Boris Johnson
London Gears Up For 2012 Olympic Games Hosting With 2-Year Countdown. London and sports officials in Britain launched on Tuesday a two-year countdown to the city’s hosting of the Summer Olympic Games in 2012. London Mayor Boris Johnson and London 2012 Chairman Sebastian Coe reminded residents the city will open the international sports event held every four years exactly in 24 months. Johnson and Coe marked the two-year countdown by opening London’s 2012 flagship store at the St. Pancras train station. London won over Paris in 2005 the rights to host the summer games, which was last held in Beijing, China. Construction is ongoing for the Olympic Park, which will be the site of the 2012 games. Johnson said despite the recent recession and global financial crisis, the construction activities for the Olympic venues are on time and on budget – which is at $13.95 billion (9.5 billion pounds). Every day the construction crew adds 700 seats daily to the stadium. The stadium, which has a 80,000-person capacity, may lack the grandeur of Beijing’s Bird’s Nest structure, because the organizers opted for a minimalist, functional look. The stadium’s external structure is almost done. From an east London skyline perspective, what could be outlines is the structure’s black and white frame and triangular floodlights, held in place by slivers of wire. For manpower requirements, the mayor invited 70,000 volunteers to sign up. Among the tasks of the 70,000 volunteers would be to handle ticket sales for the various sports competitions. So far, over 1.4 million people have registered to buy tickets, which will start selling in 2011. Johnson said another 8,000 people would needed aside from the 70,000 volunteers, to serve as guides for millions of local and foreign tourists expected to arrive in London for the games. Coe said with just two years left, the focus of the organizers will shift from construction to operation of the games.
