London Preps 50-Day Countdown; Diamond Jubilee Test for Police

London Preps 50-Day Countdown

LOCOG tells Around the Rings it will use next week's 50-day milestone to the Olympics to emphasize how everyone in the U.K. can join in with the Games.

On June 7, LOCOG said it will publish a list of 50 ways people can engage "whether they have tickets or not, so they can feel part of this summer of sport".

LOCOG chairman Sebastian Coe, who is in Germany on Thursday promoting the Olympics, is expected to play a role in Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee celebrations early next week before participating in 50-day countdown events on Thursday.

Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Chris Allison, who is the national Olympic security coordinator, said significant numbers of the command team working on Diamond Jubilee events are also in his Olympics command team.

"If there is anything we can pick up then we clearly will," he told Reuters. "I think the major issue for this weekend is the large numbers we are likely to see out on the streets celebrating the Diamond Jubilee."

He added: "That's got quite a read across to the Games with large numbers of people coming out for the torch, coming down the river and potentially for the road [cycling] events.

"Anything we can learn about the management of the crowds together with our partners we will take into the Games."

Torch Relay Update

Thursday the Olympic Torch travels more than 107 miles from Stoke-on-Trent to Bolton.

Boxer and Olympic silver medalist Amir Khan will light the cauldron when the Torch completes Day 13 of its journey.

Carried by 113 torchbearers through 19 communities, the Flame will end its journey at an evening celebration in Queen’s Park Playing Fields.

Torchbearers include TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher and teenage philanthropist Cameron Foster.

The Torch visits Tatton Park, Jodrell Bank Observatory, Ted Gleaves Sports Centre and Warrington Town Centre on Thursday .

LOCOG reported that more than 700,000 people cheered the torch relay's trek around Wales earlier this week.

Giant Olympic Rings Unveiled in Glasgow

A giant set of Olympic rings was unveiled in Glasgow on Thursday as the city became the latest in the U.K. to undergo a makeover for the Games.

The structure, 33 feet wide and 17 feet tall, weighs three tons. It will form a backdrop for Glasgow’s torch relay celebrations on June 8 and 9, and when Hampden Park hosts eight Olympic football matches in July and August.

It is part of a program of city-dressing being rolled out by Glasgow City Council through a $418,250 grant from the Government Olympic Executive that aims to make the Scottish city "look and feel" consistent with other co-host locations.

The Olympic decoration includes around 20,000 feet of bunting and almost 700 bespoke banners and flags that are going up in more than 20 streets across the city.

IOC member Craig Reedie, who hails from Scotland, said: "The Olympic rings are an iconic symbol, inspiring athletes and uniting people around the world. To athletes they represent the culmination of thousands of hours of training and reaching the highest level in sport. These rings will excite and inspire residents and visitors to Glasgow."

"Frankenstein" Opening Ceremony

Opening Ceremony director Danny Boyle says "Frankenstein" was part of the inspiration for the ceremonies.

"There is quite a lot of Frankenstein in the show," he said in an interview with Vogue magazine.

"I mean, we don’t reanimate dead creatures, but we did use Frankenstein as a dry run for a lot of ideas for this.

"It’s a challenge, of course, because it can easily be just a cold spectacle. Stirring emotion is hard in a stadium."

Elton John "Optimistic" About Games

Elton John says he isn’t worried about the Olympics hurting London theatres’ ticket sales.

"Andrew Lloyd Webber put out a statement saying he feared for West End shows but there are going to be so many people in London and so many things they want to do," the superstar was quoted by British theater publications on Wednesday.

"London has the best theatre in the world, with great plays and great musicals. I am really optimistic that people will go and support theatre here. They come here [to London] and they want to do the lot. British theatre is fantastic."

Lloyd Webber warned that few people would attend musicals in London during the Games and that most of the theaters would have to close as a result.

Reported by Mark Bisson

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