Olympics and Paralympics 2012 (and now the legacy-part one)

I READ YESTERDAY? THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN SPENDING IN THE HIGH STREET AS A RESULT OF THE OLYMPICS
JOHN LEWIS ARE DOING WELL ON THEIR SPORT ITEMS.

Good to see trade picking up for some of the shops.

Amazing atmosphere in Hyde park for those who watch games from there.

Well its all finished and I have to admit I loved every minute of it.
Well done to all our Athletes and volunteers, who did us proud!

Good luck to all those taking part in the Paralympics, starting on Wednesday 29th!

wjk wrote:Well its all finished and I have to admit I loved every minute of it.
Well done to all our Athletes and volunteers, who did us proud!

Good luck to all those taking part in the Paralympics, starting on Wednesday 29th!

As Eddie Izzard said at one of the volunteer "wrap" parties, "if you hear of anyone who knocks it just say f*** 'em". I enjoyed it too both as a spectator for one day in the Olympic park and as a volunteer.

Chris wrote:

wjk wrote:Well its all finished and I have to admit I loved every minute of it.
Well done to all our Athletes and volunteers, who did us proud!

Good luck to all those taking part in the Paralympics, starting on Wednesday 29th!

As Eddie Izzard said at one of the volunteer "wrap" parties, "if you hear of anyone who knocks it just say f*** 'em". I enjoyed it too both as a spectator for one day in the Olympic park and as a volunteer.

Brilliant!

That was a 'Manic' closing ceremony.Russel Brand,Spice Girls,Jessie Jay and the others all Brilliant.Never been a light show like that before,technically superior to anything we've ever seen before,made Beijing look amatuerish !
Loved the bus that turned into an Octopus,how did that happen ?
Wish i'd been a volunteer now,well done to them.

I thought it was brilliant too!

I am looking forward to the Paralympics now.Will be on holiday for much of it so not sure about the ticket situation yet but definitely hoping to go to something.Would be good to see the 'blade runner' but not sure i will be around for his events which i think will be in the T40 - 46 catagorie for amputee's.My daughter has tickets for the 5 a side football.

Here is the route for the Paralympic Torch Relay..............

You can check to see if it is coming anywhere near you incase you want to get out and give your support............

http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/torch-relay/route/

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Olympic_opening_was_secret_Satanic_ritual

Just in case any of us didn't realise what was really going on!

Not Born Yesterday wrote:http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Olympic_opening_was_secret_Satanic_ritual

Just in case any of us didn't realise what was really going on!

INTERESTING THEORY

Does he say when all these reptilians are going to come and gobble us all up or is it a gradual process.Anyway they put on a jolly good show for us so i'm not complaining.

Wicked,looks like a sell out if the ticket site is to be believed.

By all accounts the Paralympics is pretty much Sold Out.That would be a tremendous achievement,something like 2.5 Million tickets sold would make it the biggest ever.

What a great success the Olympic and Paralympic games have been.Everything pretty much perfect especially the efforts of the Athletes.It can be seen that the money invested has paid dividends in the amount of medals won for Team GB.
Much as i dont like the 'oily' coe and his unfair ticketing strategy you cant argue with the sell out crowds and the incredible organisation.
I just hope that all those incessant moaners can now eat some humble pie and watch the next stage develop which will be the so called 'legacy' (i hate that word).Kids will now want to emulate their hero's and what a great thing now for those dissabled kids in particular to have some hope for the future to achieve something special.
Makes you proud to be British the way the crowds have warmed and supported all Nations for their efforts to entertain us.
Great stuff tonight from the ever generous Oscar Pistorius.

10 September 2012 Last updated at 07:02





London 2012: How the world saw the Paralympics


As the final day of the Paralympic Games unfolded across London, media commentators from around the world have reflected on its achievements.

The host nation's enthusiasm for the event also caught the media's eye. As one German newspaper put it: "The British can not only organise, they can celebrate."

China's Xinhua news agency said: "London has pushed the Paralympics to a new height after taking over the legacy of the Beijing Paralympics."

It added that a better understanding of disability had become "one of the core parts of the 'Paralympic story'. It said it was struck by the spirit of "increasingly fierce competition at the Paralympics".

Bahrain's Gulf daily went as far as to say that the abiding legacy of London 2012 may not be the victories of the likes of Mo Farah or Bradley Wiggins, but the "fundamental change in the way much of the world looks at disability".

It said the Paralympics "have swiftly taught us to look beyond disability towards achievement".

Nigeria's Vanguard newspaper said the games "have given humanity an opportunity to push the limits of human capacity to adapt as evident in the stunning performances of disabled athletes".

Germany's Zeit daily said: "The British can not only organise, they can celebrate. With seemingly boundless enthusiasm they cheered in the packed stadiums every last runner to finish the Paralympics."

Australia's Canberra Times said: "The sometimes patronising, frequently gushing praise of the inspiring Paralympians is a timely reminder to consider the many people with disabilities who face daily challenges greater than those on the world's sporting stage...

"Those who admire, respect and are inspired by the magnificent feats of athletes with a disability might reflect on folk who show as much courage, determination and perseverance in their daily personal and professional lives".

Continue reading the main story
Paralympics coverage online




Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza lauded athletes' desire to overcome obstacles for the sake of sporting success rather than material wealth, describing the event as "a miracle of authenticity".

During the games, Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda said "Russians are not used to encountering disabled people in the street... Yet for the first time, they discovered a previously unknown sporting world and its courageous fighters". Moscow famously refused to stage the Paralympic games in 1980.

Writing for the Australian newspaper, disabled journalist Melanie Reid marvelled at the unique sights of Paralympic events: "80,000 people falling silent so that a blind long-jumper can sprint into her darkness towards the sound of someone clapping.

"The sight of a young woman, her body frantic with cerebral palsy, achieving serenity on the back of a horse. The potency of men with no legs turned into gods by the menace of their running blades."

She concluded that the games had somehow made disability "cool".

Many newspapers, including Spain's El Pais and Austria's Der Standard, celebrated the unique spectacle of the Games with online photo galleries.

The man charged with delivering the 2016 games in Rio, Leonard Gryner, was quoted in a number of Brazilian newspapers noting the lessons of London 2012. He said "the priority given to the experience of the public, offering the best possible conditions, and structure and comfort they gave to athletes" had ensured that "everyone left happy".

The O Globo newspaper carried an article on the partially constructued Maracana stadium, which will be the centrepiece of the Rio games. The paper said the stadium would set "new standards of comfort and visibility" and promised a "greater interaction between the public and their heroes" in 2016.

BBC Monitoring selects and translates news from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. It is based in Caversham, UK, and has several bureaux abroad. For more reports from BBC Monitoring, click here

Went to the Paralympics on Tuesday - saw athletics. View from everywhere in the stadium is good, we had seats just above the long jump area and had a great view.

Just got back from the London parade. Atmosphere was terrific!

Angelina wrote:Went to the Paralympics on Tuesday - saw athletics. View from everywhere in the stadium is good, we had seats just above the long jump area and had a great view.

Just got back from the London parade. Atmosphere was terrific!

Hi Angelina, 2.5 million tickets sold for the Paralympics, I watched most of it, shed a few tears , especially when Ellie won her first Gold Medal. She was a right powerhouse with the over-arm stroke. I thought it was a lovely gesture that she asked for the Gold Post box to be in Swansea where she trains.

Everyone was saying it has been the best Games ever,they said that about when they were held in Australia. One Australian Commentator said the difference was , the Australians treated the Paralympics as equals, but Great Britain cared for them. Over 1 million turned out for the farewell do today, including many chilren so guess there was a lot of truancy.LOL