Today is the day – today, July 27th, marks the beginning of the Summer Olympics 2012 in the most exciting city in Europe: London! But let’s go back in time and follow the journey of the British capitol to become the center of attention for the next couple of weeks.

The application process begins with a city submitting an application to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). For the Summer Olympics 2012 the application deadline was in July 2003. Nine cities initially submitted applications to host the 2012 Olympic Games: Paris (France), Leipzig (Germany), New York (United States), Istanbul (Turkey), Havana (Cuba), Moscow (Russia), London (United Kingdom), Madrid (Spain) and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). These cities were then asked to answer a questionnaire containing eleven themes: political and social support, general infrastructure, sports venues, Olympic Village, environment, accommodation, transport, security, past experience, finance, and legacy. The application process is divided into two phases. The five cities which received the highest score in the questionnaire were able to proceed to the next stage: Paris (France), New York (United States), Moscow (Russia), London (United Kingdom), Madrid (Spain). In 2005 twelve members of the IOC visited each of the five cities and evaluated each participating city. At the time it seemed that Paris was the most promising candidate, closely followed by London, then New York and Madrid while Moscow was considered to be the weakest bid. The final selection ceremony was held in Singapore in July 2005 with Moscow, New York and Madrid dismissed at first after another presentation from every city. In the final round London was announced the host city of the Olympic Games 2012.

London is always worth a visit, at any time of year. But especially now with over 14.000 athletes from 205 Olympic and 170 Paralympic teams the city will be the host of a spectacular and unforgettable event. London is not only the capital of England and the United Kingdom but also the biggest metropolitan area in the whole of the European Union. The city is home to many different people and cultures with more than 300 languages spoken. The population is supposed to have reached over 8 million people. London is also the home to World Heritage Sites such as the Tower of London, Kew Gardens, Westminster Abbey, and Greenwich with the Royal Observatory that marks the Prime Meridian. The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world and the second-most extensive after the Shanghai Metro.

The London 2012 Games will be taking place all over the city. The Olympic Park, situated in East London, with numerous stadiums and the Olympic Village will be the center of attention. Apart from the Olympic Park, sites such as the city center, Wimbledon, Greenwich and Wembley. Facts provided by the IOC website show how big and exciting the event will be:
– 26 Olympic sports in 34 venues
– 20 Paralympic sports in 21 venues
– 10,500 Olympic athletes and 4,200 Paralympic athletes
– 20,000 press and media
– More than 9 million tickets

Does anyone of you got tickets for one or more events? Will you be in London or watching the Games from home? Looking forward to your comments.