London Update: 2012 Media Center May Relocate, Britain Sports Lack Funding

London’s Media Center May Relocate to Shopping Mall

London’s Olympic Development Authority (ODA) is considering relocating the 2012 media and broadcast centers to a shopping mall outside the Olympic Park in a bid to save costs.

Westfield has just opened a new mega-mall in London. A similar venue to be built in Stratford may be the site for London 2012 media operations. (Westfield)Developer Westfield is building a massive shopping mall close to Stratford’s major rail terminal as part of the regeneration of east London that is ongoing in parallel with Olympic development, and they have had talks with senior ODA officials over the possibility of accommodating the media there in 2012.

The media and broadcast centers are working quarters for the 20,000-strong international press corps accredited to cover the Olympics. Carillion/Igloo, the developer appointed by the ODA to part-fund and build the planned $600 million Olympic media center, has so far failed to obtain the loans necessary to pay for the build.

By utilizing office space and facilities at the Stratford City mall – which includes a conference center – London organizers would avoid having to build the proposed 1.3 million sq. ft. permanent media center, which still has an undetermined, post-2012 future.

Britain’s Non-Olympic Sports Pay Price of Funding Failure

A shortfall of $120 million in external funding at UK Sport, the government agency which provides grant aid to elite sport in Britain, will hit non-Olympic sports harder than those national governing bodies preparing athletes for the 2012 London Games.

The agency had been charged by government to raise at least $150 million in additional, commercial sponsorship towards Olympic preparation costs. But the global economic downturn, and competing for sponsors alongside LOCOG but without being able to offer Olympic branding to partners, has made it a virtually impossible task.

A board meeting on Dec. 2 will determine where the savings are to be made, with at least eight of the 24 national governing bodies funded by UKS facing swinging cutbacks. The $300,000 annual grants to sports such as orienteering and waterskiing are under threat, while Britain is unlikely to be able to afford to host lesser international events, such as junior world championships.

Olympic sports are unlikely to emerge entirely unscathed, with only those that succeeded in Beijing – cycling, rowing and sailing – already assured that they will get equivalent or increased funding through to 2012. Andy Turner is one of three athletes to be dropped from U.K. Athletics' funding. (Getty)

Plans to participate at London 2012 in sports in which Britain has no Olympic tradition – such as handball – could be scrapped, while better established sports, such as field hockey, have been lobbying Culture Secretary Andy Burnham to ring-fence their funding.

“We are making the point that the extra we need for the next four years is small beer in comparison with the 9.3 billion pounds ($14.6 billion) being spent on the Olympic Park,” Philip Kimberley, chief executive of Great Britain Hockey, said. “We have told Mr. Burnham that without the money we will not be competitive.”

Athletes Off-Track for Funding

Britain’s track and field athletes are feeling the financial pinch already, with U.K. Athletics’ new head coach, Charles van Commenee, cutting one-fifth of the athletes from the organization’s elite program.

And the Dutchman promises further cuts after the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin.

“There is no room for sentiment,” van Commenee said. “We are focusing investment on those we believe will be successful next summer. Thereafter, the focus will be squarely on supporting those who have what it takes to deliver in London 2012.”

The number of track athletes receiving money raised by Britain’s National Lottery has been diminishing steadily since 2004, when there were more than 80 on the program. Following last week’s announcement, only 33 will receive grants in 2009, with just six of them, led by Beijing 400 meters gold medalist Christine Ohuorugu, getting the maximum $38,000 per year.

Britain’s athletics team failed to meet its five-medal target in Beijing, which ultimately led to the departure of UKA’s performance director. Among those dropped from UKA funding are three medal winners from the 2006 European championships – Andy Turner, Rhys Williams and Becky Lyne, the latter two having been injured for much of the last two years.

Gay Parade in Build Up to London Olympics

London has won the rights to stage another major event in 2012: World Pride, the annual festival for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues.

London will play host to the annual world pride festival.(MICHAEL GOTTSCHALK/AFP/Getty Images)World Pride will be staged in the U.K. capital from June 23 to July 8 in the weeks before the Olympics, organized by London Pride with support from Visit London, the city’s tourist board, and the mayor of London. It is expected to attract more than 1 million visitors.

“I’m absolutely thrilled that London has won the right to host World Pride in 2012,” Boris Johnson, the mayor, said. “In an Olympic year, the eyes of the world will already be on London and the city will give an enormous welcome to LGBT people, their friends and families, for what we want to be the most colorful and exciting World Pride festival yet.”

London’s Top Cop Gets $600,000 Payoff

Ian Blair, who resigned last month as Metropolitan Police Commissioner – Britain’s most senior policeman and the man ultimately responsible for security at the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, will be paid in full for his contract which ran until 2010.

Blair made the shock announcement when he decided he could not work alongside new London Mayor Boris Johnson. As well as his full salary, Blair will also get $150,000 in compensation for lost bonuses and perks. His $240,000 annual pension is unaffected by his resignation or the settlement.

Written by Steven Downes