What is beneath the glossy sheen of the 2012 London Olympics? From the militarised security to the eviction of East Londoners – this is the alternative guide to the event.
The official opening ceremony may not be until Friday evening, but the sport of the 2012 Olympic games kicked off in Cardiff Millennium Stadium with women’s football and a 1-0 win for Team GB over New Zealand. But it was not all smooth sailing for London 2012 as a mistake by the team up at Glasgow’s Hampton Park led to the screen graphics showing the South Korean Flag for the North Korean team, which resulted in them walking off and delaying the start of the game against Columbia.
The International Olympic Committee and the International Association of Athletics Federations have come up with measures to ensure minimal incidences regarding gender concerns at the London Olympics. The two bodies have introduced a new gender verification policy.
he official word from the Olympics may be that they are trying be as “cashless” as possible thanks to VISA’s sponsorship, but that is hardly going to help small local businesses in East London pick up extra trade from the millions of extra footfall. In response, private ATM operator Bank Machine are installing “Cockney” cash machines around the approach to the Olympic Park which will let the public withdraw “sausage and mash” (cash) from their “taxi rank” (bank).
All eyes are on London for the 2012 Olympics! And 2016 will bring the Games to Rio de Janeiro. But will these and future host countries see any benefit?