LOCOG Believes It Can Solve Beijing Ticketing, Atmosphere Woes
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LOCOG Chair Coe Says London Will Improve
On Areas In Which Beijing Games Struggled |
Though LOCOG Chair Sebastian Coe "steadfastly refused to offer even the slightest criticism" of the Beijing Games, London 2012 leaders "were encouraged ... they could succeed where Beijing had fallen down: they could get the ticketing right and they should create the party atmosphere Beijing lacked," according to David Walsh of the LONDON TIMES. The potential of the 500-acre Olympic Park in east London that will contain the main stadium, the aquatic centre, the cycling velodrome, the athletes' village and media centres is "central to the optimism." Coe also "has pledged that the tickets will not be overpriced, and there is a determination to avoid the mistakes Beijing has made." LOCOG "will consider setting a time limit on sponsor and corporate seats; if they are not occupied by a certain time, the tickets will be reallocated" (LONDON TIMES, 8/24). In Las Vegas, Ed Graney writes LOCOG "didn't seem all that concerned Friday when asked if there is a pressure to match or exceed the grandeur of Beijing in terms of facilities and volunteers and overall magnitude." Coe: "We can all admit that we will never again see a Games like this one. Not in size, stature, scope. We're going to deliver what we are capable of, and we're going to deliver a spectacular Games" (LVRJ.com, 8/22). London Mayor Boris Johnson said, “London is not going to top Beijing. We are going to be just as fantastic in our own particular sweet, ingenius, British way.” NBC’s Jim Maceda: “That British way will mean smaller and cheaper games, shaving some $15(B) off Beijing’s bill by combining the new Olympic Park, stadium and village with the old traditional sites” ("Nightly News," NBC, 8/24).
TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW: In Philadelphia, Frank Fitzpatrick wrote "good luck, London. The odds of you -- or any other city on earth -- matching these 2008 Olympics in the future are roughly equivalent to Prince Charles making the cover of People's Sexiest Men issue." China has run the Olympics "just about perfectly," and "now every Games will be measured by these" (PHILLY.com, 8/23). YAHOO SPORTS' Martin Rogers wrote, "Any attempt by London to replicate the extraordinary exhibition staged by [Beijing] would ultimately be doomed to abject failure." The backdrop of London, "while a world removed from Beijing, will be spectacular nonetheless." Coe: "We will be trying to create our own unique Olympic experience, and we are confident of showing the world something very special indeed" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 8/24).
LESSONS LEARNED: A LONDON TIMES editorial states there are "important lessons London 2012's substantial delegation to Beijing ought to be bringing home." Like Beijing, London "must share the games with the whole country." Also, LOCOG should take "radical steps to ensure venues are filled with people who want to be there rather than crowds bused in for the cameras." This "will require proactive marketing months -- if not years -- in advance, sensibly priced tickets and flawless logistics, since the second lesson from Beijing is that even enthusiastic fans can be deterred by the fear of chaotic crowds and opportunistic pricing" (LONDON TIMES, 8/25). Olympic historian and author David Wallechinsky: "There will be no attempt by London to say we're more spectacular. They can do fun. They can do humor. They can have a party for the world instead of a sober, isolated Olympic zone apart from the city, which is what we have here" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 8/25).
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Writers Say London Should Avoid Wasting
Money, Set Legacy For Sustainable Games |
COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS: In Toronto, Mitch Potter reported the 2012 Games, "originally projected to cost the public [C$6.9B], now is projected to gobble [C$19B] in tax funds -- and even that figure fails to inspire confidence as new financing problems arise." These numbers "awaken nightmares of Montreal in 1976." But London 2012 officials are "proceeding apace confident that unlike Montreal, London will not be saddled with decades of debt thanks to an agreement that puts the British government on the hook for the vast majority of overruns." Potter noted IOC officials "remain full of praise for London's preparations, which are moving ahead on schedule and to exacting standards" (TORONTO STAR, 8/23). In N.Y., Peter Berlin writes the "first problem for London is simply one of cash." The "trap is to avoid being accused of wasting money on a short-lived event, while not being seen as skimping" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/25). CNBC's Ross Westgate noted in "purely financial terms, London can’t compete with Beijing and nor should it. Its job is to build a new model for the 21st century. The legacy of 2012 should be the ‘Sustainable Games’” (“Worldwide Exchange,” CNBC, 8/25).
ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPURTUNITY: Coe, in a special to the Manchester GUARDIAN, wrote, "Hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games gives us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to regenerate a hard-pressed part of east London, providing much-needed jobs and homes, outdoor spaces and sports facilities. Once the Games are over, world-class facilities will be left behind for use by elite athletes and the local community. I know an opportunity like this will not come along again in my lifetime, which is why the next four years, and beyond, will be all about change for the better" (Manchester GUARDIAN, 8/24).
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