Jowell Quits Olympics Role; Amateur Radio Record; UK Athletics Coach to Stand Down

Olympics Pioneer Quits

Tessa Jowell, the former sports minister in Tony Blair’s government who played a huge role in London’s Olympic bid and its delivery, is to stand down from frontline politics.

Jowell said her job as shadow Olympics minister was done now the Olympics and Paralympics were over.

"To have been able to be part of planning and delivering the Olympic and Paralympic Games from start to finish is a rare opportunity in public life and that too has been a privilege," she said in a statement.

"After 10 years with the Olympics and Paralympics it is job done."

Jowell added: "Our country has changed this summer and for the better because of the power of the British people, the Games-makers and our great Olympic and Paralympic athletes."

Jowell is credited with convincing Blair to commit to an Olympic bid. She was a key figure on the London 2012 bid team alongside the British PM of the time, Sebastian Coe, who became LOCOG chair, the then-mayor of London Ken Livingstone and others.

The 64-year-old was a member of the Olympic Board, which provided oversight, strategic coordination and monitoring of London 2012 preparations to ensure London met its 2005 bid book promises to the IOC.

"What we have seen at the London 2012 would not have been possible without Tessa’s determination and dedication both in championing the bid and playing a major role in delivering the Games," said Labour party leader Ed Miliband. "For this the whole country owes her a huge debt of gratitude."

UK Athletics Coach to Quit

Charles van Commenee will quit as UK Athletics coach after failing to deliver on his medal target at London 2012.

A statement from UK Athletics confirmed that he would leave his position in December.

The Dutchman said his decision was made in the interests of British athletics, adding that the job needed "new energy and approach" through to the 2017 IAAF World Athletics Championships which will be staged in London.

Van Commenee was acclaimed for doing a good job in delivering six track and field medals at the Olympics, including four golds. Mo Farah won the 5,000m and 10,000m, while heptathlete Jessica Ennis and long jumper Greg Rutherford also bagged gold.

But he claimed before the Games that he would stand down if Team GB did not secure eight medals, including at least one gold.

Olympics Amateur Radio Station Sets World Record

An amateur radio station set up to commemorate the Olympic and Paralympic Games has shattered the record for number of contacts made by such a special events station.

As the Paralympic Games closed, station 2O12L recorded more than 69,000 contacts with radio hams in 223 countries and geographic entities. The previous record of 48,000 contacts was registered in 2006 by a station in Germany opened for the FIFA World Cup.

With five different operating positions, 2O12L was on the air continuously from July 25, the day competition started for the Games. The station closed Sep. 9 as the Paralympics ended.

Located at a Scouts meeting hall about eight miles south of the Olympic Park in the borough of Greenwich, the equipment and radio operators came from the Cray Valley Radio Society, which meets regularly at the scouts center.

Marketing restrictions prevented any sponsorship, so the station was financed by donations and the efforts of volunteers.

A radio club in Wales was also operating as an Olympic special event station using the callsign 2O12W, but logged fewer contacts than the London station.

Reported by Mark Bisson and Ed Hula

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