Coe Talks Test Events
LOCOG chair Sebastian Coe says he is leaving "no stone unturned" as London hosts its final test events for the Games.
Coe was speaking to reporters inside Olympic Stadium ahead of its first dress rehearsal in the form of the BUCS Sport Outdoor Athletics Championships.
Athletes from 117 universities across the U.K. will put the new track and field through its paces from Friday to Monday. Coe, however, stressed the importance was on managing the thousands of spectators expected to attend.
"Testing, testing, testing – we’re making sure no stone is left unturned," he said. "We’re testing across security, venues, tickets, spectator flows – testing some of our park-wide operations, workforce logistics, they are all important.
"At the same time, that will all run alongside the detailed day-to-day grind of making sure this park is ready on time. This is an extra challenge that we face, but one that we will meet."
Coe estimated that around 140,000 people would enter the park during the weeklong stretch spanning Tuesday, May 2 to Tuesday, May 8 for test events that also include water polo, hockey, wheelchair tennis, boccia and Paralympic athletics.
At peak times, more than 60 pedestrian screening areas at Stratford Gate and 15 at Greenway Gate will allow access for a minimum of 4,000 spectators to enter the Park each day, peaking at approximately 75,000 on Saturday.
Coe admitted there would be queues at the Games but insisted that was simply part of the usual Olympic routine.
"We’ll be testing spectator flows and there will be some queuing – it’s an Olympic Games. Whether it’s the Olympic Park, football grounds or Wimbledon, these are not championships as usual.
"If I’m going to an Olympic tournament, I would build in more time. It will take more time. the Olympic Games does have an added tier of security. We have to make sure we minimize that type of disruption, but we want to make sure we get the balance right."
Security issues have been the main focus of discussion in the lead-up to the London Games, culminating in the announcement earlier this week that surface-to-air missiles could be deployed at six locations across the city.
"The challenge of delivering the right level of security is not how you can lockdown everything," Coe said. "We’re inviting people to see the greatest sporting event in the world, not inviting them to ‘siege city’.
"I will always be guided by the experts on [security planning]. It’s not for me to second-guess or be a third-party judge to this. I’m absolutely satisfied that the right people are making the right decisions. There is no appetite for risk – we want to make sure these games are safe and secure."
British Official Calls for IOC Investigation
Britain’s defense minister is calling on the IOC to investigate a controversial ad that he claims breaches the Olympic spirit.
The ad in question, a 90-second spot seemingly sponsored by the office of the president of Argentina, shows hockey captain Fernando Zylberberg training on the Falkland Islands. Known as the Malvinas in Argentina, the islands are an archipelago off the southern tip of South America that both the U.K. and Argentina claim as their own.
At the end of the ad, "To compete on British soil, we train on Argentine soil" scrolls across the screen with triumphant music in the background.
"I also think it's a breach of one of the fundamental principles of the Olympics: That politics is set aside, that nobody should exploit the Olympic logo, the Olympic message, for political purposes," Philip Hammond told Sky News.
"I hope the International Olympic Committee will be looking at that."
The ad aired in Argentina on Wednesday, the 30th anniversary of the sinking of Argentina’s General Belgrano cruiser. Also on Wednesday, Argentine president Christina Fernandez observed the anniversary by inaugurating a tribute to the sunken ship’s victims on the floor of Government House.
Boris Johnson Leads London Mayoral Race
Boris Johnson is in the lead in his reelection campaign as Mayor of London.
Graphs on the London Elects website show Johnson with a slight lead over Ken Livingstone, Johnson’s predecessor. No exact tallies of ballots are given, however.
If no candidate reaches 50 percent, a second round of voting will be held.
Leaders of Livingstone’s Labour Party were quoted by British media saying they refused to concede the race just yet.
Reported in London by Christian Radnedgeand in Atlanta by Ed Hula III
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