London City » Sports

IOC says London ready to welcome the world

musiclover — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 23:46:31 +0000

London is fully prepared to welcome the world at this year’s summer Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Friday following the 10th and final visit of its inspection commission.

“We still have 119 days to go but I can tell you that London is ready to welcome the world,” IOC commission chairman Denis Oswald told a news conference in London. “Seven years ago in Singapore the London team presented a very strong Olympic and Paralympic bid.

Olympics-Thorpe’s London hopes crushed

musiclover — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 23:48:00 +0000

Ian Thorpe’s hopes of competing in a third Olympic Games lay in jeopardy on Friday after he crashed out of the 200 metres freestyle semi-finals at Australia’s swimming championships, leaving him “gutted” and casting a pall over the national trials.

Thorpe, whose rushed comeback bid after five years out of the pool has captivated the Australian public, charged out of the blocks but flagged dramatically in the final lap to finish sixth in his semi-final and 12th overall to miss the final. The five-times Olympic champion had earlier teased a thrilled crowd at the South Australia Aquatic and Leisure Centre by qualifying equal fifth fastest into the semi-finals after a solid swim in his morning heat.

London 2012 Olympics bill set to rise again

musiclover — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 23:30:19 +0000

The bill for staging the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics is set to rise by nearly 20% to £11 billion ($17.2 billion) a UK government committee has warned. The £9.3 billion ($14.5 billion) of public money set aside for funding the Games is “close to being used up” according to a report published Friday by More >

London finishes new Paralympics venue

musiclover — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:20:58 +0000

Britain’s Paralympics Games organizers celebrated the 200 days-to-go milestone Friday by completing the only permanent Paralympics venue, Eton Manor. The venue, located in the northern end of London’s Olympic Park, will host the wheelchair tennis event, where 112 players will compete for six titles. The venue seats 10,500.

“Wheelchair tennis has proved to be one of our most popular tickets,” said Sebastian Coe, chair of the organizing committee. “The venue at Eton Manor will be a fantastic setting to showcase some truly world-class athletes.”

St. Louis Rams to play regular-season game

musiclover — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 07:00:00 +0000

The St. Louis Rams will play a regular-season NFL game in London in each of the next three seasons, first facing the New England Patriots in 2012. The Rams and Patriots will play on Oct. 28 at Wembley Stadium, the NFL said Friday. It’s the sixth straight year the league will play regular-season games in More >

Tsonga sends Nadal crashing out in London

musiclover — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 23:31:37 +0000

Rafael Nadal crashed out of the ATP World Tour Finals on Thursday as France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won 7-6 (7-2) 4-6 6-3 in a thrilling shoot-out for a place in the semi-finals.

World No.2 Nadal had to win his final Group B match to join Roger Federer and David Ferrer in the last four at London’s O2 Arena, but last year’s runner-up bowed out after his second successive defeat in the season finale.

Tsonga’s victory means he will play the winner of Group A Ferrer in Saturday’s semi-finals, while Nadal – who is yet to win this tournament – will return home to rest his aching limbs before leading Spain’s challenge in the Davis Cup final against Argentina.

With Federer safely through as group winner and Mardy Fish already eliminated, it was a straight fight between Nadal and Tsonga to qualify alongside the Swiss star.

Right from the first point, it was clear Tsonga would try to keep Nadal at bay by serve-volleying whenever possible. It was a tactic that worked beautifully.

Tsonga was never threatened on his own serve and the only break-points fell to the Frenchman in the fourth game, although he was unable to convert them as Nadal displayed all his battling qualities.

It was fitting that such a high-quality set needed a tie-break to settle it and Tsonga was finally able to edge in front as his brilliantly cushioned volley secured a 4-2 lead.

Nadal had no response and Tsonga seized his chance, serving an ace to take the set.

The Spaniard kept fighting in a tense second set that exploded into life in the 10th game.

Nadal had three set points on Tsonga’s serve but looked to have blown his chance as the Frenchman saved them all.

However Nadal kept pressing and secured a fourth set point. This time Tsonga cracked, sending a forehand wide to concede the set.

Tsonga hit back quickly to earn three break points in the third game of the final set.

Nadal saved one but a miscued forehand on the second gave Tsonga the breakthrough.

Tsonga looked home when he broke again to move 5-2 ahead, yet the Frenchman double-faulted on break point as he tried to serve out the match.

That gave Nadal a glimmer of hope which was swiftly snuffed out as Tsonga regained his composure to break for the last time.

London ceremony must be over by midnight

musiclover — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 22:59:11 +0000

The opening ceremony of next year’s London Olympics must finish by midnight so athletes will be encouraged to march and still get to bed at a reasonable hour.

Denis Oswald, head of the International Olympic Committee’s coordination commission for London, said Friday arrangements also should be made to allow athletes to leave before the end of the ceremony.

Some athletes at recent Olympic opening ceremonies have complained they have to stand for hours as the show ran over the scheduled time. Thousands of athletes from more than 200 countries will be marching into London’s Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012.

The London ceremony, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Danny Boyle, is expected to start about 9 p.m.

“We insisted the ceremony should not finish after midnight so the athletes can get to the Olympic village quickly,” Oswald said at the close of a three-day visit to check on games’ preparations. “They can even leave the opening ceremony before the end if they wish to do so.”

The length of the ceremony will also affect the 80,000 spectators trying to get home before public transport closes at 1:30 a.m.

Many Olympic athletes choose not to take part in opening ceremonies, especially those competing on the following day.

“It’s a choice that you make but we would like to have an opening ceremony with as many athletes as possible, and that’s why we insisted that the ceremony would be over at midnight at the latest,” Oswald said.