2012 London Olympic Games

LONDON, June 27 (Xinhua) -- A set of giant Olympic rings were lowered over River Thames, the media center welcomed its first batch of users and an official song was released on Wednesday, one month prior to the London Olympic Games.


OLYMPIC RINGS LOWERED

The rings were lowered from the iconic Tower Bridge in London Wednesday morning. Passers-by stopped to take photos and wave, as their mayor Boris Johnson and Games chief Sebastian Coe stood on a barge, sailing past the site.

The rings, 25 meters wide and 11.5 meters tall, weighed three tonnes.

"With one month to go to the Olympic Games opening ceremony, these spectacular rings on one of London's most famous landmarks will excite and inspire residents and visitors in the capital," said Coe.

Johnson, clasping hands with Coe, gave the order to lower the rings. Talking about the last month before the sports gala, Johnson said, "we are making our final preparations and want to ensure each and every person in the capital gets a flavor of the celebrations and feels part of the Games."


PRESS CENTER IN OPERATION

The main press center (MPC) in east London opened on Wednesday.

It offers 31,000 square meters of office space for 6,000 journalists, photographers and accredited non-rights holding broadcasters, as well as staff from the International Olympic Committee and the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). During the Games, it will be open for 52 days. Outside the four-floor building, a 200-meter-long wooden corridor was flanked by shops, post office, dry cleaners, pharmacy and hair salon.

Next to the main MPC building, a "wooden box" was used as canteen to provide food. It was estimated that 480,000 meals and 1.6 million cups of tea will be consumed over 24 hours a day.

The Press Workroom and Main Press Center bar are named after two British Olympic sports writers, John Rodda for the Guardian and Steve Parry, sports editor at Reuters, who died on the eve of the Beijing Olympics.

"Like the athletes competing at London 2012, the world's writers and photographers who will be based in the MPC are at the top of their profession," said Coe. "This is our first venue on the venue on the Olympic Park to open for business and we are ready to welcome the world's media."

Hugh Robertson, Minister for Sport, hoped that the venue could facilitate journalists, so that they will be able to "take the Games beyond London to the world", and "help take the Games to the future generation".

The press conference room in the MPC was used for the first time to launch a official song of the London 2012 Olympics. Namely "Survival", the song by Muse was said to be inspired by the "strength and determination" of athletes on the Olympic arena.

It will be available to download from Thursday, and will be played throughout sports sessions in all London 2012 venues.

Four other official songs are to be released next month.


TO BE IMPROVED

According to LOCOG CEO Paul Deighton, some seven million, or more than 80 percent of the Olympic tickets have been sold.

"We have finished training of volunteers and are waiting for arrival of athletes," he said.

Apart from a volleyball venue which is still being built, other Olympic venues are ready, he added.

It was not until June 18 that the construction of the 15,000-seat beach volleyball arena started, a report from local media the Telegraph said. "Owing to the Queen's Jubilee celebrations, and the Trooping the Color ceremony, the schedule of the build allows only 36 days to undertake a project that would ordinarily take 14 months," it said.

Traffic is another problem. Sebastian Coe was late Wednesday morning, which aroused concern against for the rankling traffic condition. Tens of thousands of visitors will flock to London this year. With bus drivers threatening to go on strike over bonus dispute, the city needs to take some measure so as to prevent the traffic from paralyzing.

Deighton said frankly that preparation for the Olympics was far from cakewalk, concerning the "enormous size of the venues, complexity of the event and number of people involved". "When you see a gliding swan on the surface, its legs were struggling beneath the water," he said.

London started preparation for the Olympics seven years ago. "During the seven-year journey, time is passing fast," he said. "We will make sure that we have done everything we can, so as to hold a successful Olympics."

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Badminton

The sport was invented by the British, but Asian nations have ruled the roost in recent decades as China, Indonesia and South Korea have won 23 out of 24 of the titles offered since badminton joined the Olympics in 1992.

Chinese women, led by world No 1 Wang Yihan, hold all of the top four singles rankings, while the men boast three of the top four. Men's No 1 Lin humiliated long-time rival Lee Chong Wei in the final at Beijing and may only have his Chinese teammates to worry about in London. Women's doubles champion Yu Yang is back, albeit with a different partner in Wang Xiaoli, while long-serving head coach Li Yongbo is still the team's hard-bitten conductor.

Much of this year's intrigue will revolve around which teams can deny China complete hegemony. Women's world No 5 Saina Nehwal appears as equipped as any, and has raised India's hopes of a first badminton medal after upsetting China's best at the Indonesian Open last month. [Full analysis; Medal Projections]

Table Tennis

Since the sport joined the Olympic program in 1988, China has exerted an iron grip - taking 20 of the 24 available golds, including all four at Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000. There have been only four non-Chinese golds - three for South Korea and one for Sweden's Jan-Ove Waldner, who won the men's singles in 1992 and remains the only non-Asian gold medalist. But in London, there will be at least two non-Chinese paddlers on the podium, after a new rule limited each country to just two singles entrants.

Underlining China's supremacy, as of June it boasted the world's top five men and top four women. Men's No 1 Zhang Jike enters the singles in London along with Wang Hao, while Ma Long will join for the men's team event. Three-time gold medalist Ma Lin, the reigning singles champion, missed out. Germany's Timo Boll, ranked sixth and part of the team that took silver in Beijing, is the only non-Asian in the men's or women's top 10s.

On the women's side, Chinese world champion Ding Ning topped the rankings in June. Li Xiaoxia will also play singles and Guo Yue is included for the women's team competition. Kasumi Ishikawa of Japan was the highest-ranked non-Chinese, at No 5, with the Singapore duo of Wang Yuegu and Feng Tianwei, part of the women's team that took silver behind China in Beijing, also in the top 10. [Full analysis; Medal Projections]

Weightlifting

Russia has an impressive lineup in the game of power, agility and speed and should challenge the Chinese in the heavy divisions. China, which won one silver and eight gold medals in Beijing, still dominates the lower weight categories. Kazakhstan has a few gold medal contenders like Ilya Ilin, defending Olympic champion in the men's 94kg category, and double world champion Zulfiya Chinshanlo in the women's 53kg class. The quest for gold and the unofficial title of world's strongest woman likely will be a showdown between Zhou Lulu of China and Tatiana Kashirina of Russia.

As always, weightlifting is struggling to contain its dark side - doping. Some would-be medal candidates have been barred from competing in London after failing drug tests, including former Olympic, world and European champion Taylan Nurcan of Turkey, Ukrainian superheavyweight Olha Korobka and China's Olympic champion Liao Hui. [Full analysis; Medal Projections]

Tennis

Roger Federer has set his sights on crowning his remarkable record at Wimbledon by winning Olympic gold on his favorite grass courts. For the second time, and first since 1908, Wimbledon will play host to an Olympic tennis tournament, comprising men's and women's singles, as well as doubles and mixed doubles. Federer isn't the only top star who can't wait for the Games, which start three weeks after Wimbledon concluded. World tops Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal also aim at a singles gold at the All- England Club this year.

In the women's event, French Open champion Maria Sharapova can't wait to represent Russia after missing the 2008 Olympics after shoulder surgery. Newly-crowned Wimbledon champion Serena Williams, world No 1 Victoria Azarenka and China's first Grand Slam winner Li Na are also in pursuit of an Olympic gold for their couintry. [Full analysis; Medal Projections]

Gymnastics

The US women won the world title in 2003, 2007 and 2011 and have produced four of the past six all-round champions, but they have won only one Olympic team title, way back in 1996. They have gone to the past two Olympics as the world champions, only to come up a step short on the podium. This year, the US looks stronger from top to bottom than rivals Russia, Romania and China, the defending Olympic champion.

On the men's side, the Chinese dynasty will face big challenges. China has been on top of men's gymnastics for much of this century, winning five straight world titles as well as the gold medals at the Sydney and Beijing Olympics. But China looked vulnerable in winning the world title last autumn. The Chinese finished qualifying behind Japan and the US, the first time since the Athens Olympics they had finished anywhere but first in any phase of a major competition. The reduction in team size, from six to five, will hurt China most, putting more of an emphasis on all-rounders, something the Chinese lack. The Japanese and the US will pose the biggest obstable. [Full analysis; Medal Projections]

Basketball

USA Basketball finalized its 12-man squad for the London Olympics on Saturday with a list of NBA stars including LeBron James, coming off his first NBA title with Miami, and Kobe Bryant who are joined by 2008 gold medal-winning teammates Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Deron Williams on the squad again guided by Duke University coach Mike Krzyzewski. NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant and Oklahoma City teammate Russell Westbrook, who lost to Miami in the NBA Finals, are also joined by 2010 world championship teammates Tyson Chandler and Kevin Love, two vital big men for the Americans.

Beijing Olympics runner-up Spain, led by Oklahoma City's Serge Ibaka, the NBA's top shot blocker each of the past two seasons, and Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol will still pose tough threat to the defending champions. [Full analysis and Medal Projections for Men and Women]

Sailing

The British sailing star Ben Ainslie will be the main attraction during the Olympic regatta off Weymouth and Portland, some three hours southwest of London. If he wins his fourth straight gold medal and fifth straight medal overall, Ainslie will become the most successful Olympic sailor ever. [Full analysis; Medal Projections]

Rowing

Hosts Britain is the favorite to top the medals table out on the rippling waters as the event is the only sport in which Britain has won gold at every Games since 1984. Australia, New Zealand and Germany had strong showings in recent world championships and World Cup regattas. The United States and Canada could make the London podium, too. China is hopeful of winning medals in men's lightweight coxless fours, women single sculls and lightweight double sculls. [Full analysis; Medal Projections]

Canoe/Kayak

European powers Slovakia, Germany and Hungary are big forces as traditional Olympic powers United States, China and Russia are not competitive in this eventh. Slovakia has ruled the whitewater waves since the turn of the century, making its paddlers the country's most successful sports stars. All seven of Slovakia's gold medals have come in canoe slalom. [Full analysis; Medal Projections]

Archery

The archery competition once again will be dominated by South Korea, who has won 18 golds since archery returned to the Olympics in 1972 after a 52-year absence, double the tally of its closest challengers, the United States. China is believed to be one of South Korea's strongest rivals in the women's individual and team tournaments. [Full analysis; Medal Projections]

Fencing

China's foil world champions Lei Sheng and epee world champions Li Na will lead the Chinese fencing team to strive for golds and glory in individual and team events. But traditional dominant powers Italy, France and Hungary and rising force Japan and South Korea will pose stiff threat to the Chinese fencers. Hosts Great Britain is not expected to upset the balance of power. [Full analysis; Medal Projections]

Triathlon

Olympic triathlons are notoriously hard to predict, but two British brothers have become so dominant, the biggest argument is over which one will finish first in London. Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, who grew up fell-running and cycling in their hilly home county of Yorkshire, were first and second in last year's world championship. This year, they're at it again. [Full analysis; Medal Projections]

Wrestling

Russia takes wrestling as seriously as any nation and often dominates in the Olympics. Their main challenge will likely come from Iran, Azerbaijan and the US. The US has the most wrestlers in London. But Iran and Azerbaijan each has a few medal contenders including the reigning world champions. [Full analysis; Medal Projections]

Boxing

For the first time ever, women will punch each other at the Olympic Games.36 women boxers will compete in three classes for the historic medals. China expects to grab at least one gold with reigning flyweight (51kg) amateur world champion Ren Cancan as the favorite contender. [Full analysis; Medal Projections]

Cycling

The projected medals in cycling are dominated by hosts Britain and European powerhouse but China still has hope for medals. Female cyclists Guo Shuang and Huang Li are the team's main title contender and the Women's sprint team is also hopeful for a medal. [Full analysis; Medal Projections]

Judo

Former Olympic and world champion Tong Wen shoulders China's hopes for a gold medal in judo. China's Wu Shugen, Xu Lili and Yang Xiuli are also candidates vying for a medal. [Medal Projections]

Taekwondo

China's Wu Jingyu and Hou Yuzhuo are hopeful medalists in the women's lightweight and Liu Xiaobo is China's only hope in the men's events.

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