London 2012
So then, IOC, London wins the games. A tense knockout round that could teach RealityTV a lesson or two and then victory by 4 votes.
There’s a certain amusement in the French:British standoff following a week of Chirac’s graceless jibes and muted jingoism celebrating Trafalgar. While too in the Olympics themselves there’s a Silver and Bronze medal for consolation and recognition, the second place is brutally cruel.
Outside of the competitive bid process, however, the impact upon London’s creaking infrastructure cannot be underestimated. “Boosts to confidence” are hard to quantify, but the upgrades to the tube, road and rail infrastructure are exciting, and the “Olympic Village To Be” in East London will move the ‘centre of gravity’ of London Eastward from the City – to the benefit of business there (who already have the costs of being in the capital without the correlative benefits).
This heralds the level of co-ordinated investment that otherwise could not have mustered the political will or capital.
Time to dig out the lapel badge 🙂