‘Was London 2012 the Greatest Olympics ever?’

1. ‘Was London 2012 the Greatest Olympics ever?’ The Olympic Legacy conference - University of East London November 14, 2012 Marcus Gibson –reporter at four Olympics The European, The Financial Times info@gibson-index.com

2. Average-to-Poor Quality Transport Very few facilities yet built World Cup bid loser No new main road.. since 1962 Most two-lane roads cut to one lane across London, eg Pall Mall Trafalgar Square north – closed off Poor maintenance: holes for 18 months Ancient Underground – end of life Fiasco over Wembley stadium build; and the Millennium Dome Bus complaints explosion x 15,000pm? No traffic police in London Oxford Street gridlock 1,300 new traffic lights installed 5mph pedallos x 3,000 6,000 junctions narrowed, murderous to growing band of regular cyclists Crossrail works across London M4 Closures; H’smith flyover Five hours in james before the Games Roadworks by TfL- on Saturday before the 2012 Games.. Best urban transport in world? All Games facilities built Stade de France masterpiece: - genius of retractable seating World Cup host 1998 Eight-lane boulevards Top notch engineering Excellent Metro Driverless trains; low-noise tracks and trains in place First-rate bus networks & timekeeping track record Traffic police in control Rapid transit times across city Full regional RER network No traffic lights added Crucial network of two-lane highways along the Seine Well-organised city authorities ‘Clean street’ policy: 25 years Tale of Two Cities: London v Paris, 2005

3. So why did London win the Bid? • Regeneration promise for old ‘East End’ of London • New hi-speed train line from Kings Cross to Stratford hub • Massive spending on Tube • Strong ‘Legacy’ theme to Bid • Juan Antonio Samaranch gone • Jacques Rogge in charge: had overseen Sydney Games.. • Reluctant London Mayor, Ken Livingstone, toed the line • UK: unrivalled heritage of organising big sports events • GB: Seb Coe’s heart-felt presentation on the night; - 30 multi-racial ambassadors • French? Too proud, staid: dull photos of empty stadia! • And something happened in that final vote in Singapore..

4. Atlanta 1996 – biggest Games ever? • 2m+ visitors – awesome.. • Huge stadia – Georgia Dome • Opening Ceremony – No.1 • Music of Deep South • New mega-airport built • Small nation medal tally • 24 new nations at Games • 197 nations there (UK?!) • Pin-trading centre enjoyed by 10,000s of visitors • Longest-ever torch relay • Jams cleared by Day 4 • European sneers aplenty - at ‘over-commercial’ theme, eg Coca Cola Inc. • Renaissance & Rebirth: event symbolised the ‘Soul of American South’

5. Sydney 2000 – glory of the beach • Australia + sport = magic • ‘Sydney in the spring’ • Easy transport; elegant venues • New city airport, and new train line to Games’ Olympic Park; • 60 medals won by 19m nation • 91% of tickets were sold • 35% of citizens left town • Excellent climate for teams • ‘G-day’ to the Olympic spirit • Fabled Business Initiative • Mobile Telecoms – first rate • Impressive crisis planning, eg cross-country halted, in severe heat for three hours for rebuild • Sydney city legacy: not as great as had been expected • Post-Games tourism: ‘lost decade’ versus Melbourne?

6. Athens 2004: ‘all very last minute’ • Olympics coming home - 1896 • Huge challenge: small nation • New airport, and subway line • Six-lane boulevard to Park • First use of ‘Olympic’ lanes • Substantial, borrowed cost • Finished - only weeks b4 start • Only 4% of tickets sold in the first week? • Just 180 pax in 25,000 venue • Scandal of top sprinters - out • 30-40% of citizens left Athens • Greeks less interested in sport, except football, athletics, wrestling, basketball • Security: good post-9/11 • Still, a real achievement for such a small nation..

7. Beijing 2008: ‘command and control’ • Milestone Moment in China’s national development • Exceptional infrastructure • £55-85bn spent on Beijing • Spectacular Opening Event • New era of athletics? Usain Bolt; 33 new world records. • Smog levels cut sharply • 100s of factories moved out • Strict controls on spectators • Entry visas: difficult to get • BBC/Amnesty sites blocked • 100,000 security personnel • Audiences lacked cheer? • China tops world medals table: 51 Golds v US (36)

8. London 2012: Third Time lucky? • Stunning security success • Transport? just good enough to avoid disaster • Stadia of only modest size? • No new airport = T5, oh no! • Green-clean 740 acres of Stratford’s brownfield land.. • Carnival atmosphere • The weather ‘behaved’ • Cost: £12bn approx • Stadium: a legacy problem? • Opening Ceremony left many viewers bemused.. • Fearsome anti-drug regime • Six-week ‘ghost-town’ centre of capital: £1.5-2bn? • More medals ‘domination’ by US-China - sad faces in some surprising countries

9. What the Pundits said.. ‘Now the Games are over, it is clear they [London] have knocked Sydney off its pedestal as the best host of a modern Olympic Games. As awful as it is to admit, London 2012 was bigger, slicker, almost as friendly and more thoughtfully planned than Sydney in terms of the legacy it will leave the host city... It is, I'm afraid to say, bronze for Barcelona, silver for Sydney, and gold for London.’ - Peter Wilson,The Australian

10. What the Pundits said.. • ‘London, you didn't half do a decent job. These Olympics had Sydney's vibrancy, Athens's panache, Beijing's efficiency, and added British know-how and drollery.’ ‘With apologies to Sydney, they might just represent a new PB for the Olympics.’ • ‘The Games were preceded by the usual fatalistic anticipation of a cock-up. It proved groundless. Moving masses of people around a mazy city was expected to be a nightmare but London made it look effortless.’ - Greg Baum,Melbourne Age

11. Atlanta 1996: the reckoning Security 10 Facilities 9 Organisation 10 Transport 9 Sports Quality 8 International Flavour 10 Opening Ceremony 10 Torch Relay 10 Volunteers 9 Environment 6

12. Sydney 2000: the reckoning Security 10 Facilities 10 Organisation 10 Transport 10 Sports Quality 8 International Flavour 7 Opening Ceremony 8 Torch Relay 9 Volunteers 8 Environment 9

13. Athens 2004: the reckoning Security 8 Facilities 7 Organisation 6 Transport 9 Sports Quality 7 International Flavour 6 Opening Ceremony 8 Torch Relay 7 Volunteers 7 Environment 8

14. Beijing 2008: the reckoning Security 10 Facilities 10 Organisation 10 Transport 10 Sports Quality 9 International Flavour 3 Opening Ceremony 9 Torch Relay 7 Volunteers 7 Environment 4

15. London 2012: the reckoning Security 10 Facilities 8 Organisation 10 Transport 7 Sports Quality 8 International Flavour 10 Opening Ceremony 4 Torch Relay 10 Volunteers 9 Environment 8

16. Which Games were the best? London Beijing Athens Sydney Atlanta

17. Which Games were the best? London Beijing Athens Sydney Atlanta

18. Which Games were the best? London Beijing Athens Sydney Atlanta

19. Which Games were the best? London Beijing Athens Sydney Atlanta

20. Which Games were the best? London Beijing Athens Sydney Atlanta

21. And the final decision is.. London Beijing Athens Sydney Atlanta

22. ‘Was London 2012 the Greatest Olympics ever?’ ‘Questions &Comments?’ The Olympic Legacy conference - University of East London November 14, 2012 Marcus Gibson - features reporter The European, The Financial Times info@gibson-index.com