London 2012’s bid book was released to the public Friday and shows that if London hosts the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, it is expected to make a 100 million pound profit, 60 per cent of which would be spent on grassroots sport in the UK with the remainder being split equally between the British Olympic Association (BOA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
London has earmarked 2.375 billion pounds to cover costs such as building new venues, a media and broadcast centre, Olympic transport infrastructure, other facilities and security costs. Also, 1.5 billion pounds will be spent on running the Games with money raised through the private sector.
London says its bid is “athlete-friendly”, with its biggest benefit to athletes being the compact nature of the Games. No other candidate city has an Athlete’s Village within the Olympic Park and within easy reach of so many of the sport venues.
The Olympic Village will be the most spacious in Olympic history with 17,320 beds and each apartment, many with balconies, would have a private courtyard, television, and Web access.
The Olympic Village dining hall can accommodate 5,500 athletes at a time and following the Games it would be converted into 3,600 apartments.
As for transportation each spectator ticket will include travel within London on all trains and buses on the day of the event until four a.m. the next morning. Two major park and ride sites will be established with a combined capacity of 12,000 cars, both within 25 minutes of the Olympic Park.
A tri-generation plant will supply electricity, heat and chilled water to the Olympic Park using technology which produces 33 per cent lower CO2 emissions than from the electricity grid.
By 2012 it is estimated that more than 135,000 hotel rooms will be available with 50 kilometres of the Olympic Park.
And according to London 2012, for the first time in any Games, live Olympic backdrop presentation facilities will be available to broadcast rights holders via rooftop studios on the main press centre with a direct view of the Olympic Stadium and Park.
In a specially recorded video message shown at the launch of London’s bid book Prime Minister Tony Blair said, “I strongly believe in London’s 2012 bid. Sport matters hugely to this country and when that passion is combined with London’s excellent technical and legacy plans, I know we would make a great host city”.
