2012 Test Event Tickets on Sale; British Teams Workshop

Test Event Tickets

London 2012 organizers today launched sales of the first test event tickets for the Games.

Branded by LOCOG as the "London Prepares" series, the events include the first competitive sports taking place at Olympic Park.

The initial batch of sales is for the following events: Hadleigh Farm Mountain Bike International at the new, purpose-built course in Essex at the end of July; Visa FIVB Beach Volleyball International at Horse Guards Parade, Aug. 9 to 14.

The first test event at the Olympic Park in east London is the London International Basketball Invitational, which will see six top men’s teams compete at the new temporary basketball arena for the Games from Aug. 16 to 21.

The third round of the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup Series at the BMX Track in the Olympic Park will take place Aug 19 to 20 featuring 130 men and 40 women riders.

Tickets for these events will cost between $8 and $57.

LOCOG chair Sebastian Coe said: "These events provide us with vital opportunities to test our venues, but also test our staff, our technologies and planning assumptions.

"They will also provide people with a fantastic opportunity to see some world-class sport in these venues ahead of the Games – a snapshot of what is to come next year.

"These events are a huge stepping stone for us, helping us to prepare for and iron out any creases ahead of the greatest show on earth next year."

Next Monday, the first London 2012 test events take place. They are an invitational marathon and a 20km race walking event taking place on London roads and The Mall.

In the build-up to the opening of the Games in July next year, a series of test events will take place across all Olympic venues. They will include non-ticketed events and existing events at which LOCOG will have a presence.

BOA Wraps up Workshop

The British Olympic Association concluded a three-day workshop for a group of 32 team leaders from the 26 Olympic sports on the 2012 program.

The meeting was the third of six being delivered by the BOA before London 2012 and focused on three key objectives: venue familiarization; Olympic orientation and Team GB preparations.

Representatives of the sports' national governing bodiesthis week toured Olympic Park and Olympic Village, as well as other competition and training venues to inspect the progress being made towards Games readiness. They helped fine-tune logistical and operational plans in consultation with LOCOG competition and venue managers.

Also this week, leaders from sports in which Team GB has not competed in recent Olympics--such as handball, volleyball and water polo--participated in an orientation session designed to help prepare them for the unique demands and pressures of an Olympics environment.

Andy Hunt, BOA chief executive and Team GB chef de mission, gave a comprehensive progress report on the detailed operational and performance plans for Team GB’s participation in the Games.

"There is a strong sense of unity, shared ownership and determination amongthe team leaders as we continue to implement the detailed planning to give Team GB the best opportunity for maximum success next summer," Hunt said.

"Visiting the Olympic Park as a group and seeing the tremendous progress LOCOG continues to make across the many venues was very encouraging, and stepping inside the Olympic Village accommodation for the first time allowed the visualization of what will be our home for three weeks of intense competition.

"There was a great sense of excitement and it certainly sent a shiver of anticipation down my spine," he added.

The next team leader workshop is scheduled to take place in October.

Olympic Park Sculpture Shapes Up

Construction of the ArcelorMittal Orbit on the Olympic Park is progressing well, Olympics organizers said Thursday.

Set to be the tallest sculpture in the UK, the ArcelorMittal Orbit promises to be an iconic element of Games.

Designed by artist Anish Kapoor and designer and engineer Cecil Balmond, the structure is now 230 feet tall – its final height will be a bit more than 375 feet.

Work has begun on installing the lift-shaft; seven 44,000 pound rings were lifted into place last month.

On completion next March, the structure will have two observation floors, giving visitors a stunning view across London’s skyline. It will be made up of 3.3 million pounds of steel and will sit between the 80,000-seat Olympic stadium and the aquatics center.

Written by Mark Bisson