altSource: www.insidethegames.biz

By Duncan Mackay at Olimpiyatevi in Istanbul

August 13 - Istanbul hope that a successful bid for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics will be a "platform for change" Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said here today as he provided more details of their bid.

Erdogan received a standing ovation from a specially selected crowd of politicians, sports administrators, Olympic officials and international media as he laid out Istanbul's plans, claiming that they "learned our lessons" from its previous bids.

Istanbul mounted four consecutive failed bids, for the 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

In their last unsuccessful campaign Istanbul did not even make it onto the shortlist for 2012, which was won by London.

But their chances are considered to be stronger for this contest and Erdogan, a former Mayor of Istanbul, has already signalled that he is prepared to offer unprecedented support to this latest bid.

"We have listened and we have learned valuable lessons from our earlier bidding experience," he said.

"Committed to delivering solutions to the issues that were previously raised by the IOC (International Olympic Committee), we have invested heavily in increasing and improving our sporting facilities, as well as developing youth participation in sport at both mass and elite level.

"Recently we have successfully hosted international events such as the basketball World Championships in 2010, as well as the European Youth Olympic Festival in Trabzon in July of this year."

Turkey mounted a strong challenge for the 2016 European Football Championships, only losing to France by one vote in the election last year.

They had been pondering another bid to host Euro 2020 but following discussions between Erdogan and leading sports officials they have now decided to concentrate on the Olympics and Paralympics.

The bid will come on the back of the recent trend of major events being awarded to developing countries, including the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics to Rio de Janeiro and the 2018 FIFA World Cup to Russia.

"Whilst we are historically significant city that divides two continents, our world today is global," said Erdogan.

"It is not about east or west, north or south.

"It is about much more.

"It's about providing the opportunity for people to share and understand different cultures and religions from around the world.

"It's about creating good will and acceptance.

"It's about new regions of the world becoming a strong part of our world and helping us all to prosper.

"The Olympic Movement has the power to influence the course of the world and Istanbul wants to be the platform for change.

"We can be the bridge that unites the world."

altThe centrepiece of Istanbul's bid will be the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, which was built in 2003 and hosted the 2005 Champions League final between Liverpool and AC Milan (pictured).

Erdogan claimed that most of the facilities needed to host the Olympics were already in place while Istanbul's rapidly improving infrastructure will be ready by 2020.

"The investment needed to stage an Olympics...we are talking pennies," he claimed.

Istanbul join a field which also includes Madrid, Rome and Tokyo.

Unlike their rivals, Erdogan claims that Turkey has weathered the worldwide economic crisis without major problems.

"In a time of global economic downturn, we maintain our position as one of the fastest growing economies throughout the world," he said, claiming that the Turkish economy had grown by 11 per cent in the first quarter of this year.

"We will provide the strength, stability and secure foundation that is needed to guarantee and deliver the IOC's institutional and operational requirements.

"We are confident that the same forward thinking characteristic that is driving our economy will be potrayed within the organisational committee that will lead this bid.

"Our most siginficant focus towards the Games is on our youth and the inspirations that will drive them.

"Given that the average age in Turkey is 29, we want to leave a lasting legacy that will instil values from the Olympic Movement into the youth of today; not only in our own country, but throughout younger generations in all countries, throughout all religions and cultures."

altUğur Erdener, the President of the Turkish National Olympic Committee and a member of the IOC, was thrilled with the level of support the bid is already receiving.

"We are delighted that the whole country is rallying behind this remarkable event, and with support from the President of the Republic [Abdullah Gul], our Prime Minister, all our Government and our great nation, we fully believe that we are in line to become one of the strongest contenders for this bid," he said.

There could also be bids from Doha and Durban but Erdogan is confident that Istanbul have everything in place to be successful.

"Istanbul is ready," he said.

The host city will be chosen by the IOC at its Session in Buenos Aires on September 7, 2013.

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

By Julia Kollewe

London's Olympic Village has been sold to the Qatari ruling family's property company in a deal that leaves UK taxpayers £275m out of pocket.
Qatari Diar, the oil-rich state's investment arm, and UK property developer Delancey Estates teamed up to buy the athletes' village next to the Olympic Park in east London for £557m.
After the 2012 Olympic Games, the village will be converted into a neighbourhood with 2,818 homes, including 1,000 family homeswith three or four bedrooms. The rest of the properties range from studio flats to five-bedroom apartments. The area will also include a schoolwith 1,800 places for children aged three to 19, shops, bars, clinics and parks.
The Olympic Delivery Authority, which sold the site, had already sold 1,379 of the residences in the 11 blocks of the athletes' village to Triathlon Homes for £268m in 2009. They will become affordable housing such as shared ownership or socially rented apartments.
Qatari Diar and Delancey plan to turn the bulk of their share of the residences – 1,439 properties – into private rental accommodation, rather than selling them. They say this will create the first UK private sector residential fund of more than 1,000 homes to be owned and directly managed as an investment.
At the moment, the apartments in the village do not have kitchens as athletes will eat at dining halls. They will be fitted out for long-term residential use after the games when kitchens will be added and new floors put in. The first tenants are due to move in in late 2013.
The joint venture also acquired six adjacent development plots with the potential for a further 2,000 new homes. The deal includes a profit-share that should provide income to the public sector in future.
Jeremy Hunt, the culture secretary, hailed the sale as a "fantastic deal that will give taxpayers a great return and shows how we are securing a legacy from London's Games". The village cost £1.1bn to build, but the ODA insisted it never expected to recoup building costs. "It was an entirely empty site, it didn't have any infrastructure, roads or parks. There was always going to be a public sector contribution to help put those in," said a spokesman.
He added: "We weren't just looking for the highest bidder, but for the best owner with long-term commitment." He said the ODA supported the property investors' plans to turn most of the residences into rental accommodation.
Jamie Ritblat, chief executive of Delancey, said: "This acquisition reflects the first truly great residential investment opportunity in the UK; offering the chance to break the mould and create a sustainable leasing model to provide first class accommodation for those who see the chance to rent long-term, as the way forward."
The ODA had to dip into the Olympic contingency fund and use £324m of public funds after a private developer, Lend Lease, failed to put forward a funding package in 2009 due to the financial crisis. That money will now be repaid to the Olympic budget out of the village sale proceeds – this has been uncertain during the economic downturn.
Qatari Diar already owns the Chelsea Barracks site, which it bought from the Ministry of Defence in 2007, and it will redevelop the US embassy in Grosvenor Square, London, as well as the Shell Centre on the South Bank.
The Qatari property developer has been embroiled in a high-profile row over the £3bn Chelsea Barracks scheme, which recently received the green light two years after Prince Charles intervened over plans for the 13-acre site. In June 2009, the developer withdrew its planning application after the Prince of Wales wrote to its chairman, the prime minister of Qatar, saying his "heart sank" when he saw the modernist design by Lord Rogers.
Qatari Diar's then-partner, the CPC Group owned by the Monaco-based property developer Christian Candy, launched a high court action to claim £81m in compensation after the scheme's collapse. The architects behind the revised plans are Dixon Jones, Squire and Partners and Kim Wilkie.

Source: www.insidethegames.biz

By Duncan Mackay

August 11 - Ireland today tried to help reassure countries attending the Chef de Missions seminar in London that next year's Olympics will be safe despite the riots that have swept across the country this week when Sonia O'Sullivan told the meeting that she had no doubts that the event would pass off peacefully and set a new standard for excellence.

The 2000 Olympic 5,000 metres silver medallist and former world champion, who will lead Ireland's team at London 2012 and has a house there, addressed more than 200 representatives from National Olympic Committess (NOCs) to back the capital.

"London is a great city," she told the delegates.

"The authorities will learn from the recent events and will strengthen their resolve to make London 2012 a new milestone in Olympic history – a very safe and happy time for all sports lovers.

"I've no doubt but that it will be a massive success"

More than 1,200 people have been arrested across Britain since the trouble started in Tottenham, in North London, last Saturday (August 6).

None of the facilities being built for the Games were targetted but the rioting did briefly erupt within less than a mile of the Olympic Park in East London.

Paul Deighton, the chief executive of London 2012, has addressed the seminar to reassure them about safety and security.

"We in Ireland fully understand and appreciate the immense security issues around major events," said Dermot Sherlock, the secretary general of the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI).

"We have no doubt that the British Government and the security authorities in the UK will deliver a perfectly safe and secure Games for everyone.

"We have absolutely no concerns for the Irish team or for its huge fan base in Ireland and Britain.

"We are all looking forward to a magnificent event."

The rioting which began in London spread to other English cities at the start of the week with Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester and Liverpool affected.

The trouble in London forced the postponement of England's international friendly with the Netherlands that was due to be played at Wembley last night.

But support for London 2012 officials has also come from Patrick Hickey, the President of the OCI and also the chief of the European Olympic Committee (EOC).

"I've also spoken to [London 2012 chairman] Sebastian Coe to assure him of our confidence in all the arrangements LOCOG and the British Government have in hand for a secure Olympics," he said.

"In particular, I've wished him safe journey on the Olympic Torch Relay in the UK and that we in Ireland were looking forward to welcoming the Olympic Torch to the Irish Republic as part of the historic peace process initiative with Northern Ireland."

Backing for London 2012 also came from other NOCs.

"The rioting was not a planned action, so it is not an act of terrorism," said Malaysia's Chef de Mission Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid.

"Just that the timing of the incident will tarnish the image of London as the organiser of the Olympics next year."

Dave Currie, New Zealand's Chef de Mission, added his words of support.

"We still have a high degree of confidence that they will have a process and a system that will give us a safe and secure environment next year," he said.

Coe, meanwhile, denied that the riots will tarnish London's image in the build-up to 2012.

"I have spoken to some of the world leaders of sport over the last couple of days, including the President of the IOC [Jacques Rogge], and that's not the view they take," said Coe, while visiting the World Badminton Championships at Wembley Arena, a test event for the Olympics.

"They know that things from time to time come out of left field in cities.

"And effectively within two days we had that under control.

"There are lessons to be learned and over the next year we will continue with our contingency plans, which will deal with all sorts of things including public disorder.

"I am neither sanguine nor cavalier about the disfiguring images which were beamed around the world.

"But we have 205 National Olympic Committee leaders here at the moment and they have been in a city which has had these challenges.

"I am happy that we are on time and on track.

"I say it without complacency - we shall absorb what we can from the test events to deliver at the business end of the seven years we will have had.

Source: www.olympic.org

Preparations for London 2012 have stepped up another gear, with major international sporting events taking place at the triathlon, rowing and sailing venues, as excitement continues to build ahead of next year’s Olympic Games.

London’s Hyde Park played host to the world’s leading triathletes from 6-7 August as part of the ITU World Championship Series, while Eton’s Dorney Lake staged the Junior World Rowing Championships from 3-7 August. Elsewhere, the 2011 Weymouth and Portland International Regatta has brought elite sailors from around the world together to compete in 10 Olympic classes in Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour, which will host the sailing events during the Games next year.

All three events were being used by the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) to test crucial aspects of its Games-time operations. The events are also helping to build excitement among the general public by giving them the chance to enjoy the experience of watching world-class sport in Olympic venues.

Britain’s Alistair Brownlee triumphed in the men’s triathlon in Hyde Park and was impressed by the enthusiasm of the crowd as he crossed the finish line. The 2009 world champion is already looking forward to a similar response during the Games next year.

"It was one of the best receptions I've ever had and the whole event was a great experience," said Brownlee. "The run down the last stretch was incredible. I'm sure there'll be 10 times as many people in 2012."

The 14-day Weymouth and Portland International Regatta has seen 460 sailors descend on the Olympic venue in order to gain experience of the course ahead of London 2012. Finn competitor Pieter Jan Postma, from the Netherlands, is one of those who is pleased to have the opportunity to compete in Weymouth before the Games next year.

“It is good that we have a test event here to learn the conditions,” said Postma. “It's good to get familiar and know the surroundings.”

The Junior World Rowing Championships, at Dorney Lake near Windsor, saw almost 600 young rowing stars from 48 countries compete at the Olympic venue, giving LOCOG the chance to test important aspects of its Games-time operations, such as the sporting field of play and the results, timing and scoring systems.

“It’s incredibly exciting to see our work come to fruition and to see elite athletes competing on the lake,” said LOCOG’s Director of Sport, Debbie Jevans. “We can see how it will be in 2012. There is a view of Windsor Castle in the background, so it looks fantastic. It's one of the best rowing facilities in the world.”

Source: www.insidethegames.biz

By Tom Degun

August 11 - There are 14 applications for every available place to carry the Olympic Torch when it arrives in Britain next year to travel around the country in the lead-up to London 2012, it was revealed today.

More than 28,000 nominations have been made for the 2,012 Torchbearer places available through the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay Moment to Shine programme.

The applications were all received between May 18 and June 29 this year and it will now be left to 12 selection panels held across the UK to decide on the most inspiring people to carry the to carry the Torch.

The 12 selection panels will be established over the next month and comprise of representatives from the local culture, sport, voluntary, education, youth and local Government sectors.

They will be held from October 3 until 14 this year as they judge the thousands of applicants and London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe admitted they have a tough job ahead of them.

"We are thrilled with the response we have had to the London 2012 Torchbearer nomination programme and would like to thank everyone who took the time to put friends, colleagues or family members forward for consideration for one of the 2,012 Torchbearer places on offer through the Moment to Shine campaign," said Coe (pictured with former Olympic heptathlon champion Denise Lewis).

"With the selection panels set to review an average of 14 nominations for every one available LOCOG Torchbearer place, difficult decisions will need to be taken.

"However, we should be proud so many inspiring people have been put forward to carry the Olympic Flame next summer and receive recognition for their achievements."

Individuals who received more than one nomination had one selected at random to go forward to the selection panels while thosethat did not comply with the terms and conditions of entry or were incomplete were removed from the programme.

Nominees going forward to the selection panel stage will be now emailed and invited to verify the 150 word maximum nomination story provided by their nominator earlier in the summer.

They will also have to give London 2012 their consent by September 16 this year for their story to be considered at their local selection panel.

Every nomination going forward to the selection panels will be read by two individuals who will be looking for inspirational people who have personally achieved something great and/or contribute to the local community.

The Olympic values of friendship, excellence and respect will also feature in the selection criteria and Torchbearers will be selected on the strength of their nomination story as the representatives on the selection panel will not be told the names of the nominees, London 2012 revealed.

"The Olympic Torch Relay will bring the magic of the Games to communities up and down the UK and give local heroes a once in a lifetime experience of carrying the Olympic Flame," said Sport and Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson.

"I am delighted that London 2012's Torchbearer nomination programme has received so much support and I wish all the entries good luck in the next stage of the selection process."

An average of 110 people a day will carry the Olympic Flame on its 8,000 mile journey around the UK after it arrives at Land's End on May 18 before it arrives at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford on July 27 to light the cauldron at the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony.

Exactly 90 per cent of the total 8,000 Torchbearer places are available to the public through a number of channels, including the four public nomination campaigns run by London 2012 and the three Presenting Partners of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay: Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung.

The public nomination programmes run by each of the three Presenting Partners remain open until September 2011.