Breaking - Central London, BOA Endure Mess from Building Siege

Central London, BOA Endure Mess from Building Siege

Central London – and the British Olympic Association - recover from the aftermath of a siege at a building on Tottenham Court Road. A man is under arrest after the incident that lasted nearly four hours.

The suspect may have had an explosive device attached to his body when he stormed into an office on the fourth floor of the building. While computer equipment was hurled from a window, nobody was hurt in the siege. The suspect was taken into custody shirtless.

The offices of the British Olympic Association were among the businesses in the vicinity while police responded to the siege, issuing a lockdown to keep the streets clear.

BOA spokesman Darryl Seibel tells Around the Rings "all at the BOA are safe" and that the incident was in the neighborhood, "not in our building".

Shortly after the siege began around midday, police sealed off Tottenham Court Road and two tube stations. The street closing led to worse-than-normal traffic snarls on a rainy Friday afternoon.

Coming 91 days from the start of the London Olympics, the incident provided an impromptu real-world test of police readiness for the Games and the impact these events can have on London transit. The police are receiving plaudits for their quick response and the ability to end the siege without casualties.

Uniform Distribution Underway

LOCOG chair Sebastian Coe and CEO Paul Deighton have their Games uniforms in hand following Friday’s launch of London 2012’s first fully operational Olympic venue.

They were among the first to stop by the Uniform Distribution and Accreditation Center in east London, where upwards of 70,000 volunteers will pick up their adidas duds alongside paid staff, technical officials and eligible contractors.

"It’s a proud moment to be here alongside our fantastic Games Makers picking up our Games uniforms and accreditation," Coe said in a statement.

"The Games are almost upon us, and our Games Makers will be front and centre of the welcome we give the world."

With a staff of 525 and a total of 70 fitting rooms, the facility can process around 280 people an hour for uniform collection and up to 800 an hour for accreditation only.

Additional centers in Weymouth and Portland, Manchester, Cardiff, Newcastle, Glasgow and Coventry will accommodate volunteers and staff working at sailing and football venues outside London.

All told, the Games uniforms include 765.92 miles of fabric, 359.37 miles of thread, 730,610 buttons and 1,069,034 zippers, according to LOCOG.

Record TV Rights for Paralympics

London 2012 is set to reap a record $16 million from TV rights to the Paralympics, according to LOCOG.

That includes lucrative deals with host broadcaster Channel 4 and China’s CCTV as well as newly announced agreements with the European Broadcast Union, Japan Broadcasting Corporation, Globo TV in Brazil, Australia's ABC, Sky Italia, Korean Broadcasting System and Thailand Pool TV.

"As the world's second biggest multi-sport event, all eyes will be focused on the Paralympic Games in London in 2012," LOCOG chair Sebastian Coe said in a statement.

"Beyond how the commercial value of this package has raised the bar financially for the Paralympic movement, the fantastic broadcast coverage we have agreed will help us take advantage of this opportunity to inspire disabled people of all ages to take up sport and be a catalyst for continued change in public attitudes towards disability."

IPC president Philip Craven added: "This is testament to the performances of the athletes who will come to London and put on something pretty special."

Additional rights holders are yet to be announced.

Wales Welcomes Olympic Rings

Cardiff’s historic City Hall is the latest British landmark to receive giant Olympic Rings ahead of London 2012.

Wednesday’s launch came three months to the day from the first competition of the Games – a July 25 women’s preliminary football match between Great Britain and New Zealand at the Welsh capital’s Millennium Stadium.

"These Rings will excite and inspire residents and visitors to Wales about the Olympic Games taking place in the UK and will provide a spectacular backdrop for Cardiff’s celebrations when it hosts eleven Olympic football matches this summer," LOCOG chair Sebastian Coe said of the 18mx8m installation.

Written by Ed Hula.

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