Spectators are in for a real treat this summer as the 2012 Summer Olympics commence. This year’s Olympics, in London, will be the thirtieth Summer Olympic Games. This is the third time London will be hosting the modern Olympic games which makes it the only city in the world to have this honor.
Before 2012, London had hosted the Olympic games in both 1908 and 1948. This year’s games will begin on July 27 and culminate on August 12. As the games feature 181 countries around the world, each nation will have at least one qualifying athlete. The 2012 Summer Olympic program features a total of 26 sports. For the first time ever women’s boxing will be included in the games with 40 athletes competing in five different weight classes.
The difference between this year’s Olympics in London, and those in the past, is that this year new sites will be utilized to host events, and other sites will be resized or relocated. London will use a facility that is a 500 acre Olympic Park. The park will be divided into three sections for the different sporting events: the Olympic Zone, Central Zone, and the River Zone.
Unfortunately, the threat of terrorist attacks triggers anxiety on the eve of this anticipated and historical event. During the Olympics, the British Royal Navy’s largest ship will be docked in London at Greenwich and about 13,500 members of the military are being called on to reinforce the police and security forces. London’s airspace will be patrolled by jets and helicopters, while other crafts carrying snipers will be on standby, equipped with early-warning systems. The hope is that any terrorist attacks will be averted.
London is taking every precaution to ensure that the athletes and spectators can simply enjoy the Olympic games, and with such riveting events down the line, spectators around the world will certainly do just that.