Of all the negative stories – from transport meltdowns to security scares – likely to afflict the London Olympics before the curtain goes up on Danny Boyle's opening ceremony, Sunday's was the most predictable. And yet it is also potentially among the most damaging.
Claims that 27 representatives of 54 countries – more than a quarter of the total number whose athletes will march around the track in Stratford in the name of Olympic values – were prepared to break International Olympic Committee rules and sell thousands of tickets on the black market will not come as a big surprise to many. Certainly not to anyone who has observed the margins of major sporting events since the 1984 Los Angeles Games set the template for the modern era.
Yet the numbers involved still shock – up to £6,000 demanded for "AA" blue riband tickets sloshing around in a global market for an event staged in venues built with billions of pounds of public money.
For the IOC, which had spent much of the past decade ridding itself of the stain of the Salt Lake City scandal, and for London 2012 organisers, battling public cynicism about ticketing, cronyism and corporate might, it could not have come at a worse time.
In an idyllic lakeside corner of Lausanne, the IOC president, Jacques Rogge, could afford a degree of quiet satisfaction as he sat opposite me last week and reflected on the upcoming London Games. There was no last-minute panic to finish the venues, no international outcry over human rights.
Rogge, who will stand down next year after 12 years in the IOC's top job, had hoped to leave behind an organisation in rude financial health and with a restored reputation for probity and transparency.
As fires raged at Fifa, the IOC was last year able to bask in the fact that in comparison it looked like a model international governing body. The calm hand on the tiller of the Belgian former Olympic sailor, elected in 2001 in the wake of the Salt Lake City bribery scandal that threatened to fatally undermine its image, had made it appear a beacon of good practice next to Sepp Blatter's collapsing Fifa House.
The speed with which the IOC reacted to the Sunday Times allegations reflects the extent to which they threaten to sully that good name. The claims may only involve "thousands" of tickets among 8.8m but, as ever, perception is everything.
At a general assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees in Acapulco in October 2010, the Locog chairman, Lord Coe, acknowledged the threat when he told the gathering that tough action would be taken against anyone who broke the rules regarding distribution of the 1.1m tickets reserved for overseas buyers and gently reminded them of the enquiring nature of the British media.
Yet those rules are notoriously difficult to enforce and widespread suspicions remained, only exacerbated by the recent resignation of the general secretary of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee when he was caught by a similar BBC sting.
The IOC was keen in its hastily released statement to underline that the NOCs involved were "autonomous". The same goes for the international federations of Olympic sports that from time to time are similarly involved in scandal.
And London organisers can justifiably point to having done more to combat touting than any previous Games – including specific warnings to overseas Olympic committees and an effort to limit tickets based on how they are likely to sell and performance pedigree. They also stressed that none of the tickets involved were among the 6.6m allocated to the British public.
However, those distinctions mean little to the general public. Many of those who have struggled to secure tickets for the biggest events and already feel ill disposed towards what they see as preferential treatment for sponsors and blazers will see this as yet more evidence for the prosecution.
The timing is less than ideal for London organisers, just as they were hoping to capitalise on the groundswell of goodwill created across the country by the torch relay and the looming excitement of the sporting spectacle. They hoped that growing buzz would translate into an acceleration in sales for almost 2m remaining tickets for football and high-priced options for less popular sports and drown out complaints over sponsors, Games lanes and selection controversies.
There will be lessons to be learned – above and beyond a reminder to those on the take that they might learn to avoid tempting offers from those claiming to represent middle eastern money men. The way the IOC allocates and distributes tickets must surely change. One of the strengths of the IOC's structure is that the executive is not beholden to national associations in the same way as Fifa's is.
A centralised ticketing system that bequeaths less power to national fiefdoms may be one option. However it is done, market forces mean it will never be possible to eradicate the black market entirely – but it should be possible to ensure it's not fuelled by those inside the tent.
In the meantime, the immediate reaction of the IOC and Locog to this latest controversy will do much to inform the ongoing battle for the hearts and minds of the public attitude to the Olympic Games – in London, in the UK and beyond.
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Morrisons submits formal planning application for Weybridge site - This is london Calling
Morrisons submits formal planning application for Weybridge site
10:30am Sunday 17th June 2012 in News By Louise Robertson
Food chain Morrisons has submitted an official planning application to develop the former Focus DIY store in Weybridge.
The company hopes Elmbridge Council will determine the application later this year, so that the food store can be open in time for Christmas 2013.
Morrisons held a public consultation on its plans to redevelop the former Focus DIY site in May, which received strong local interest.
The proposed design was altered as a direct result of the feedback received. The chain reduced the height of the entrance feature in Monument Hill and changed the design of part of the rear section of the store near Baker Street.
Richard Haynes, development executive for Morrisons, said: “Our proposals will revitalise the former Focus site in Weybridge, creating jobs, delivering investment and helping to boost the town.
“It is a strong proposition for the town and will increase affordable fresh food choice for local people.”
The opening is expected to create 300 new part-time and full-time jobs will be created and £3.5m of local investment is expected.
The scheme includes 220 car parking spaces, with 1.5 hours of free parking, for shoppers using the store.
Visit elmbridge.gov.uk to view the plans.
Source: www.thisislocallondon.co.uk
London 2012: Tasha Danvers gives up dream of competing at Olympics - The Guardian
Britain's Tasha Danvers, the bronze medallist in the 400m hurdles at the Beijing Olympics, has retired after conceding defeat in her battle to be fit for the London 2012 Games. The 34-year-old has suffered a series of injuries and ahead of the preliminary squad announcement for the Games this week Danvers, from south London, has quit.
"It's extremely disappointing not to be able to put myself into contention for selection for London 2012," she said. "Based on my training at different stages my coach and I believed we had a genuine chance of making it. But the setbacks have been too many to overcome.
"Since winning Olympic bronze in Beijing I have made so many sacrifices to fulfil my dream of competing in London. Making the decision to relocate back to the UK meant leaving my seven-year-old son behind in America, which is the hardest thing in the world to do. But we genuinely believed I could step on to that podium again and with the support of my family, [coach] Malcolm Arnold, UKA, the medical team and the National Lottery, I've done everything possible to try to achieve that. Sadly my body has had enough."
Danvers, who also won Commonwealth Games silver in 2006 – less than 18 months after giving birth to her son – has made every final she has contested since 2004.
Arnold said: "This is the worse possible news for Tasha but there is no doubt she has thrown everything at trying to make London. She is an Olympic medallist and that pedigree doesn't just disappear. I was confident that if we could get her to the Games she would have been very competitive.
"This is the flipside of the Olympic dream but career-ending injuries are a fact of life at this level of sport. Our medical team have worked incredibly hard but sometimes the body knows best."
Great Britain's head coach Charles van Commenee added: "We don't have too many current Olympic medallists in our team and in an ideal world they would all be with us in London. Tasha knows what it takes to be competitive and make the podium, which would have been a huge advantage. Retirement is a hard decision for any athlete but when the decision is taken out of your hands so close to an Olympic Games, it must be even tougher. I wish Tasha all the very best."
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
London Olympics: Leander Paes ready to go by selectors' choice - indiatoday.intoday.in
Leander Paes on Saturday said that he is ready to partner whosoever is chosen by the selectors as "Olympics is my greatest honour." Breaking his silence after Mahesh Bhupathi accused him of "backstabbing," Paes said who he partners at the London Games was not the most important issue for him.
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has stuck to its decision to pair the two veterans while the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has asked for a report in the matter.
"Winning a medal at the Atlanta Olympics is the most cherished memory I have in my tennis career. To play for our flag, and represent India for the sixth time at the Olympics, is my greatest honour. I will, as I always have in the past, put my best foot forward," said Paes.
Paes, India's top doubles player ranked seventh in the world, refused to react to Mahesh Bhupathi's stinging statements. "I have no reaction to the recent statements made by Mahesh Bhupathi to the media.
I have always maintained that I will play with whoever the selection committee and AITA choose and this continues to be my stand," Paes said.
The 38-year-old player, who had the right to state his preference of partner for the Games, made it clear that he wanted to play with Rohan Bopanna, but said he would not mind combining with his estranged partner Bhupathi. "When asked by the AITA, I expressed my preference to play with Rohan Bopanna as my partner in the Olympics 2012, based on his physical fitness and big serve."
The issue of India's tennis entry for the London Olympics snowballed into a row after AITA chose Paes and Bhupathi as India's sole representatives in men's doubles.
Bhupathi, who paired up with Bopanna in January with the London Olympics in mind, has maintained that he will not partner Paes as he and Bopanna have qualified as a pair.
"It does not help to shoot one's mouth off like this," Rohit Rajpal, one of the selectors told Mail Today, on the outburst by Bhupathi and Bopanna. "They should have shown a bit more maturity, discuss things and think about the country. People do come together to rise to the occasion. We thought about all options before taking this decision. As of now, we do not know how it will unfold. We hope things calm down and they will think a little bit."
Asked about their options if Bhupathi refuses to change his stance, Rajpal said "We can then ask Bopanna to partner Leander.
AITA chief Anil Khanna said that the federation will stand by its decision. "If Bhupathi expects AITA would buckle under pressure and refuses to pair up with Paes, he should know that it will not happen," he said.
"It will have to be Leander and Mahesh. Olympics is a different ball game and tougher than a Grand Slam and wealth of experience that the duo has would keep them in good stead in crunch and pressure situation".
Meanwhile, IOA supremo VK Malhotra has asked for a report on the issue. "Tennis is one of the sports which can fetch us a medal in the Olympics," Malhotra told Mail Today. "I have asked Anil Khanna for a report which he has promised to give in a day or two. We will have to look at all the possibilities like whether we can send one team or two."
Source: indiatoday.intoday.in
'Bionic' woman who competed in the London Marathon will cycle from Paris to London for charity - Daily Mail
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She captured the hearts of the nation when she miraculously crossed the finish line of the London Marathon by using bionic legs.
And now Claire Lomas plans to captivate Briton's once more - by cycling from Paris to London.
Despite not being able to move her legs she will cover the 250 mile ride on a special bike which uses electrical pulses to stimulate her muscles, forcing her to pedal.
Claire Lomas on her exercise bike at ;home in Melton, Mowbray. She is hoping to ride from Paris to London next Spring, despite being paralysed
Miss Lomas, who was left paralysed from the waist down following a horse-riding accident which severed her spinal cord, will once again be accompanied by her husband Dan.
'It is going to be really hard work but it is going to be very different to doing the marathon,' said the 31-year-old to the Sunday Telegraph. 'For the marathon I didn't have to be super fit as the pace was so slow in the robot.'
Miss Lomas, who is a mother to one-year-old Maisie, said she is concerned about not being able to tackle hills but has been using an indoor bike to train and is looking forward to being able to cycle outdoors.
In April this year she was joined by her husband, a research biologist, and tiny daughter for every step of the London Marathon, which took her two and a half weeks to complete.
Miss Lomas, of Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, managed to raise more than 200,000 for Spinal Research and attracted world wide attention during the challenge.
Aching with pain and struggling to stay upright she crossed the finish line a gruelling 16 days after she first started.
Hundreds gathered to watch Claire as she completed her challenge in London
A delighted Claire, who was supported by her husband Dan all the way, plants a kiss on daughter Maisie
People across the country were outraged when organisers refused to honour her achievement with an official medal because she did not finish within 24 hours.
Instead, 14 of her fellow runners, who were so inspired by her efforts donated theirs.
Miss Lomas was overwhelmed by support during her efforts and said it inspired her to think of something else to do for charity.
Her legs will be strapped into the special Functional Electrical Stimulation Bike, which is actually a tricycle, and electrodes will be attached to her thighs and connected to an electrical stimulator.
A computer, activated with the push of a button, will control the muscles in her legs and cause them to produce a pedalling motion.
Claire, pictured in her wheelchair with Maisie, will use a special tricycle to help her complete the ride from Paris to London
A throttle in the handle will also manage the intensity of the stimulation and the speed of the pedalling.
As part of her training Miss Lomas will take part in an outdoor ride from Glasgow later this month and hopes to complete her challenge from Paris to London in the Spring of next year.
She has said that although she gets help with pedalling from the electrical stimulation, it is still tiring for her.
'The signals from my brain can't get down my spinal cord because of my injury so they don't reach my legs, so the pads put an electrical signal straight into the muscles to make them contract. They still need oxygen and it requires cardiovascular fitness,' she said.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
London 2012 Olympics: new Games ticket resale scandal is old problem - Daily Telegraph
But the NOCs often hold back significant swathes of tickets for their own use, to sell to sponsors, provide to athletes families or, in some cases, to earn some cash under the table by selling on to others at highly inflated prices.
They are able to do this because the numbers of tickets made available to each national Olympic committee is never made public. In the past some authorised ticket resellers who have the rights to sell tickets in multiple countries have boasted of being able to surreptitiously swap tickets between countries. So countries with a strong interest in one sport can get tickets allocated to another country.
Only last month did Volodymyr Gerashchenko, the 66-year-old general secretary of Ukraine National Olympic Committee, step down after he was secretly filmed by a BBC investigation team offering to sell up to one hundred tickets worth thousands of pounds for events at the Games.
Locog chief executive Paul Deighton has also been strict about the clear lines of demarcation between authorised ticket sellers who are also official hospitality providers. Technically pools of tickets for one particular client group shouldn't be mixed with tickets for a different group. Nor should hotels or extras be added to ticket sales to artificially inflate prices.
But the wheeling and dealing of tickets around the globe occurs under the cloak of commercial confidentiality. Both Locog and the IOC refuse to release details as to how many tickets each national Olympic committee receives.
Nor do they release how many tickets the hospitality providers have purchased. If they did, buyers in each country would have a fairer idea of the ticket process. The method of calculating each country's allocation would also be scrutinised. But as we have seen with the refusal of Locog to even reveal how many tickets have been available at each session to the UK public, transparency and accountability are not high on the list of priorities.
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
London to Brighton bike ride attracts 27,000 cyclists - BBC News
More than 27,000 cyclists are taking part in the 54-mile London to Brighton bike ride in aid of the British Heart Foundation.
Riders set off from Clapham Common from 06:00 BST, with the first arriving at the finish just before 09:00.
The toughest part of the ride is the climb up 813ft (247m) Ditchling Beacon just outside Brighton, which takes an average of 15 minutes to scale.
The event, which is now in its 37th year, has raised more than £50m.
Among the riders taking part was Toby Field from Eastbourne, also known as the Fat Cycle Rider, who has lost 8st 14lb in weight since taking up cycling.
His father died from a weight-related heart attack at the age of 55, and Mr Field said after his father's death he was in denial about his own health problems.
"I wanted a cheap bike so I could ride around the park with my kids. I was walking and they were leaving me behind. That's where it all started."
Road closures have been in place along the route out of London, through the boroughs of Reigate and Banstead and Tandridge in Surrey and through Sussex into Brighton.
Southern Railway and First Capital Connect do not allow bikes to be carried on trains on race day, but a park and ride service operates between Brighton Racecourse and Madeira Drive.
Bus services have been redirected and Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach company said the A23 into Brighton was gridlocked at about midday because of the race.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
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