In Beijing there was a lot of talk about how well prepared the city was for the Olympics. I remember one of the rules in the large capital - only number plates ending on equal numbers could drive every second day, and the other days only unequal number plates were allowed.
 |
| Me during the 2008 Olympics at Beijing Tiananmen Square |
We lived, my family and I, in an apartment in the south west end of Beijing, in a private apartment, so we were surrounded by local Chinese people. But everywhere we went we met police put in place to keep away unwanted/poor people from the streets. There were also walls put up in Beijing to hide the ´trashed´ areas.
If you cared to think about It, you would probably also notice how the lack of dogs and cats on the streets. The Chinese decided before the games that animals made the city dirty and are not aesthetically pleasing so the majority of the street cats and dogs were culled.
I am sure that these extremities will not happen in London. But I know that there are some problems over here with the Games.
The motto at the Olympic Games in Beijing:
 |
| One dream |
 |
| One world |
One of the issues is that when London was awarded the Olympics, they promised the population, jobs, an increase in productivity and growth in the English economy. But like many other North European countries, England has had to seek cheaper options.
Many of the builders around in Stratford´s buildings are Polish. The government has used this option to save money, but England has spent a lot of money on this upcoming Olympics, so why not keep the money inside the country?
Another problem that is being discussed in England is that Team Great Britain, UK Sport and other sport organisations, which support the athletes during the Games, prioritize certain sports at the expense of others.
 |
| Danish gold winner from 1996 showed off his medal in Beijing |
There is a lot of focus on sport and health over here, and England would like to increase the interest in sport, but the big sports organisations only support ´gold´. Meaning: Gold medals = money and time into the sport. The majority of funding is directed at elite level, which results in less money being put into grassroots sport. If GB fail to win enough medals then the likelihood is that funding policies will change.
Security will be a major concern considering it's to be held in England, as London before has been a target for terrorism. I am sure that there will be extra security on London 2012.
In Beijing 2008 all public transport was free – Let´s hope London 2012 can match that..!
