Olympic Games in London through the Ages
The Olympic Games have been staged in London twice previously; first in 1908 and then in 1948. The 2012 Games will mark the third time the Olympics will be held in London and will be a starkly different affair to its two predecessors. The 1908 Olympics and the 1948 almost did not happen in England’s capital. The 1908 Games were originally scheduled to take place in Rome but were then moved to London. The 1948 Games were originally awarded to Tokyo but the outbreak of World War II postponed the Games several times only for them to finally be held in London in 1948 after the War ended. 2012 looks all set to bring about a new chapter in London’s Olympic history.
The early 1900s were a time of change in the world. The Olympic Games were trying to usher in a new era of a global world. That did not work out as planned as World War I took place in 1914 and almost brought the entire world to its knees. But the Olympic Committee managed to get one great Games squeezed in before War ravaged the world. The 1908 Olympic Games were meant to be staged in Rome, but had to be cancelled because of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1906, which devastated the city. The Games for that year were then shifted to London and took place in great pomp and circumstance. These particular Games were much better organised than previous ones, and were the first to actually have an opening ceremony. The exact distance of the marathon was established during these Games and diving was introduced for the first time. Almost 2000 athletes took part in the Games from 22 countries. All in all, these Games were seen as a large success for the organisers.
The next time London hosted the Olympics was in 1948. These Games had been postponed for almost 12 years while the world faced the horrors of war and also rebuilding and reconstruction after the war ended. When it was decided that the Games would be held in London that year, a lot of people did not think it was a good idea. The country had just come out of war that had almost destroyed it and it was slowly trying to rebuild itself. But the decision to hold them in London went ahead. It was a good decision at the end of the day because these Games brought a nation together and helped it find its feet. The 1948 Games were called the ‘Austerity Games’ and they were seen as a way for England to come out of its war induced coma. The shoestring budget did not allow for any sort of luxuries and events were held in revamped arenas because nothing new could be built. Almost nothing was provided to the visiting athletes and they were housed in makeshift areas. College dorms, hospital dorms and any other place that could accommodate athletes were used. Various countries, that had sent athletes to London for the Games contributed by sending food, supplies, and, sometimes bedding material and towels. With food rationing in place and a general sense of doom and gloom, these Olympic Games helped to revive a whole nation and brought its people back to their feet.
The 2012 London Olympics looks all set to be a major success for the UK. It will help the economy and bring about a general sense of pride and upheaval in the country after a devastating global recession. It will be good for the country to feel a sense of ownership for something and to have the whole world watching London for the right reasons. With all the doom and gloom behind them, Londoners can look forward to a great two weeks of sporting extravaganza. The Olympic Games have the ability to project goodwill and prosperity onto the whole world.
The 2012 Games look all set to be the third great chapter in the London Olympic saga. After two previous great Games held in the city, the latest ones will make the whole country proud. The 1948 Games helped the country and the world come out of a wartime depression and hopefully the 2012 Games can revive the world’s view after the horrendous global recession that is still affecting parts of the world. Change is coming and hopefully the 2012 Games will lead the way.
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