London 2012

English giants Arsenal and Manchester City to play high profile friendly in Bird's Nest Stadium as London 2012 opens

By David Gold

March 4 - Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester City will play a high-profile friendly in China's Olympic Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing on July 27, the day of the start of the Olympic Games in London.

Australians warn athletes against using Twitter during London 2012 Olympics

By Emily Goddard

By Tom Degun

March 2 - Australian athletes have been warned against using Twitter at London 2012 after officials found competitors tweeting during the Olympic diving test event last month at the Aquatics Centre on the Olympic Park.

Olympic sailing champion attends London 2012 volunteer induction

By Mike Rowbottom

March 2 - Double sailing gold medallist Sarah Gosling (nee Webb, pictured left) was one of six British Olympians among a group of more than 150 Team GB volunteers (pictured below) who came together today for a training and team orientation session at Loughborough University, which will host the Team GB preparation camp prior to the Olympic Games this summer.

Week of suspense for Britain’s rhythmic gymnasts over London 2012 appeal

By Mike Rowbottom

March 2 - Britain's rhythmic gymnasts will hear within the next week if their appeal for inclusion in the London 2012 Games following the announcement that they had not met the agreed qualification criteria has been successful.

Britain unveil new media guide to reporting on Paralympic sport

By Emily Goddard

By Tom Degun at the BT Centre in London

March 1 - A new media guide designed to aid journalists around the world on how to report on Paralympic sport ahead of London 2012 was launched today.

Green light for road cycling and mountain biking complex around Olympic Velodrome by 2013

By Mike Rowbottom

March 1 - One of Europe's best road cycling and mountain biking facilities will be created around the London 2012 Velodrome (pictured) within a year of the Games following the approval of the design plans.

UK's most comprehensive pre-Games anti-doping programme is unveiled

By Emily Goddard

By Tom Degun

February 29 - UK Anti-Doping has today announced details of its most comprehensive anti-doping education and drug testing programme ever in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Queen to open London 2012 Paralympic Games

By Emily Goddard

By Tom Degun at Buckingham Palace in London

February 29 - The Queen will open the London 2012 Paralympic Games in the Olympic Stadium in Stratford on August 29 it was confirmed here today with six months to go to the Opening Ceremony.

Cameron and Milliband lead condemnation of UK union "strike action" during London 2012

By Mike Rowbottom

February 29 - Politicians from both sides of the House have condemned suggestions from the leader of the UK's biggest union that workers could strike during the London Olympics.

Sleek aluminium London 2012 Paralympic Torch unveiled

By Emily Goddard

By Tom Degun in London

February 29 - The London 2012 Paralympic Torch has today been unveiled to mark six months to go until the start of the Games and it has been given a sleek, mirrored finish which is designed to reflect the light of the Flame and the teams of Torchbearers that will carry it.

London 2012 set to come in £500 million under budget

By Duncan Mackay

By Tom Degun

February 28 - London 2012 is set to be delivered more than £500 million ($790 million/€572 million) under budget, according to figures released today by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Giant Olympic Rings launched down River Thames to mark 150 days to London 2012

By Emily Goddard

By Tom Degun

February 28 - Giant Olympic Rings measuring 11 metres high and 25 metres wide have today been launched down the River Thames to mark exactly 150 days to go to the start of the London 2012 Olympics Games.

Clare Balding to front Channel 4 coverage of the London 2012 Paralympics

By Emily Goddard

By Tom Degun

February 28 - Channel 4 have revealed that veteran television presenter and sports journalist Clare Balding (pictured back left) will lead their coverage of the London 2012 Paralympics as the broadcaster today unveiled their line-up of presenters and reporters for the Games, 50 per cent of which are disabled.

London 2012 "iconic" scarves launched in bid to rival Vancouver red mittens

By Duncan Mackay

By Duncan Mackay at the Saatchi Gallery in London

February 27 - Is this going to be the "must have accessory" that everyone attending the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics is going to want to buy, just like the red mittens were at Vancouver 2010?

Suspicious betting patterns to be monitored at London 2012

By Duncan Mackay

By Tom Degun at the London Stock Exchange

February 27 - British Olympic Association (BOA) chairman Colin Moynihan (pictured) has given the latest warning that illegal betting will be one of the biggest threats to the London 2012 Olympics and revealed that in an attempt to counter the issue, authorities will meet daily during the Games to analyse possible suspicious betting patterns.

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Fact of the day

When British skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean won the Olympic gold medal in ice dance at Sarajevo 1984 with 12 perfect 6.0s from every judge, for their interpretation of Maurice Ravel's Boléro, an important member of their team was singer-actor Michael Crawford. Crawford, who had played Frank Spencer in British sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and the title role in the musical The Phantom of the Opera, had become a mentor to the pair in 1981 and went on to help them create their Olympic routine. Crawford said he “taught them how to act". He was present with their trainer Betty Callaway at the ringside at Sarajevo as they created one of the most iconic moments in Olympic history.

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Pierre de Coubertin once said cricket has "practically no appeal for those who are not British". While he expressed doubts about the Olympic viability of cricket, lacrosse and baseball, Philip Barker wonders how the man who helped revive the modern Games would have reacted to new sports at Los Angeles 2028.

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