2012 London Olympics

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China Wraps Up Olympic Idyll
 China Wraps Up Olympic Idyll
Aug 24, 2008 11:54 AM CDT

China Wraps Up Olympic Idyll

A look back at a successful 2 weeks

(Newser) - The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games wrapped up today with a star-studded fireworks-filled extravaganza worthy of its opening, Reuters reports. With 51 golds, China easily topped the medal rankings, capping a near-flawlessly-executed couple of weeks that saw smog lifting, transport worries evaporating, and Tibet protests dwindling. Still, arrests and suppression of...

2 Chinese 'Songbirds' May Close Games Together

Dual-billing with counterpart Lin Maioke expected

(Newser) - Yang Peiyi, the 7-year-old songstress whom Chinese officials deemed better heard than seen during the Olympic opening ceremonies, may appear alongside her lip-syncing counterpart during Sunday’s closing ceremonies, the Hong Kong Standard reports. Organizers who claimed that the decision to replace Yang with a cuter girl was “in...

Olympic Collectors Go for Gold
 Olympic Collectors Go for Gold 
Aug 8, 2008 4:50 PM CDT

Olympic Collectors Go for Gold

Medals, torches, and sweaty uniforms fetch top dollar

(Newser) - The 2008 Olympics have barely begun and collectors are already jockeying for possession of Beijing memorabilia. But serious shoppers are bypassing the hundreds of official knickknacks, hoping instead to score big-ticket items such as medals and sweaty uniforms, Portfolio reports. It's serious business: A gold medal from the 1904 Games...

Chess Too Wimpy for Olympics?
 Chess Too Wimpy for Olympics? 
Aug 6, 2008 6:25 PM CDT

Chess Too Wimpy for Olympics?

IOC says the game, along with bridge, isn't physical enough

(Newser) - Chess players and bridge players will be spectators when the Olympics begin this week, but both are making a strong push to be official sports at the 2012 Games, Time reports. First, they'll have to convince a skeptical International Olympic Committee that they belong, despite their decided lack of physical...

Pistorius Misses Last Shot at Beijing

Amputee not selected for relay team

(Newser) - Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius was not chosen today to be on South Africa's Olympic team for Beijing. After failing to qualify for the 400 meters earlier, Pistorius was left off the 1,600-meter relay team, the AP reports. Four other South Africans had faster times, and two others were chosen...

India's Growing Riches Buoy Olympic Hopes

Billionaire bankrolls effort to increase medal haul in 2012

(Newser) - India is not a nation known for its Olympic prowess—it's never even won more than two medals in one Games—but Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal wants to change all that, the Christian Science Monitor reports. The Mittal Champions Trust is spending millions to train and prepare India's elite—often...

For Sale: Stadium Seating, Lightly Used

London Olympic planners eye passing along parts of arena

(Newser) - If Chicago wins its bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games, it might follow more closely in London 2012's footsteps than expected. The cities have begun discussing the possible sale of large parts of London's new stadium to Chicago, the Guardian reports. The deal could result in 55,000 seats...

Bladerunner Sets Sights on 2012 Olympics

Training delayed, Pistorius thinks London more realistic than '08

(Newser) - Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius finally got the go-ahead to compete in the Olympics, but it took so long the 21-year-old Paralympic world record holder who runs on carbon fiber blades says he may not be able to make the cut for Beijing, and the London Olympics now appear more realistic....

Brits 'Duped' Over Olympic Pricetag
Brits 'Duped' Over Olympic Pricetag
Apr 22, 2008 3:00 AM CDT

Brits 'Duped' Over Olympic Pricetag

Government slammed after projected costs soar $10B

(Newser) - The projected pricetag of the 2012 Olympic games in London has more than doubled to $18 billion since the city was picked as host three years ago—and the British  government is being accused of deliberately low-balling estimates to sell the event to the public, the Guardian reports. A public...

British PM Won't Attend Olympic Opening

Brown insists he's not boycotting, will go to closing ceremony

(Newser) - British PM Gordon Brown will not attend the Beijing Olympics’ opening ceremony, the BBC reports, though his office made clear it was not a boycott. Brown said he never intended to go to the opening and emphasized that that he will be present at the closing ceremony for the torch...

Tibet Protests Could Snuff Olympic Torch's UK Visit

April 6 stop in London will test police readiness, set tone for rest of tour

(Newser) - The Olympic torch will pass through London on April 6, meeting major protests over China's human-rights abuses in Tibet and other causes. The visit will test how disruptive political forces could be on the Summer Games—and how well British security forces are preparing for the 2012 London Olympics, the...

Britain Seeks 'Giant' Steps at 2012 Olympics

Heightened emphasis for London Games has yielded taller jocks

(Newser) - A, ahem, heightened push to make Britain's sports teams more competitive by the time London hosts the 2012 Olympics has added 52 new athletes to the country’s handball, rowing, and volleyball squads, the Telegraph reports. The “Sporting Giants” program sought tall applicants—over 6-foot-3 for men and 5-11...

Olympic Seats Too Small for UK Behinds

Designers go back to the drawing board for bootylicious Brits

(Newser) - Seats at one of London's new Olympic venues are being widened to accommodate spectators' bulky backsides. Stadium designers warned that the 20,000 seats at the Aquatic Centre wouldn't be able to handle expanding British buttocks, so organizers widened the chairs by 4cm (1.5 inches), the Sun reports. The...

From Chips to Chez in 135 Minutes
From Chips to Chez in 135 Minutes
Sep 4, 2007 7:49 AM CDT

From Chips to Chez in 135 Minutes

New Eurostar line cuts London-Paris transit time by 20 minutes

(Newser) - Top travel time between London and Paris should be at least 20 minutes faster thanks to track improvements that allowed a Eurostar train to set a record this morning. The test journey from Paris to St. Pancras Station, London, a 306-mile trip, took 2:03:39, the BBC reports. Regular...

'No Go to the Logo,' Say Londoners

Olympics logo is making people not only furious but physically ill

(Newser) - Londoners loathe the logo unveiled Monday for the 2012 Olympics so much that 30,000 have already signed a petition demanding a new one. The jagged pink-and-orange rendition of 2012  took a brand-consultancy firm $800,000 and more than a year to design; Olympics organizers, calling it "dynamic" and...

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