I notice from this mornings paper, that targets for 'the Legacy' are being quietly dropped
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/mar/28/jeremy-hunt-london-2012-legacy
Namely the aim of using the facilities to get couch-potatoes off their arses. Though only ones based in London, obviously. Being a regular user of the facilities constructed for the Commonwealth games - the Aquatics centre and velodrome - i can see first hand the benefits to the local community if its properly thought through.
However, with the way the Olympics are shaping up I think its looking increasingly likely we're going to spend a shed-load of cash (we can't afford), all for the sake of bequeathing West Ham a new footy ground.
Your thoughts on the matter ...?
debt?
slight hi-jack (sorry so early on) but bit of a PSA: watch 'twenty twelve' on bbc4, its on mid-week about 10ish - its a send up of the olympic committee/process etc.
I imagine that there will be a fair few nice London penthouses being given away to IOC Officials, does that count as legacy?
Studies of others who held the Olympics showed none or almost none achieved much in the way of legacy. There was an interesting documentary some time ago on the subject.
It all seemed obvious having watched the documentary, but ignored when bidding for it.
This make interesting reading: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/after-the-party-what-happens-when-the-olympics-leave-town-901629.html
The prospect of some 'national legacy' was always dubious at best, what with the bulk of the development being in London. Surely this simply confirms what we already knew. Ho hum. Not that we can really blame the new govt.
Legacy = large bill.
Athens 2004 - 21 out of 22 venues now abandoned.
Sydney 2000 - The New South Wales government has said the financial result of the Games was a net cost to the public finances of at least A$1.5bn (about £720m). Then, Sydney Olympic Park – the centrepiece for the Games – became yet another white elephant after the Games closed.
Atlanta 1996 - broke even.
Barcelona 1992 - good.
Seoul 1988 - the Seoul Games will always be remembered not for helping to bring democracy to a sleeping economic giant, but for the biggest Olympic scandal of all time – Ben Johnson's apparently superhuman (but in fact drug-assisted) 100-metre dash.
The rejuvenation of the industrial wasteland in and around Stratford has already happened to a great extent. If they achieve nothing else that will be a fantastic legacy.
Politicians will 'learn lessons' from what went wrong.
Property developers will become richer.
There will be a podium full of singletrack forum posters at the mtb event.
Legacy - sod all up here - despite the fact scotland is paying a part of the cost because of the amazing legacy we were going to get
An ever lasting picture of Lisa Simpson stuck in my mind for all the wrong reasons.
A number of large part used buildings?
[s]Seoul 1988[/s] London 2012 - The [s]Seoul[/s] London Games will always be remembered not for helping to bring [s]democracy[/s] bankruptcy to a [s]sleeping[/s] failed economic giant, but for the biggest Olympic scandal of all time – [s]Ben Johnson's[/s] Usain Bolt's apparently superhuman (but in fact drug-assisted) 100-metre dash.
FTFY
The rejuvenation of the industrial wasteland in and around Stratford has already happened to a great extent.
Balls. I live near the site, and what has actually happened, is that a load of existing businesses were forced out, most only receiving a token payment under the compulsory purchase order scheme (ie nothing like the true value of their land), thousands made unemployed, and the destruction of some of the most fragile urban wildlife in Britain. All that has been put in it's place is a giant Westfield shopping centre, (which will sound the death-knell for loads of existing small businesses in the area), and a load of new flats will be beyond the reach of many locals anyway, as they will be far too expensive. The amount of traffic to the area will increase dramatically, seeing a big rise in pollution to an already polluted area.
The sports stadia will undoubtedly be too expensive for many locals to use, and end up being obscenely underused, unless they are taken over by private companies. You can't expect Newham Council to run things propply; they bloody never have.
It was never about any genuine socially beneficial 'legacy', it was only ever about making a select few people rich. Local amenities are closing down because of a lack of funds, yet more and more money is being found to prop up the mounting costs.
It's already a disaster. BoJo and LoCoe don't want you to know that though....
What Stumpy said. I still cannot believe that they adopted / paid a shit load of cash for [b]that[/b]!
Legacy? Tons more debt and yet more austerity measures in 2013.
The rejuvenation of the industrial wasteland in and around Stratford has already happened to a great extent. If they achieve nothing else that will be a fantastic legacy.
And I, living in the north west, will feel the benefit of this how exactly?
And I, living in the north west, will feel the benefit of this how exactly?
You can come and visit.
You can buy a ticket to watch some real sportspeople operate at the peak of their fitness/ability/training.
Mind you you will be charged a fortune to stay anywhere near London for the duration of the Games.