London gets 2012 Olympics
 

Looks like London has won the rights to stage the 2012 Olympics ahead of Madrid, New York, Moscow (who dropped out in the early stages of voting) and Paris.

Pretty good news as far as I'm concerned, any other feelings?

Holy Crap!

Glad I don't live in London (apart from the usual reasons) some big tax increases on the horizon now.

Well it really depends

I'm going to be living in London for the next 3-4 years, and the potential for even more chaos than you usually get is high.

Of course, London is gonna have to be redeveloped in areas, which could be a great benefit to the city, but after the Olympics there are gonna be a lot of places which aren't gonna be used.

If it means that the council get their act together and improve the transport infrastruction, it could be a great thing, but I have my doubts.

It's good news i guess, but i really didn't mind tbh.

There's a lot of stuff that's going to have to be held outside of London, so there's something that might be going on in your area. I hope we get Beach volleyball or something.

*Shall go to watch the basketball and football* :cool:

Also, have it the French

I live quite close to London, god knows where I'll be next year let alone in seven years time.

Vancouver gets the 2010 olympics(winter) and the boom and construction for it has been going on for a couple years already. The olympics bring redevelopment and a strong economy.

It shouldn't be like the old days anymore, where the olympic left white elephants that couldn't be used after the games.

It will be funny if a load of foreigners get lost in the centre of London due to the congestion charges.

"What's all this nonsense aboot, which way to the stadium, ay?"

Should have went to Paris

Try and beat Athens and Sydney you cunts ;)

Nah good luck to London for the Games.

Potential for chaos? I doubt it mate. You get more chaos when there is snow on the roads because we are never prepared for it. Everything else gets taken in it's stride and then moaned at later :D

Aside from that shithole Millenium Dome, all the facilities will be used again after the Olympics either through sport or redevelopment. Plus now we will have Olympic standard sporting facilities, our athletes haven't got any more excuses not to pull their fingers out. This whole event will be judged on how our athletes perform.

As a born and bred Londoner, I'm delighted we got the games. I thought Paris would get it before today.

And when you're in London, I'll get you a beer.

I thought it was going to Paris, but London could be a good venue for it. London could benefit from having some major updates on something, at least from what I remember of it.

The original idea for New York sounded pretty sweet, like line up a bunch of stadiums etc. along the Hudson, but then they scratched that and the Jets stadium didn't get voted on and bla bla bla, it probably is best that its not here. Since they are having it in Europe twice in eight years though, I would think there is a pretty decent chance that it comes back to the USA in 2016 or 2020. I'd have to imagine that at some point they go to South Africa or South America, but I would be surprised if one of those two isn't in the US, and if it is it would be cool to have it in the Twin Cities. In 1996 it came down to us and Atlanta, and Atlanta won, those bastards.

As far as I'm concerned, the USA gets the Olympics too much. No big complaint from me, because when they're there (or Canada) I get to see a lot of them live and at a decent time. Kudos to London, and fuck Paris.

(Hilton)

I hear there will be @ 16 billion dollars pumped into London's infrastructure. Holy shit.

I don't know if this is just a coincidence or one of us hearing something wrong, but I heard today that the final cost of Athens 2004 was 16 billion as well. That was also like double their budget.

Far as I understand 2016 will definitely not go to Europe now, so NY has as good a chance as it ever will.

Wow, I just realised something - the 4 cities in the running were London, Paris, Madrid and New York - all have been hit by terrorists in the last 4 years now.

What happened in Paris? I am drawing a blank

I remember car bombs a few years back, not sure when exactly

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/othe...12/4659217.stm

Some of the French newspapers reactions.

Sore losers