London Update -- Mayor Wants Stadium in World Cup Bid; GE Donation to Hospital

(ATR) Mayor Boris Johnson is leading a call for all Londoners to campaign for more venues in England’s 2018 World Cup bid to be in the capital city – fueling speculation that he wants the Olympic Stadium to be maintained with at least 50,000 seats in its “legacy mode”.

Johnson wants the Olympic Park to be at the center of a series of world-class sporting events to come to London after 2012, beginning with the 2015 rugby World Cup and a probable bid to host the IAAF track and field world championships in 2017 or 2019.

As reported by ATR yesterday, plans to reduce the $800 million Olympic Stadium from 80,000 seats to a 25,000 capacity after 2012 could make it unsuitable to host athletics world or European championships, or to stage matches in football or rugby World Cups.

Johnson made an announcement outside City Hall Tuesday, accompanied by officials from three of London’s Premiership soccer clubs: Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham. None of these clubs’ grounds are included in the Football Association’s provisional plans as proposed venues for its 2018 World Cup bid.

The FA’s bid document at present includes Wembley and Twickenham.

Twickenham is owned by the Rugby Football Union. The 80,000-seat venue to the south-west of the city operates under strict local regulations which limit the number of events staged there each year and which would restrict usage in a football World Cup.

Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, opened in 2006, has a 60,000 capacity, while Chelsea’s 43,000-seat Stamford Bridge has hosted European Cup semi-final ties in five of the past six years. Tottenham considered moving to Olympic Park as an anchor tenant after 2012 but now have plans for a $600 million, 60,000-seat stadium.

Last week, LOCOG chair Sebastian Coe, who is also a non-executive director of England's World Cup bid, confirmed that the Olympic Stadium is now being considered as an option for 2018.

GE Makes $8 Million Donation to Hospital

GE, a worldwide partner of the Olympics, has donated $8 million-worth of medical equipment, including foetal monitors, incubators and MR scanner, to Homerton Hospital in Hackney, one of the five host boroughs for the 2012 Games. Homerton is the nearest hospital to the Olympic Park.

Paul Deighton, LOCOG’s chief executive, said: “We applaud GE’s donation – which is a great example of a tangible legacy left by a corporate sponsor beyond the 2012 Games.

“This is what Olympic legacy is all about – giving the people of east London access to world-class facilities on their doorstep – in this case healthcare – which will help improve lives for generations to come.”

Wimbledon Chiefs Take Legal Action over Building Work

Organizers of the Wimbledon tennis championships have experienced some problems with the construction of the Millennium Building, now subject to a $7 million writ at the High Court in London against its architects and builders.

The All England Club’s 45-page legal complaint relates “defective design and poor workman-ship” in the media center and facilities for players, members and officials in the building.

Condensation, warped woodwork and “scruffy” timber will not inspire confidence in the 2012 Olympic tennis venue. Last week, the $140 million sliding roof over Centre Court made its debut at the tennis championships – its construction was handled by different contractors. The writ is being contested.

Briefs…

… High-speed “Javelin” trains entered service Monday, six months earlier than planned. In 2012, the 140mph trains will run from St Pancras International in central London to the Olympic Park in less than eight minutes, carrying 25,000 passengers to Stratford every hour.

“These will be the public transport Games,” Olympics minister Tessa Jowell said. Her comments came before signal failures led to first-day delays in services of 40 minutes.

… Britain’s new National Anti-Doping Agency (NADO), due to take over responsibility for drug testing in the U.K. from October, may be further delayed because of Government demands for the agency to be based outside London – even though it will oversee all Olympic tests in 2012 and the country’s one IOC-accredited testing laboratory is in London.

… Tony Hall, the former head of BBC television news, now chief executive of the Royal Opera House, is to join the LOCOG board. Jude Kelly, the artistic director of the South Bank arts center and the figurehead for the Cultural Olympiad since its launch three years ago, is expected to lose her London 2012 position as chair of culture, ceremonies and education as a result of Hall’s appointment.

… Greg Nugent, the former marketing chief of Channel Tunnel rail operator Eurostar, has been appointed to a similar role at London 2012. Nugent is taking over from Amanda Jennings, who has gone on maternity leave.

...Rebecca Adlington, the first British woman swimmer for 48 years to win an Olympic gold medal when she took both the 400 and 800 meters freestyle at the Beijing Games, says she wants to race in three events in 2012.

After winning the 200m free at the Scottish championships in Glasgow at the weekend, Adlington said she would also try to make the British 4x200m freestyle relay team at the London Games. However, as swimming looks towards gender parity in its events, the teenager may not have the opportunity to defend her 800m title and says she is unlikely to want to race 1,500m free.

… Construction of the wave-shaped roof of London’s Aquatics Centre has reached the halfway point. The lift of the 160-meter long, 2,800-ton roof started three months ago and is considered one of the most complex engineering and construction challenges of the Olympic Park. The roof frame should be completed this summer.

Written by Steven DownesFor general comments or questions, click here