London Latest - Olympics End Recession; Aquatics Center Loses "Wings"; Ainslie Retires

Olympics End Recession

Predictions by British economists that the Olympics would end the country’s recession were proven correct Tuesday.

The Office of National Statistics reports that Britain’s gross domestic product grew by one percent in the July to September quarter, when the Olympic and Paralympic Games took place.

Household spending also increased .6 percent during that period, thanks to the GDP growth related to the Olympics. That increase was the largest in more than two years.

While the Olympics provided some rosy figures, not all was positive.

Overall, the British economy is 0.1 percent smaller than in the period the year before and 3.1 percent smaller than its strongest point before the recession started in 2008, the ONS reports, and the growth is not likely to be sustained with retailers experiencing a sharp drop in sales in October.

Bank of England Governor Mervyn King has also warned the economy may contract in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Aquatics Centre Loses "Wings"

The "wings" of the Aquatics Centre were fully removed on Tuesday.

According to a statement from the London Legacy Development Corporation, the final part of the outer shell housing the temporary seating for the venue was removed.

Over the next 18 months, the LLDC will remove Games-time overlay and connect the Olympic Park to London as part of its post-Games transformation. The entire project will cost $468 million to complete.

The Aquatics Centre is the most transformed at this stage, the LLDC says, with 17,500 seats having been removed. The seats will be replaced with glass panels.

"It’s only a couple of months since the Paralympics ended, and the transformation of the site is already well underway," said Colin Naish, Executive Director of Infrastructure at the LLDC. "Taking control of the Park today is another major milestone and in only eight months time the Park will begin to re-open."

Perhaps wistfully, LOCOG posted on its Facebook page that it too was aware of the passage of time since the Games.

"Oh my...already 4 months have passed since we made history," a post reads.

Bein Ainslie Retires

Four-time gold medalist in sailing Ben Ainslie is hanging up his Finn sails to focus on his America’s Cup career.

The Brit became the first sailor to win medals in five-straight Olympics in London this year.

"When I look back there are so many special memories; from that first medal in Atlanta 16 years ago to carrying the flag at the closing ceremony in London 2012," he said in a statement.

"London was an incredibly special Olympics, competing on home waters and in front of a home crowd, I don't think anything will be able to top that experience.

"But you have to move forwards and it is time to move onto the next challenge in my career."

He added the decision to retire "was not an easy decision to make."

BBC Sport Personality Nominees

Olympians and Paralympians occupy 11 of the 12 nominations for the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year Awards.

Athletes Jessica Ennis and Mo Farah, boxer Nicola Adams, cyclists Bradley Wiggins and Chris Hoy, rower Katherine Grainer, sailor Ben Ainslie and tennis gold medalist Andy Murray are the Olympian nominees.

Wheelchair athlete David Weir, swimmer Ellie Simmonds and cyclist Sarah Storey are the Paralypian nominees.

The winners will be announced Dec. 16 at the ExCeL Centre in London.

Rory McIlroy, an Olympic hopeful in golf, was the other nominee.

Written by Ed Hula III.

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