The Queen will show her support for London’s 2012 Summer Olympic bid by hosting a reception Wednesday evening for more than 300 British Olympic medallists, marking the 100th anniversary of the British Olympic Association (BOA).
More than 500 invitations have been issued for the event.
BOA head Simon Clegg “a key part of our future plans is also trying to bring the Olympic Games back to this country in 2012. There are, of course, long-term advantages in terms of facilities, transport and infrastructure, but in the short term the biggest advantage we can give our athletes is the chance to take part in the Games on home soil”.
Another reception is planned for the Houses of Parliament on May 24 that could also boost London’s bid. International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge and many other IOC members are expected to be present.
Looking ahead to the IOC’s 2012 host city vote in Singapore on July 6, The Independent newspaper reports that the high command of the BBC has been recruited to attend the vote in an attempt to repair damage to relations with the IOC by the BBC television program Panorama. During the program, which was filmed without the knowledge of London 2012 and broadcast on the eve of the Athens Olympics, undercover Panorama reporters gain assurances from “so-called Olympic agents” that votes could be bought. It resulted in the expulsion of Bulgarian IOC member Ivan Slavkov.
Bid leaders hope the presence of BBC chairman Michael Grade will convince voting members that the corporation is not against the Olympic movement. According to The Independent, they are concerned that their sales pitch will be undermined as members are to vote at the end of the meeting on Slavkov’s expulsion.
Under IOC rules each of the five bid cities is limited to no more than 100 people. British Prime Minister Tony Blair is supposed to attend the meeting a day or two before the vote, but will have to fly back to host the GB summit being held in Scotland the same day as the vote.
On a more positive note London 2012 announced Wednesday it has registered its one-millionth supporter for the 2012 bid nearly three months ahead of its July target date. Bid Chairman Sebastian Coe joined London schoolchildren registering their support for the bid by jumping through the electronic Leap Counter pushing the number of registered supporters past the one million mark.
