daily Telegraph (UK) | Feb 29, 08 8:24 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - A, ahem, heightened push to make Britain's sports teams more competitive by the time London hosts the 2012 Olympics has added 52 new athletes to the country’s handball, rowing, and volleyball squads, the Telegraph reports. The “Sporting Giants” program sought tall applicants—over 6-foot-3 for men and 5-11 for women—from all walks of life to try their hand at a new sport. More »
October 2007
- 'Osama Bin London' Planned Several Attacks
  
  Guardian (UK) | Oct 11, 07 4:04 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - An alleged terrorist organizer planned "six or seven" attacks leading up to the 2012 London Olympics, according to an undercover police who infiltrated his organization, the Guardian reports. Mohammed Hamid, who reportedly called himself "Osama bin London," is accused of establishing military-style Islamist training camps all over England. He and several associates are in trial for various charges in London. More »
September 2007
- Olympic Seats Too Small for UK Behinds
  
  Sun (UK) | Sep 10, 07 4:25 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Seats at one of London's new Olympic venues are being widened to accommodate spectators' bulky backsides. Stadium designers warned that the 20,000 seats at the Aquatic Centre wouldn't be able to handle expanding British buttocks, so organizers widened the chairs by 4cm (1.5 inches), the Sun reports. The new specs call for seats 50cm (almost 20 inches) wide. More »
June 2007
- 'No Go to the Logo,' Say Londoners
  
  Daily Mail (UK) | Jun 6, 07 6:46 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Londoners loathe the logo unveiled Monday for the 2012 Olympics so much that 30,000 have already signed a petition demanding a new one. The jagged pink-and-orange rendition of 2012 took a brand-consultancy firm $800,000 and more than a year to design; Olympics organizers, calling it "dynamic" and "vibrant," say people will "get used to it," reports the Daily Mail. More »
April 2005
- London Wins 2012 Olympics
  
  New York Times | Apr 7, 05
  
  London won the 2012 Olympic Summer Games on Wednesday in a surprising upset over the front-running Paris after ardent last-minute lobbying by Prime Minister Tony Blair.The British capitalized on a desire to hold the Games in Western Europe and surpassed four finalists, including New York, which was knocked out in the second round of voting, earlier than most expected.In the main presentation room, where London was announced the winner, the shrieks of supporters roared over the stunned gasps from the representatives of Paris, which had lost twice previously in the past 20 years.

14 Stories

News Sections

Newser Specials

Stories

Secret UK Report Says Olympics Benefits Overrated

Let's Go Back to Beijing in 2012

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

China Wraps Up Olympic Idyll

Olympic Collectors Go for Gold

Chess Too Wimpy for Olympics?

India's Growing Riches Buoy Olympic Hopes

For Sale: Stadium Seating, Lightly Used

Brits 'Duped' Over Olympic Pricetag

Britain Seeks 'Giant' Steps at 2012 Olympics

'Osama Bin London' Planned Several Attacks

Olympic Seats Too Small for UK Behinds

'No Go to the Logo,' Say Londoners

London Wins 2012 Olympics

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