London Unveils Paralympics Ticket Prices; Coe Wants "Party Atmosphere"

London Unveils Paralympics Ticket Prices

Half of the two million Paralympics tickets going on sale in September will be priced at $17.

Billed as a "creative and fair ticketing strategy" by London 2012 organizers, prices start at $17 for adults and $8 for those who are 16 or under and 60-plus, as of Aug. 29 next year.

In total, 95 percent of tickets are pegged at less than $82, with three-quarters of them costing $33 or less.Tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies start at $33; the most expensive for the opening ceremony is $824.

All tickets include a free London Travelcard for the day of the event.

Some sports sessions at the Paralympics are reserved seating and others have general admission.

Special ticket products include day passes, enabling ticketholders to see a range of sports taking place in the Olympic Park or at ExCeL on that day on a general admission basis. Tickets for popular sports such as athletics, cycling and swimming will be sold on a reserved seating basis only.

Under a group organizer ticket scheme, those who apply for 20 or more seats per session will get an additional 10 percent of extra tickets. As the Paralympics take place in school-term time, this initiative is targeting schools.

Ticket applications will be accepted between Sept. 9 and 30.

"The Paralympic Games will light up London with quite simply brilliant sport next year," London 2012 CEO Paul Deighton said in a statement.

"The UK is the spiritual home of the Paralympic movement and with superb medal prospects for ParalympicsGB, we believe that the British public will come out in their thousands to watch.

Sir Philip Craven, president of the International Paralympic Committee, said: "It is fantastic to see that already more than one million people have signed up for tickets and have expressed their interest to experience Paralympic sport first-hand in London in 2012. We hope that London continues the success of high ticket sales of the recent Paralympics as we approach 2012."

The 2012 Paralympics, taking place between Aug. 29 and Sept. 9, includes a program of 20 sports staged across 19 venues. More than 4,000 athletes from 170 countries will compete.

Coe Wants Sydney 2000 "Party Atmosphere" at 2012

London 2012 chair Sebastian Coe says he hopes next year's Games can emulate the buzz experienced in Sydney and around Australia for the 2000 Olympics.

"Clearly I recognize from Sydney that it is the high-water mark for a sporting event that other sporting events, no matter what sport or wherever in the world, is measured against," the double Olympic champion was quoted by Reuters during a trip to Canberra.

"From Sydney I want the party atmosphere that was driven by athlete-led performance in the venues, and that permeated the city and I think the whole country," he added during his Wednesday address to Australia's parliament.

Coe also expressed delight that Ian Thorpe,Australia's five-time Olympic swimming gold medalist, is targeting a return at next year's Games.

"Ian Thorpe is arguably thegreatest swimmer ever," Coe said. "His abilities and skills have inspired a generation of young swimmers in London. Ian Thorpe competing in the Games in London is a fantastic prospect."

Construction Begins on Shooting Venue

Work has begun on the temporary Olympic shooting venue at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich.

The contractor is John Sisk & Sons. Pistol and Rifle competitions will be held across a finals range, 25m range and a combined 10m and 50m range. Three outdoor ranges will host the Olympic shotgun competitions, then will be transformed to stage Paralympic Archery.

The shooting complex is the Olympic Delivery Authority's final venue to start construction and will be ready to host test events next spring.

"We are extremely impressed with the design, plans and arrangements for the venue," International Shooting Sport Federation president Olegario Vázquez Raña said during a recent visit to thesite.

"It will provide a splendid stage upon which to showcase our athletes and sport to the world."

More than 104,000 spectators are expected to watch shooting competitions during the Games.

Entries Flood in to Name Park Neighborhoods

More than 1,200 suggestions have so far been submitted to name five new neighborhoods that will be built on the future Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park after the 2012 Games.

The Olympic Park Legacy Company confirmed Wednesday that people had taken inspiration from historical uses of the east London area such as gunpowder mills and former factories as well as famous figures such as Olympians Chris Hoy and Steve Redgrave.

Entries include ‘Redgravia’, ‘Hoy Gateway’, ‘Templar Mills’, ‘Olympic Park Hill’, ‘Lavender Fields’, Plastiside and ‘The Rings’.

The OPLC will shut the door on entries in a week's time.

These will be selected by a panel including Olympic organizers, representatives from the neighboring boroughs and local residents.

The first neighborhood to be developed will sit between the veloPark and the athletes' village at the northeast end of the Olympic Park. It will include around 800 new homes and 3,000 square meters of community and ancillary facilities.

The five neighborhoods will open to the public in phases from 2013, with families moving into the first new homes in 2015.Over the next 20 years, they will accommodate about 8,000 new homes.

Authorities Simulate Terrorist Attack

British police and military are training for the worst ahead of next year’s Summer Games.

According to an Associated Press report, authorities say they have completed a three-day simulation of a terrorist attack inside London Olympic Park.

When the exercise took place and what exactly was involved remains a mystery.

Officers told the AP only that Britain’s defense ministry and emergency services all took part as well as that the drill was not prompted by any specific new threat.

Olympic Museum Comes to London

Games-goers will get a taste of Lausanne when they visit London for the 2012 Olympics.

An exhibition at the Royal Opera House running throughout the Games will display select artifacts, graphics, film and audio from the Olympic Museum as part of the London 2012 Festival, the finale of the Cultural Olympiad.

"By hosting this exhibition in one of the world’s leading arts and culture institutions we hope that our collaboration for London 2012 will set a new benchmark for future Olympic host cities," museum director Francis Gabet said in a statement.

The aptly titled "The Olympic Journey: The Story of the Games" exhibit will feature a display ofall the Olympic medals since 1896 and all the Olympic Torches since 1936.

For more about the exhibit, watch this video featuring Olympic triple jump champion Jonathan Edwards.

Written by Mark Bisson