LONDON, England ● A typically British-themed Olympics Games opening ceremony will be watched by an estimated global audience of a billion people on Friday night from London’s brand new stadium.
Director Danny Boyle, famous for the films Trainspotting and Slumdog Millionaire, has put together the three hour showcase of the UK’s cultural and natural heritage that will kick off the 17-day event.
What was a post industrial wasteland in east London has been transformed into an Olympic Park complete with velodrome and aquatic centre thanks to an 11 billion euro budget.
Visitors and locals say the anticipation for the Games has reached fever pitch over the past few days despite concerns over security and London’s ageing transport network.
16,000 athletes from 204 countries are participating.
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NBC’s Costas says he plans to honor slain Israelis
NBC Sports anchor Bob Costas says he plans his own on-air commemoration this week of Israelis killed in Munich 40 years ago despite the refusal of Olympic authorities to do so during Friday’s opening ceremony for the London Game.
A bid to honor the athletes and coaches killed by Palestinian gunmen during the 1972 games with a moment of silence has gained momentum recently, even drawing President Barack Obama’s support.
Costas, who called the International Olympic Committee’s decision baffling, told the Hollywood Reporter that he intends to note that denial on Friday when Israeli athletes enter the Olympic Stadium. Costas has been the lead host of NBC’s Olympics coverage for 20 years.
“Many people find that denial more than puzzling but insensitive,” Costas said. “Here’s a minute of silence right now.” Through a spokesman, Costas denied to speak further about his plans.
His comments to the Hollywood Reporter were made more than a month ago and published late last week, and NBC noted that things can change in the interim. [/pullquote]
The Olympic torch, which has made more than a thousand stops throughout the British Isles finally arrived in central London for the last leg of its journey on Thursday.
Among the torch bearers was UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who carried the flame through the government borough of Westminster.
Later, the torch was received outside Buckingham Palace by Prince William, his wife Kate and Prince Harry before being carried to an Olympics-eve concert at Hyde Park.
London’s Mayor Boris Johnson was keen to quash suggestions by the US Republican presidential candidate, that London couldn’t handle the Olympics.
“I hear there’s a guy called Mitt Romney who wants to know whether we’re ready,” said Johnson, referring to Romney’s controversial comments on American TV.
“Yes we are! The venues are ready, the stadium is ready, the Aquatic centre is ready, the Velodrome is ready, the security is ready, the police are ready, the transport system is ready!” he added.
The Olympics opening ceremony starts at 10pm Central European Time (4PM ET, 1PM PT) , is expected to feature football star David Beckham, and will culminate in a performance by ex-Beatle Paul McCartney.
Prince William and his wife Catherine welcomed the Olympic flame to Buckingham Palace Thursday as 60,000 people partied in Hyde Park to mark the penultimate day of its marathon journey around Britain.
The excitement on the eve of the Games mounted as a delighted William and his wife and his brother Prince Harry applauded as the torch was brought into the palace grounds, with thousands of fans cheering outside the gates.
The flame is touring some of London’s best-known landmarks, carried by movie stars, sporting heroes and even UN chief Ban Ki-moon, before it finally makes its dramatic entrance at the Olympic Stadium for the opening ceremony.
The royals all wore Team Great Britain t-shirts as the flame stopped at the palace on its way to Hyde Park, where a deafening roar from the crowd greeted the torch before a special concert in its honour.
London’s Mayor Boris Johnson whipped them up, telling them “Olympo-mania” was about to go off the scale.
“People are coming from around the world and they’re seeing us and they’re seeing the greatest city on Earth,” he said.
Johnson said the British team would win “more gold, silver and bronze medals than you need to bail out Greece and Spain together!”
Millions of Londoners have come out onto the streets over the past week to show their support as the pre-Games excitement builds.
A total of 173 torchbearers carried the flame on a journey round London’s attractions on Thursday, as it nears the end of its 70-day, 8,000-mile (12,875-kilometre) journey around Britain.
They included Indian movie star Amitabh Bachchan, the United Nations secretary general and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal.
At Buckingham Palace, Wai Ming-Lee, 38, who volunteers with a disaster mapping charity, brought the flame into the palace grounds, and lit the torch of 56-year-old mountain rescue volunteer John Hulse in front of the royals.
The flame was earlier carried past the Houses of Parliament, while Prime Minister David Cameron welcomed the relay to his Downing Street office.
Workers in London’s City financial heartland poured out onto the streets to greet the flame.
Hundreds gathered outside St. Paul’s Cathedral, while others leaned out of their office windows waving British flags.
“The whole office is here. And if you knew how hard we work, it’s a big deal”, said Ryan, 20.
At St. Paul’s, “we talk a lot about peace”, said Reverend Canon Michael Hampel, and the flame coming to visit “is an opportunity to bring the nation together”, he told AFP.
Kevin Craig, who helps a charity which provides limbs to children in developing countries, brought the flame to the cathedral.
“Apart from meeting my wonderful wife and the birth of my children, it was the most amazing time in my life,” he said.
The flame was then carried across the Millennium Bridge over the River Thames by British Paralympic basketball bronze medallist Ade Adepitan.
At the BBC’s headquarters in west London, Antoine de Navacelle — the great grand-nephew of Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympics — exchanged the flame at the site of the finish line of the 1908 London Games’ White City stadium.
How the flame will be lit in the Olympic Stadium is a closely-guarded secret.