Olympics: 12 Things to know about London ’12 As the countdown to the London 2012 Olympic Games hits 500 days today, TeamUSA.org presents 12 Essential Things To Know as you continue to count down to the Opening Ceremony.
As the countdown to the London 2012 Olympic Games hits 500 days today, TeamUSA.org presents 12 Essential Things To Know as you continue to count down to the Opening Ceremony.
1. Tickets
The wait is over — tickets for the 2012 Games officially go on sale today. Between now and April 22, U.S. fans can apply for more than 58,000 tickets for more than 650 sporting sessions. If more people apply for tickets to a sporting session than there are available, CoSport will conduct a lottery to determine who can purchase the tickets.
CoSport is an official sponsor of the United States Olympic Committee USOC and has been appointed as the only Authorized Ticket Reseller to sell individual event tickets, ticket packages and consumer hospitality packages to the constituents of the United States. Please be aware that other, unauthorized entities or bogus websites may purport to have Olympic tickets for sale; however, you can only be certain that Olympic tickets are authentic if they are purchased through CoSport.
Last, when purchasing tickets, be sure to have your Visa handy. In recognition of Visa’s support of the Olympic Games, the USOC is proud to accept only Visa for London 2012 Olympic Games ticket purchases.
2. Venues Opening
“Basically, the preparations for the Games are going surprisingly smoothly,” Steve Wilson, the London-based European sports editor for the Associated Press who has covered 12 summer and winter Games, told TeamUSA.org. That progress was marked by the opening of the Velodrome February in London’s Olympic Park. It was the first new venue to open for the 2012 Games. Several other venues are close to being complete, including the main Olympic Stadium, while others, such as the iconic Wembley Stadium, were already in place. Tennis competition will be held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club just a few weeks after Wimbledon. Events will take place all across the English capital and some elsewhere in the UK. Many venues, including the Olympic Stadium, the Aquatics Center and others, will be at the Olympic Park in the Stratford area of East London.
See more: http://www.london2012.com/games/venues/
3. Comeback Stars
Several of the biggest Team USA stars from past Olympic Games are on track to add to their successes in London. Leading the pack is 14-time Olympic champion swimmer Michael Phelps. The Baltimore native is the most decorated male Olympian ever with 16 total medals between the 2004 and 2008 Games. If his recent performance at the Indianapolis Grand Prix is any indication, he likely will add to that in 2012. On the women’s side, Dara Torres caught the nation’s attention when she became the oldest woman to win an Olympic swimming medal in 2008 at age 41. In fact, she won three silver medals in Beijing. The five-time Olympian and 12-time medalist underwent knee surgery and returned to competition in February. Should she qualify for London, Torres would be 45.
