London Impressed Many On The World Stage
In terms of a host city, London showed how great ‘Great Britain’ is, with its rich culture. This was portrayed in the opening and closing ceremony by showing key historical moments, like the beginning of the industrial Revolution to some of the biggest music artists in the world to have come from the UK.
In an article published by ‘The Guardian’, Prime Minister of the time, David Cameron, stated: “I think there’s a huge sense of excitement and anticipation, because Britain is ready to welcome the greatest show on Earth.”
“It’s going to be an incredible few weeks for our country. I think it’s a great opportunity to show the world the best of Britain, a country that’s got an incredibly rich past, but actually a very exciting and vibrant future,” he said.
With hosting the Olympics in London and for many British Olympians making history by winning gold in their respective sports, it helped to inspire young kids to take up sports. Especially for young girls as the games was a good way to advertise sports like Hockey which doesn’t get as much recognition as other events.
The Introduction Of Women’s Boxing
The 2012 games was also the first time we saw Women’s Boxing introduced and one where Great Britain had much success in with the likes of Nicola Adams who picked up a gold medal for Great Britain.
These sports such as boxing and hockey showed the world how talented these female athletes were, which in return helped attract more people, including kids to take up these sports.
The Emergence Of Anthony Joshua
The London games also saw the uprising of one of the most successful boxers and could arguably be considered as one of the best of all time in Anthony Joshua. In a quote from ‘The Sun’ Joshua said: “I would never have won Olympic Gold if pro boxers could have competed at London 2012. Joshua continued: “They would have been more seasoned. I wasn’t seasoned at all, I just had strength and a bit of fitness.”
When London won the bidding to host the games, it meant that it would be the only city to have hosted 3 Olympic games in history and with the bidding shortly after, it was confirmed that Lee Valley would be transformed into world-class Olympic park and village. Stratford, which used to be a poor area, was also transformed into a top of the range park and where the Olympic stadium would be situated.
The transformation of Stratford with the creation of the Olympic park and the expansion of the Excel Centre created a number of jobs for people, with Strafford opening a shopping centre right next to the London Stadium.
With the Olympics, it meant that thousands of people would visit an area which was previously considered as ‘rough’ to the hottest location to be at during The Games and gave the area an urban regeneration with the economic benefits meaning that Stratford is now a well-connected area which now allows commuters to travel to work easily.
“By 2030, More Than 10,000 Will Have Been Built In The Park”
In an article published by the ‘BBC’, it stated that: “By 2030, more than 10,000 new homes will have been built in the park. Five new neighbourhoods, with lots of green spaces planned in.”
“The Olympic park is also sustainable as it provided a number of ways to for the public to walk and cycle with the water-efficient design of homes and the protection of green spaces and natural habitats.”
It’s no doubt that the London 2012 Games were a huge success in terms of creating many jobs, rebuilding an infrastructure within an area that was very poor and the success of all British Olympians who inspired many young kids to take up sports and to show what it means to represent their country. The UK has proven to be a great place to host many sporting events and should be considered to be a great opportunity for any events to be held in the near future.
