The Legacy of the London Olympic Games

When the Olympics were held in Beijing, it became an opportunity to accentuate China’s status as a super power to reckon with. This time, it is London’s turn to promote what the city has to offer the world as the host of the London Olympic Games. After Beijing gave an astonishing performance, London is expected to deliver more beyond the Games as a bid to showcase the city as a major international destination.

For the third time, the global competition makes the British city as the host of the 2012 London Olympic Games. True to bold forecasts, the event fetched in more than ten million people trooping all over the United Kingdom not only to witness the Games, but to visit the country’s well-known attractions. What differentiates the other Olympics from what London has stored for the huge athletic delegations and the tourists flocking the country all at the same time around the period July 27 to August 12, 2012?

The Olympic Venue

Most of the events for the 2012 London Olympic Games were held in the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London. The 2.5 sq km, surrounded by London’s famous landmarks, proved to be the best place to contain all the holders of 9.6 million tickets issued for the Games. A ride in the Olympic Javelin train can take travellers a mere seven minutes away to reach the bustling central city. The rest of the events are spread out between Central and the River Zone, both are just short distance away from the town proper.

All games centered at the magnificent Olympic Stadium with a seating capacity of 80,000. The Stadium features 25,000 permanent seats in the lowermost tier. Lightweight steel and concrete upper tier supports another 55,000 seats. Five bridges spanned over the waterways that encircle the stadium. At night, the venue is transformed into a magical place as 14 triangular stanchions of floodlights play to the delight of the spectators. London can boasts of the Stadium as the most self-efficient sports arena ever constructed for the Olympics. It was also where both the opening and closing ceremonies were held.

The Lasting Benefits of the London Olympic Games

After the Games, there are plans to convert the Olympic Park into Queen Elizabeth Country Park. The revival of the area and the improvement in the transport system are two reasons why visitors and investors are more encouraged to book and stay in London. Some structures used to hold some of the events are now being used by Londoners to hone their sporting talents. The magnificent structures still serve to magnetize tourist even if the Olympics were way over. With proper maintenance of facilities, the Velodrome and the Aquatics centre can be used as venue for hosting prestigious events.

The 2012 London Games inspired many people to get involved in sport. The public and private sector sees this as an opportunity to ride on the enthusiastic atmosphere to create a lasting legacy not only in sports, but also in economy, culture, transport, and infrastructure. The huge investments placed to meet the demands of holding the Olympics are not only meant to impress the world, but to gain long-term positive results that may take years before London can finally reap the profits.

The success of the 2012 London Games is a pride not only for the British people, but also for the international crowd. Olympic Games are nothing new to Britain being the host city for two Games in the past. With such enormous reserve of experience, there is lesser margin for error. To the eyes of the world, the 2012 London Olympics Games is a resounding success.