Kirsty White

Organising the Olympic Games can lead to many positive benefits for the host country. Identify two key advantages and discuss in relation to Londons recent hosting of the games. In this essay I will be discussing two main advantages of the Olympic Games being held in the recent host city of London. Since the bid was entered in 2003, London 2012 has promoted its legacy through the inspiration and power of sport so that it can have a positive impact on the youth, sports, communities and infrastructure whilst making it the most sustainable Olympic and Paralympics games. Russell (2008, pg62) believes that the existing communities need to have a key role in the planning process to ensure the games are sustainable. Sustainability was a key role throughout the preparation of the 2012 Olympic Games and as stated through the London 2012 review, sustainability was achieved through its venues, transport, food and waste. In any major event across the world, there is always a main focus on sustainability and how the long lasting effect it will have on an area. As the London Olympic Games was such a large event, The Financial Times estimated 8.8million tickets sold, 10,500 athletes, 21,000 journalists and 70,000 volunteers, there was a huge impact on waste and transport in the host city. Therefore through the Olympic Games the idea of recycling has boosted throughout the nation as well as public transport systems through the Active Travel Programme are now cheaper and more accessible to all, especially the disabled through the coverage of the Paralympics Games. Another key aspect of the London 2012 legacy was to promote and inspire youths and communities into sport and to engage with all aspects of sport as shown through both the Olympics and Paralympics. Ghosh (2012) states that community sport can help cut crime and anti-social behaviour as a year before the London games, youth rioters were burning parts of the city down as well as committing serious crimes. Ghosh also states that Michael who was imprisoned in August 2011 for rioting in London, is now a community football coach. Other organisations have accomplished the same achievements through positive changes to youth communities such as StreetGames who knew help youths volunteer in sport. This has been a major advantage for the whole of Britain as there are figures to show more youths and communities participating in sport as well as school sports being improved and being made available to everyone so that they can all engage in physical activity. Another organisation following the London 2012 Olympics is the idea of a Youth Olympic Games linked to the IOC with this main aim, as stated by the IOC President Jacque Rogge, to reach out to younger people to learn about sport. The two main advantages outlined in this essay were the sustainable factors from the Olympic Games so that there is more of an emphasis on how waste is removed and that public transport has been improved nationwide, as well as the international links have grown. Another main advantage is how communities and youths are now participating in more sport and that many workers at the games were volunteers. Host countries can have negative impacts from the Games however in London 2012 a lot of success was celebrated through the sport and communities as there are now more opportunities to get involved and be inspired.

Kirsty White

Reference List
London 2012, 2012. London 2012 Sustainability [online] Last accessed 29th September 2012 at http://www.london2012.com/about-us/sustainability/ RAJ, Razaq and MUSGRAVE, James (2009). Event Management and Sustainability. CABI Publishing. GHOSH, Tamar (2012). Community sport can help cut crime and anti-social behaviour. [online] The Independent, 29 August. Last Accessed 29th September 2012 at http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/08/29/community-sport-can-help-cut-crime-and-anti-socialbehaviour/ MIANG, Ng Ser (2011) Youth Olympic Games: From Vision to Success [online] Article from The Sports Journal. Last Accessed 29th September 2012 at http://www.thesportjournal.org/article/youtholympic-games-vision-success JONES, Cleve et al. (2012) London 2012 Olympic Games. [online] Source: DCMS, ArcelorMittal. Last Accessed 29th September 2012 at http://www.ft.com/london-2012-olympics

Bibliography
http://www.london2012.com/about-us/legacy/ http://www.london2012.com/about-us/sustainability/