BEIJING, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Organizers of the 2012
London Olympics said on Friday the success of the Beijing Olympic Games did not
put pressure on the British capital, but rather great inspiration and
responsibility.
Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London Organizing
Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012, told a press conference
here that Sunday's official handover ceremony would mark the start of Britain's
four-year "cultural Olympiad". It would also provide the opportunity to present
Britain's appeal to a global audience.
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Sebastian Coe, chairman of London
Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG),
speaks during a press conference held at the Beijing International Media
Center (BIMC) in Beijing, China, Aug. 22, 2008. LOCOG representatives
introduced the organization works of the London Olympic Games and
commented on the Beijing Olympics here on Friday. (Xinhua/Zhang
Yanhui) Photo
Gallery>>> |
Coe believed the Beijing Games were very successful
and had a detailed plan leading to the success from the very beginning,
something which his team had learned much from.
He cited the track and field events at the Games as
an example, saying it was "handled extremely well" as the system for
transporting participants from the Olympic Village to the stadium was very
efficient.
Coe was quite satisfied with the performance of
British athletes in Beijing as they inspired London organizers to stage a
successful Games.
Christopher Rodrigues, the Visit Britain chairman,
said it would remind the world the United Kingdom was the birthplace of the
modern Olympic and Paralympic Games as well as sports such as rugby, cricket and
tennis. The city held the 1948 Summer Olympics after a 12-year interruption
caused by the outbreak of World War II.
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Representatives from the London
Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG)
attend a press conference at the Beijing International Media Center (BIMC)
in Beijing, China, Aug. 22, 2008. (Xinhua/Zhang Yanhui) Photo
Gallery>>> |
London will take over as host city of the Olympics at
the end of the Beijing Olympics' closing ceremony on Sunday. Guitarist Jimmy
Page, footballer David Beckham and singer Leona Lewis are to appear in the eight
minute handover performance of the event.
Paul Deighton, the London committee chief executive,
said the volunteers at the Beijing Games had done a brilliant job. He clearly
remembered "the smiles of their faces trying to help us with everything we want
to do". There are going to be 70,000 volunteers working at the London Games,
roughly the same as the Beijing Games.
He said about 9 million tickets would be with the
London Games but "how they would be allocated has yet to be decided." "Our
objective is to ensure there is the broadest possible participation from many
countries as we can."
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Two people talk beside a poster of the London Olympics after a press conference held by the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) at the Beijing International Media Center (BIMC) in Beijing, China, Aug. 22, 2008. (Xinhua/Zhang Yanhui) Photo Gallery>>> |
Similar to the Beijing Games' transportation plan,
the London Games would ensure all ticketed spectators arrive at venues by public
transport and there would be no private car parking.
Deighton said there were going to be 10 separate
train lines coming to the Olympic Park from different parts of London, which
involved a significant transport investment.
He said the budget for the infrastructure in the
London Games was 9.3 billion pounds (17.26 billion U.S. dollars). The
infrastructure construction was "really a regeneration project, stimulated by
the Games," he said.
"The government budget is funded mostly by general taxpayers, partly by lottery players and partly by London taxpayers."