1. ationalogramme
Intern tion Pr
Londo n 2012 Educa
London 2012 Olympic Games
Bringing the world together through sport
London is getting ready for the world’s greatest festivals of sport: the
Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Olympic Games will begin on
27 July 2012. Athletes from about 205 countries will compete in
26 Olympic sports.
Ever since Baron Pierre de Coubertin began the Olympic Movement in
1894, the Summer Games have moved to a different Host City every
four years and taken place in venues all over the world. In 2012 it is
London and the UK’s turn!
2. The vision to inspire the youth of the world
On 6 July 2005, the London 2012 bidding team travelled to Singapore to make its final
presentation to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The group included 30 young people
from east London.
Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London 2012 bid, presented London 2012’s vision. The idea that
the London 2012 Games would inspire the young people of the world to choose sport was central
to our vision.
‘To make an Olympic champion takes millions of
young people around the world to be inspired
to choose Olympic sport. So London’s vision is
to reach young people all around the world. To
connect them with the inspirational power of the
Games. So they are inspired to choose sport.’
Sebastian Coe, 6 July 2005
At 12.46pm, President of the IOC Jacques
Rogge stood in front of the IOC General
Assembly in Singapore and announced: ‘The
Games of the thirtieth Olympiad in 2012 are awarded to the city of…London.’
London 2012’s ambition is to create a Games for all, where everyone is invited to share and enjoy
the experience.
The world will come together through sport and culture to celebrate like never before!
3. Preparing for the London 2012 Olympic Games
There was a huge amount to do in seven years
vity idea
so The London Organising Committee of the
Acti Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG)
and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA)
Time to prepare were set up.
Why do you think the IOC made their
The ODA is responsible for planning and
decision seven years before the 2012
building the Olympic Park, looking after both
Games? What did London have to do
the permanent and temporary venues and
to prepare for the Games? What sort of
developing the transport system.
events in your country need a lot
of preparation?
LOCOG is responsible for staging a Games we
will never forget. Organising such an important
event is a big challenge!
– 6 Olympic sports
2
– 19 days of competition
– 10,500 athletes
– 205 competing teams
– 302 Vctory Ceremonies
For more information about the sports
and venues of the Games, see the
London 2012 International Education
Programme ‘Sports and venues of
the London 2012 Olympic Games’
resource.
To achieve this, LOCOG
needs to employ almost
200,000 people:
– ,000 paid staff
6
– p to 70,000 volunteers
U
– round 100,000
A
contractor roles
As well as staging the Games
themselves, LOCOG is also
responsible for the:
– pening and Closing
O
Ceremonies of the Olympic
Games
– lympic Torch Relay
O
– ducation programme
E
– ondon 2012 mascots
L
– ondon 2012 Festival –
L
the finale to the Cultural
Olympiad
4. These are the logos for the London 2012
Olympic and Paralympic Games. What do you
think the logos were designed to represent?
For the first time, the Olympic and Paralympic
logo are part of the same family.
e a
A ctivity id
Emblems
Draw a timeline of the Olympic Games
using only the emblem of each Games.
You can find previous logos on the IOC
website (www.olympic.org/olympic-
games). What do you think of each
design? Which one is your favourite?
Do you have a school emblem? What
The logo was designed to be simple, distinct,
does it represent? Can you design a new
bold and buzzing with energy. It spells 2012.
emblem for your school?
There are a few different versions of the
Olympic logo available.
5. a
Ac tivity ide The Olympic Torch Relay
Torchbearer For most of us, the build up to the Games
The chance to be an Olympic Torchbearer really begins with the Olympic Torch Relay.
at the Games comes once in a lifetime. The Olympic Flame will be brought from
Imagine that a city in your country was Olympia in Greece (the home of the ancient
hosting the Games. Who do you think Olympic Games) to the UK. It will then travel
would be a great Torchbearer from your across the UK, ending its great journey in the
community? You might want to think Olympic Stadium and the London 2012 Games
about the Olympic Values of excellence, will begin!
friendship and respect. Does this person
have to be popular or could they be One person will be chosen to be the final
someone you personally admire? Who Torchbearer who takes the Torch into the
do you know that demonstrates the Olympic Stadium. This Torchbearer will make
Olympic Values? Show the rest of your one lap around the Stadium and then light the
class what you think by making posters, Olympic Cauldron.
running presentations or writing stories
on your chosen Torchbearer.
This moment is the highlight of the Opening
Ceremony and everyone watches with great
excitement. Being the final Torchbearer – or any
Torchbearer – is a very important job and a
great honour.
The Olympic Cauldron will stay lit until the
Closing Ceremony.
6. a
Ac tivity ide
Celebrating the arrival of
the Flame
Imagine the Olympic Flame was going
to travel through your community. Plan
a mock celebration for the arrival of the
Olympic Flame at your school. What
things will you need to consider? Will you
have music? Will the celebration have a
theme?
The Torch designed for the London 2012
Olympic Games celebrates the tradition of the
Olympic Torch Relay and the Olympic Games.
At 800 millimetres high and weighing just 800
grams, the Torch is one of the most lightweight in
the history of the Olympic Movement.
Its gold-coloured form features 8,000 small cut-
out circles, representing the 8,000 Torchbearers
and their stories of personal achievement.
The number three is significant in these Games.
It has inspired London 2012’s triangular Torch
design. We see the number three everywhere:
– three Olympic Values of excellence,
the
friendship and respect;
– fact that the UK has hosted the Olympic
the
Games three times; and
– vision for the London 2012 Olympic
the
Games to combine three strands of work –
sport, education and culture.
The Flame will begin its journey on 18
May 2012 and will be carried by 8,000
Torchbearers until it reaches its final destination.
