The Sports Archives – Did You See That? Top London 2012 Moments!

Posted on September 17, 2012 by thesportsarchives

The London Olympics provided us with more captivating story lines and memorable moments than we could ever have wished for. The drama, the passion, the commitment, the joy, the tears, and the hope… the Olympics brought so much into our lives that it is difficult to contemplate that the event will not embrace our TV screens for another four years. Leaving us with a compendium of memories, from extraordinary triumphs to heart-breaking tribulations, the 17-day event, in which the world seemingly came together to share their emotions and excitement, will remain in our minds for decades to come. Hailed as the event that changed the face of Britain, these top-ten moments will be passed through the generations and will inspire children to take up physical activity and truly embrace the concept of the Olympic legacy.

Image courtesy of Nick J Webb, Flickr

Here is our selection of the best bits from the 2012 Olympic Games.

1. Phelps tops the medal table

In Beijing, America’s Michael Phelps topped the chart for the most medals won during an Olympic Games. In London, Phelps secured his position amongst the sporting giants by winning his 22nd Olympic medal, succeeding all other Olympians.

2. Bolt sprints away with more medals

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt became the first sprinter to literally run away with the gold medals at both the 100 metre and 200 metre finals at two Olympics. His achievements have enabled him to be considered by many to be the greatest sprinter ever to have walked the earth.

3. Boudia upsets the podium places

In the men’s 10 metre platform diving, one man secured his place at the top of the podium by the slimmest of margins. American David Boudia placed only 18th in preliminary round, scraping himself into a place in the semifinals. However, it seemed that Boudia was saving his best efforts until last, upsetting the medal predictions by beating China’s Qui Bo and successfully becoming America’s first male platform diving medal winner since Greg Louganis.

4. Farah does the double

Benefiting from the support of the home crowd, Britain’s Mo Farah fought his way onto the top podium place in both the 10,000 metre and 5,000 metre finals. Farah dedicated his two gold medals to his two unborn twins. The stadium was alight with Mexican wave style cheers as Mo made his round the track building into a crescendo of rapturous applause as he crossed the line in both races.

5. Zonderland dazzles with epic bar work

The Netherlands’ Epke Zonderland amazed viewers with his horizontal high bar performance, which featured a challenging Cassina-Kovacs-Kolman combination. His gold was the Netherlands’ first ever gymnastics medal.

6. Feck flops in the diving

Germany’s Stephan Feck amused the audience with an uncharacteristic “back flop” that drew zeros from the judging team of the preliminary round of the men’s 3 metre springboard diving. Unsurprisingly, his dive quickly became an Internet sensation with viewers from across the globe.

7. Murray seeks revenge after Wimbledon loss

Just two weeks after being beaten in the Wimbledon finals by Switzerland’s tennis ace Roger Federer, Britain’s Andy Murray’s quest for an Olympic gold on home ground proved successful. Beating Federer in straight sets 6–2, 6–1, 6–4, Murray became the first British tennis player in over a century to win an Olympic gold medal.

Image courtesy of James Bird, Flickr

8. Mitchell runs through the pain of a bad break

America’s Manteo Mitchell ran through the pain of a broken leg during the men’s 4 x 400 metre relay to enable his team to qualify in the heats. Mitchell later watched his teammates win the gold medal in the final.

9. Le Clos beats Phelps in the final stroke

South Africa’s Chad le Clos beat America’s two-time Olympic champion Michael Phelps to the gold in the 200 metre butterfly. Le Clos swam to victory in just 1 minute 52.96 seconds – 0.05 seconds faster than Phelps.

10. Harrison secures her place in history

Kayla Harrison became America’s first judo champion after standing victorious in the women’s under 78 kilogram competition. Harrison, who suffered from sexual abuse at the hands of a former coach, was hailed for turning her traumatic past into a tremendous triumph.

While some athletes have vowed to continue, others have voiced their retirement plans. Regardless of the athletes’ own future visions, we can be sure to look forward to more spectacular sporting moments in Rio in four years’ time.

This article is brought to you by Chat Mag Bingo, one of the UK’s top online bingo sites.

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The Sports Archives – What Causes Stitch When Running?

Posted on September 15, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Runner with StitchAny individual who has taken part in a run or other exercise activity will almost definitely have experienced the sharp pain below the ribs at some point known as ‘stitch’, but what are the reasons behind this?

Research shows that a high percentage of people who take part in running on a regular basis have at some point (or more frequently in plenty of cases) suffered from stitch (also known as Exercise-related Transient Abdominal Pain), which is described as an uncomfortable and sharp feeling in the upper abdomen. It can either disrupt your run or it can stop you in your tracks until it has passed, but what is certain is that it is a very unwelcome occurrence. The exact cause has been debated many times, with some theories appearing to have more scientific weight than others.

How does it happen?

Diaphragm

There have been a few possible reasons suggested as to why stitch occurs and one of the most common of these is that the diaphragm, separating the heart and lungs from your abdomen, does not receive as much blood as it should do. This particular reason has been challenged because stitch can also happen when someone is taking part in an activity that does not necessarily need a great deal of activity in a respiratory sense.

Indigestion

An alternative reason often cited is that the body has trouble digesting certain fluids and this can mean that the ligaments from the organs in the abdomen through to the diaphragm can be pulled on during running and other similar activities. This idea however has been met with scepticism from some quarters due to the fact that swimmers can suffer from stitch despite not being subjected to the movements that cause this pulling on the ligaments.

Preventing stitch

Those who have undertaken studies into the causes of stitch have suggested that you can help yourself in avoiding it by warming up sufficiently and steering clear of some other practices. It is recommended that you do not have carbonated drinks before your session as well as not eating too close to beginning exercise.

Dealing with it when it occurs

Unfortunately, stitch is a frequent complaint for many runners and due to so many experiencing it there have been numerous possible ways to lessen the effects of it that have been suggested. You can battle through until the pain subsides or you can stop the run temporarily. Breathing out heavily as your right foot hits the floor is also recommended, as is stopping to stretch and touch your toes. Pressing on the area where you are feeling the stitch has been reported as quite successful also.

Article written by Lewis Johnson representing http://www.irishfit.eu who offer a large selection of exercise clothing and equipment, from the mens wet suit to nutritional supplements.

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The Sports Archives – Women Enjoy Football And Other Sports More Than You Might Think

Posted on September 14, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Woman Watching FootballStereotypically, women aren’t huge sports fans. When you think of a packed stadium, you might think of a raucous crowd made up of bands of grown men celebrating with foam fingers, face paint, and giant beers. But it turns out that an increasing number of female sports fan are slathering on the face paint as well.

Save a Seat for Women at Any NFL Game

In all, one-third of avid NFL fans are women. You heard that right. Thirty three percent of people who say they are very interested in football are women.  The teams with the most fans overall include Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, and Minnesota Vikings.

It’s Not Only the Olympians that Are Female

In the 2012 London Olympics there were more female athletes than male athletes. On top of this, 29 of the 46 gold medals earned in the 2012 London Olympics went to women athletes. It was a big year for women, both as competitors and as fans.

According to a recent study, the Olympics are the third most popular series of sporting events among women. The number of women interested in the sport is fairly consistent across the country, but that same study found that the largest percentage of female Olympic fans lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Des Moines, Iowa.

Why Do Women Enjoy Sports More than They Did Before?

There are several theories that explain why women enjoy sports at a growing pace.

For starters, it’s the 40th anniversary of Title IX, the law that gave more girls and women an equal opportunity to play sports in school, which they did. Forty years of increased participation will, of course, result in increased fandom.

Another possible reason is the fact that sports in general and football specifically has become more popular overall. According to a recent New York Times article, Sunday Night Football is the most popular program among men.

With more men watching the show it only makes sense that more women living in the same household would watch the show as a result. Once a person watches any program it’s likely that they will get drawn in. The viewer begins to follow the personal stories of the players, the drama among teams, and let’s not forget the personal investment in fantasy leagues and workplace betting pools.

There’s no doubt that men are still the dominate set of sports fans, but women cannot be overlooked as sports fans.

This is a guest post by Allison Murray on behalf of market research company, Scarborough Research.  Scarborough measures the lifestyles, shopping patterns, television statistics, media behaviors, and national demographics of Americans.

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The Sports Archives – Did Lance Armstrong Deserve to be Stripped of his Titles?

Posted on September 13, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Lance ArmstrongLance Armstrong won the Tour De France, one of the toughest endurance events in any sport in the world, an amazing seven consecutive times. Even more impressively, all of those wins came after he had been diagnosed with, and defeated, testicular cancer. As a cancer survivor who won such a challenging event against the best riders in the world, Lance Armstrong has become a hero to many people all around the world. In 2012, the United States Anti-Doping Association (USADA) stripped Armstrong of all seven of his Tour De France victories over doping allegations.

Allegations

Armstrong had faced doping accusations since the 1999 Tour De France, including a positive test for steroids during that year’s Tour which was overturned. In July of 2012, USADA charged Armstrong not only with doping but also with drug trafficking. USADA used blood samples that were taken in 2009 and 2010 from Armstrong along with testimony from other riders as the basis for their charges. They also charged three of Armstrong’s former teammates, including the team doctor and Armstrong’s consulting doctor. Armstrong sued to have USADA’s charges thrown out but when that lawsuit was thrown out, Armstrong dropped the fight against USADA. Many took that to be an admission of guilt on Armstrong’s part.

Teammate Testimony

Two former teammates of Armstrong’s, Tyler Hamilton and Floyd Landis, are among those who have testified against Armstrong. Hamilton won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics in 2004 and Floyd Landis won the 2006 Tour De France. They both failed drug tests and were forced to retire from cycling. Hamilton and Landis not only testified that they knew Armstrong were doping but that he had taught them how to do it so as to not get caught. Armstrong has denied all of the charges from both of these former teammates.

Drug Tests

One of the ways in which Armstrong defends himself is to claim that he has never failed a drug test, which is not exactly true. In 1999, a urine test showed a corticosteroid result that Armstrong claimed was the result of using a cream to treat saddle sores. Armstrong produced a medical certificate for that test. Armstrong’s masseuse denied that Armstrong suffered from saddle sores. Floyd Landis alleged that Armstrong failed a test in 2002 and bribed the testing organization with payments of $25,000 and $100,000. There is evidence of those payments being made.

Should He Be Stripped?

The question from all of this is: did Armstrong deserve to be stripped of his tour wins? The answer is yes. Many tour riders have been stripped of their wins over similar issues and Lance Armstrong is no different. If they deserve to be stripped of their wins, so does he. The evidence against him is simply too strong to deny. There are the failed tests, the testimony of teammates and the wins themselves. So many riders were caught doping that it is impossible to believe that Armstrong was winning without doping.

Lenny is the Manager at one of the largest bike shops in Sydney, Australia. He as always found inspiration in Lance Armstrong and was devastated by this latest scandal that saw him stripped of his titles. Away from work, Lenny enjoys recreational cycling and spending time with his children.

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The Sports Archives – Top 5 Martial Arts To Learn For Self Defense

Posted on September 12, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Martial ArtsMany people are concerned about learning self-defense for their own personal protection and the protection of loved ones. There are many forms of martial arts available that were either originally developed as a form of self-defense or that evolved to become a viable option for this purpose. There are five classical forms of martial arts that are all good choices for those wanting to learn self-defense.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)

This form of martial arts is centered on the concept of strategically subduing an opponent without actually engaging that opponent in a way that requires size or strength. The lure of BJJ is that anyone of any size will be able to effectively defend themselves from an opponent that is much larger and heavier. This is done by teaching the student how to exploit the weaknesses of the joints. It is also done by teaching a series of holds that effectively immobilize the attacker without requiring an overwhelming amount of strength.

Judo

 Judo is the original martial art that BJJ eventually emerged from. The practice of Judo involves economy of motion and adaptation to the movements of an opponent. It involves the same types of grappling, joint-locking and holds that appear in Jiu-Jitsu. The primary difference is that some of the techniques and throws are different. This is a good form of martial arts to learn for defense because it is applicable in a wide range of situations and does not escalate an encounter by providing direct offensive resistance.

Muay Thai

This is a form of kickboxing that originated in Thailand. It is very popular in freeform fighting sports. Students of Muay Thai learn to use fists, elbows, knees and feet to aggressive combat an opponent. Unlike more passive forms of self-defense this type of kickboxing involves direct fighting that is intended to end with the opponent in a chokehold. This is a good choice for self-defense because it teaches students how to think quickly and how to respond forcefully to some of the more common types of attacks that could be seen during a mugging or other street crime.

Wrestling

Wrestling is a good choice for self-defense because it helps a person to develop strength while also teaching solid techniques for preventing personal injury and stopping an aggressor. Most of what wrestlers learn has to do with immobilizing the opponent until they are subdued, help arrives or escape is possible. It is so effective that it is regularly taught as part of military training in several countries around the world. The grappling techniques that are taught make this an excellent self-defense choice for individuals who already have some strength in the arms or legs.

Karate

Karate is possibly the most versatile form of self-defense that can be learned. It is also very time-consuming and potentially complex. This form of martial arts involves a wide range of different techniques from punches and kicks to maneuvers that can be used to escape common holds. Jumping, falling and weapon use are all included in the training depending on the level of the student and the variation that is being taught. This is a good choice for self-defense because it gives an individual the widest range of options available when responding to an opponent.

This guest post was written on behalf of Salvosa BJJ, providing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu lessons and other martial arts classes in Toronto.  For more information, click here.

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The Sports Archives – Six Sports Teams That Are Rocking Social Media

Posted on September 11, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Social media engagement is rapidly increasing, a trend that is particularly evident in the sports world. Technology is making it easier than ever for an organization to build a network that allows them to communicate regularly with their fans. In particular, many professional sports organizations are using this opportunity to become more accessible, which increases fan involvement and loyalty. Fans are more willing to spend money on tickets and merchandise when they feel a deeper connection to the team. The team can leverage their increased exposure to strengthen their brand and improve revenues for both the short and long-term. New opportunities appear all the time for teams to improve their relationship with fans and attract a larger fans base; several teams, in particular, have been extremely creative and effective in their use of social media to promote themselves.

1: New Jersey Devils

New Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League have taken an aggressive approach to improving fan access to the team. They have set aside space inside the Prudential Center, where they play their home games, as a Digital Command Center. They call it Mission Control and it is monitored by the Devils Generals, a group of 25 fans that watch social media and networks to help manage the brand. The Devils won an award as the Most Socially Engaged Brand for their efforts. They are discovering how effective managing digital space and connecting with fans can be.

This unique use of resources has helped bring their fans together, increasing the reach of the Devils’ brand. Other sports organizations have executives and staff to interact digitally in some fashion, but the way the Devils do it is particularly effective. Reaching the championship finals, as the Devils have done, creates even more opportunities to connect.

2: Los Angeles Kings

The Devils’ opponents in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Los Angeles Kings, are using the excitement of a championship run to maximize publicity and increase their social media presence. What is interesting is how they are going about it. Professional sports have some primarily unwritten — and now, increasingly, written — rules about social media use that are evolving almost as fast as the technology itself. When the effectiveness of Twitter, Facebook and similar sites as a means of communication became apparent, most professional sports leagues set rules about how players would be allowed to use these services.

There is also a sense that these media are an extension of public relations and that positive, supportive, and polite messages are part of good sportsmanship. The Kings, however, have brought themselves a great deal of attention and added many new followers by using social media primarily as a marketing tool.  For example, they have made some antagonistic tweets towards opposing cities that have served to increase the rivalry and exposure for upcoming games. The tweets in question are not necessarily offensive or mean-spirited, but they have entered an area where fans usually take the lead — to the delight of many Kings fans.

3: Boston Celtics

There are plenty of other teams that are taking a much less confrontational route, but are still effective in connecting with their fans. The Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association saw the amazing growth on Pinterest as an unexplored opportunity. They have a well-developed account that is linked to Instagram and offers fans a unique view of exclusive moments and pictures from behind the scenes at their games. These are the kind of features that fans tend to particularly enjoy, especially when they are available almost immediately.

Another interesting and unanticipated benefit of using Pinterest is the fact that it is very effective at connecting with women. Pinterest has focused particularly on marketing itself to women, among other demographics. The Celtics had not intended to specifically target any group through social media, but the increased visibility to women from Pinterest has been an unexpected benefit — especially since women are a traditionally difficult to reach group for sports teams since men tend to be more typical or common fans.

4: Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys of The National Football League were quick to take advantage of the “Hangout” feature during the launch of Google Plus. Google Plus is still a relatively new social network, but it is developing quickly and its early adoption by one of the best known brands in professional sports is a significant endorsement. Of course, using online video resources is not itself new. Skype has this capability, as do other websites; however, Google has done the best job so far of integrated a video chat function into its social network. This removes another layer of separation and lets fans interact directly with players and team representatives.

Major NFL teams like the Cowboys have some of the highest exposure of any professional sports organization, so their efforts to improve social media engagement have especially effective and dramatic results. The last Super Bowl saw as much as six times as much social media interaction as the game just one year before. This represents a huge explosion in the use of technology and online resources to connect with like-minded people. Those organizations that can optimize their online interaction with fans will have a significant opportunity to add new revenue streams.

5: Chicago Cubs

Major League Baseball is also starting to see ways to increase fan interaction. The Chicago Cubs have started hosting social media nights, with a range of connected interactive online activities. By using special Twitter hashtags for games, they can designate exclusive ticket offers for dedicated fans who are also followers. This also makes it easy to identify significant events for the fans, like birthdays, so the team can individually recognize them. The Cubs sometimes use the relationship between Twitter accounts and ticket seat numbers to leave gifts bags for selected fans. During the game fans also have opportunities to interact online to win prizes and even be identified by the scoreboard or public address system. The Washington Nationals have taken similar actions by letting fans use social media to buy tickets and request songs for a specific game, even offering to improve the seating section depending on the number of participants. The Cleveland Indians have dedicated a luxury box for those who sign up through access to their network.

6: Chicago Bulls

Chicago BullsThe Chicago Bulls of the NBA have gone one step beyond trying to connect with fans on an existing social network. They started BullsConnect, a custom network just for their fans. It offers access to forums for discussing the team and sharing pictures and videos, as well as early access to news and exclusive information. Other teams are more comfortable using existing networks for similar functionality, but a dedicated network offers more engagement and exclusivity.  A ticket offer on BullsConnect, for example, will target the most dedicated fans. The same offer on Facebook will be seen by both the team’s fans and the extended network.

No matter what the sport, if a team or organization wishes to attract more fans or develop a deeper relationship with existing ones, the key is offering people something they cannot get anywhere else — unique, candid, unexpected content. During the Daytona 500, for example, the race was stopped due to a burning support vehicle. One of the drivers, Brad Keselowski, live tweeted pictures from his smartphone on the track and saw his followers increase by over 100,000 in just one day. This principle applies to participants in any sport.

Guest post contributed by Victoria, for Wish.co.uk . Sheenjoys writing about other leisure activities and upcoming events.

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The Sports Archives – When a Father Makes an Impact!

Posted on September 10, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Oliver LuckIn most cases, if someone achieves greatness in their life, there is someone behind the scenes who pushed, encouraged, and supported them. Andrew Luck has achieved greatness, in high school and college. Experts expect him to be successful in the NFL also. So who was the person behind Luck who helped him reach his maximum potential? His name is Oliver Luck, Andrew Luck’s dad.

Oliver has quite a resume too when it comes to football and academics. According to Andrew Luck Locker, he is from Cleveland where his stellar quarterback play for St. Ignatius High School helped him win a scholarship to West Virginia University.

He did not get much playing time his freshman year, but earned the starting role the following year. His 1,292 yards and 8 touchdowns was a clear sign that he was a top-tier quarterback. He had the ability to not only pick defenses apart with his arms but also with his legs. He complied over 400 yards rushing with 5 touchdowns.

Oliver impressed people with his leadership on the field, but he was equally impressive in the classroom as shown by his two Academic All-American honors and being inducted into the Academic All-American Hall of Fame. He graduated magna cum laude with a number of other academic awards and honors.

In his junior year, Oliver’s 19 touchdowns set a new school record for most touchdowns thrown in a season. His senior season he lead his team to a bowl appearance: the Peach Bowl versus the Florida Gators. The game wasn’t even close. The final score was 26-6. He’d also set school passing records that year with 216 completions for almost 2,500 yards.

Oliver would hang up his cleats with his name on many school records. Some of them would eventually be surpasses later on, but he still remains very prominent in the top ten list of numerous school passing records. His performance in college was enough to convince the Houston Oilers to draft him in the second round.

Although his professional career didn’t last very long, he would move on to be successful in varies management positions and would even run whole organizations such as the World League of America and the Houston Dynamo.

If you look at Andrew, you can see many similarities to his fatAndrew Luckher. Andrew is a premier student athlete. He was the class valedictorian when graduated from high school and had a perfect GPA. He chose to go to Stanford University because of the challenging academics. Luck is also a dual threat quarterback. He would break many rushing records as a Stanford Cardinal.

Andrew has said that even though his dad hasn’t necessarily “coached” him, he was a major influence in his life. Oliver taught Andrew many of the everyday life fundamentals that helped him to mature into a respectable young man and great football quarterback.

Author: Edson Phicil

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The Sports Archives – BMX Racers Become Olympians: Here Comes the Science!

Posted on September 7, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Those of us who are too old to even think about getting on a BMX bike may remember the training sequence in Rocky IV, which pitted Sly Stallone’s old-school workout of chopping wood and running in the snow against Dolph Lundgren’s high-tech regimen of laboratory strength building.

Vein BMX Science

Strangely, a similar evolution is taking place in the BMX community as a motley crew of cyclists with their roots firmly planted in the dirt of makeshift bike tracks gain traction in the ultra-elite world of the Olympic Games.

In short, competing at the international level against the best of the best takes science, and even though science has always been the magic that turns the gears it was always the furthest thing from a BMX racer’s mind. Now, as BMX greats like Mike King and James Herrara make their full transition from racing pioneers to Olympic trainers, the correlation between science and victory is all too apparent – and will not be ignored.

Things like physical mechanics, form and race strategy will always be cornerstones of both BMX and the Olympic training program, but Herrara’s training in exercise physiology and psychology were lauded as key factors for the U.S. BMX team’s capture of a silver and two bronze medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Even so, being the birthplace of BMX will no longer guarantee medals, and those with an inside look at the “new” BMX know that improved catlike reflexes and Jedi mind tricks are just the tip of the iceberg. Team USA was already accused of sending a scout to ride the London track with a 3D mapping device so a replica could be built at the U.S. training facility in Chula Vista, California.

It goes to show that there’s more than one way to use science as a weapon, and it looks like those kids with skinned knees and faces stained with Sunny D may have to let go of their innocence to compete in a more cutthroat competition. Hopefully, that loss of innocence will not mean the loss of old-school BMX.

James Madeiros writes for Vein BMX, which sells top-of-the-line BMX frames.

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The Sports Archives – Indians Have A Good Track Record In Answering Abuse With Wonderful Performances!

Posted on September 6, 2012 by thesportsarchives

In the game of cricket, no international team takes a vulgar abuse issue as serious as India. Forgive me for including Sreesanth in the list, as he reacts in the opposite manner than his fellow Indian players. However, you can find fun of a different sort in his actions. Yes, he is funny, Sreesanth.

Pakistan vs India-2012 UAEExcuse my straightforward humor attack on him, but he looks more like a joker in the ground sometimes. In the early matches of his career, when the world was noticing him due to his wicket-taking fast bowling, he suddenly got the attention of sports journalists. Mr. Sreesanth several times looked into the eyes of a batsman after bowling a ball, then walked towards him and broke the eye contact without leaving a comment, as if he was going to bowl him out the very next delivery—and the next ball he bowled a big wide. Even Indian media quoted him a ‘jackass’ over this attitude. I bet the Indian cricket fans definitely had felt embarrassed over him. Recently, one similar mistake made him an even bigger joke when he got a fine due to his clapping on a decision of empire. Mr unprofessional bowled a few wide balls and then bowled a boundary-hitting ball, but instead of feeling embarrassment, he clapped on the decision, as if he was not in his sense.

However, the rest of the Indian players are not being like Sreesanth. Whenever any international cricketer has challenged an Indian bowler or batsman, most of times, they have answered with their best performance. Whether you look at Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes in one over against Stuart Broad after another English bowler, Andrew Flintoff, provoked him. Or you look at Harbhajan’s wonderful performance against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2010, when he came back after listening some abuse of Shoaib Akhtar. Or you look at Venkateesh Parasad’s wicket taking bowl bowled to Aamer Sohail of Pakistan in 1996 World Cup Quarter Finals; the Indian players have a good track record of slapping their opponents with their good performances.

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The Sports Archives – How Much Did The Olympic Games Cost?

Posted on September 5, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Friday July 27, 2012. A date that will be forever associated with the day the Olympic Games returned to London for the first time since 1948.

Seven years after winning the bid to host the games, London announced itself to the watching world by producing a truly spectacular and majestic opening ceremony, magnificently choreographed by English film director and producer Danny Boyle.

A global audience of billions were treated to one of the greatest pyrotechnic shows on earth ahead of the biggest and most iconic sporting event the planet has to offer.

The reviews have been rave. The opening ceremony was executed to synchronised perfection with Boyle orchestrating an event that paid tribute to Britain’s past, present and future; the ups, the downs and the damn right bizarre. If you weren’t fixated to the television during the three-hour long sequence, consider yourself in the minority.

But have you ever stopped to think how much the Olympic Games actually cost? How much did it take to put Boyle’s vision into practice?

Well, according to a report, the Olympic Games cost a staggering £24bn – more than double the official budget for the event which totals at £9.3bn. The number is yet more astounding when you consider the Games were originally projected to cost just £2.37bn.

The opening ceremony itself was believed to have cost £41m. A figure that makes you think the show was less groundbreaking but merely representative of value.

However, it’s the final bill of £24bn that is surely a point of concern to the British public. With country still firmly in the midst of a recession, is the potential of more debt collection healthy prospect?

Perhaps, we’re overstating the cost. After all, the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has promised that the Olympic Games will bring an unprecedented economic boost to the country.

In a statement, Johnson said the Games would ensure a “major economic boost to the capital”. But London – and the United Kingdom – should take note that eight years ago another European country made similar claims. In 2004, when the Games were hosted in Athens, Greek officials underestimated the total cost and overestimated the potential economic benefits – the devastating results acted as a catalyst for the country’s current financial plight.

Conversely, it has been proved that hosting major international sporting events can boost the morale, satisfaction and well-being of a nation. However, this type of research often takes into account the short-term effects of an event. More pressingly, a longer-term economic downturn will only dampen the mood.

While the immediate benefits of hosting a major international sporting event are entirely transparent, the real legacy is less so. Johnson has guaranteed a lasting benefit from the Games for residents but Greece’s debt recovery should tell us all we need to know about promises.

An experienced and talented copy-writer, Matthew Wood writes SEO savvy content for a collection of online publications and web projects.  Matthew’s latest work involves writing creative and engaging content on the subjects of Fast Cash Loans and Payday Loans for the established online brand Ferratum.

2012 Olympics Cost Infographic

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