Gallery Olympics Live: March 2011

Thursday, March 31, 2011

London Olympic Tours - Internatonal Olympic Committee gives Olympic Village the thumbs up

Olympic Park - ready to 250,000 visitors per-day

We are happy construction going to plan in London. With the Velodrome already completed in February and Olympic Stadium in March, things are looking on track. Spyns is being given a VIP tour of Olympic Stadium this coming week to see where the best seats are for our clients. With over 80,000 to choice from, making sure our clients have great views is a priority. If you would like more information/detailed itineraries on our 4, 5, 7, and 10-Day luxury tours feel free to contact me at henry@london-olympiad.com.

LONDON - The International Olympic Committee has praised the progress in construction of the athletes' village for the 2012 London Games.

The IOC's coordination commission toured the village Thursday on the second day of its latest check on Olympic preparations.

London's Olympic Delivery Authority said work on the first of the 11 residential complexes in the village has been completed.

The ODA says "construction of the remaining residential plots is firmly on track" with completion expected by the end of the year.

IOC coordination commission chairman Denis Oswald says "it is encouraging to see that excellent progress has been made in constructing this accommodation."

Spyns is an active travel company based in Whistler, BC (Canada). For more information about Spyns and our package tours to the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games, including London Olympics hotels, London 2012 tickets, and summer games VIP access, please visit our websites http://www.london-olympiad.com/ http://www.london2012-tours.com/ and http://www.london-tours-2012.com/ or call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720. www.spyns.com.

Body of Proof is a true corpse

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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

London Olympic Tours - Who to watch in 2012

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London 2012 Olympic Tour Packages

At Spyns we have already sold tours to the London 2012 Summer Games with our Gold level luxury 5-day opening ceremony tour being a favourite. This tour runs from July 26^th – July 30^th 2012 and starts from 2035 USD through to 6717 USD for the deluxe treatment. All our tours include modern and luxurious hotels suites, VIP access into some of London most sort after attractions (London Eye, Stonehenge, Buckingham Palace), guides in your hotel but not on your back, plus much more. If you would like more information/detailed itineraries on our tours feel free to contact me at henry@london-olympiad.com. Here is a update on things to watch in 2012.

The Olympics may be more than 12 months away, but the build-up to the Games is already well underway.

Cyclist Wendy Houvenaghel, from Upperlands in Co Londonderry, won world track championship team pursuit gold in Holland last week to underline her standing as one of Northern Ireland's very few genuine 2012 medal hopes.

The London Olympics opening ceremony is on Friday, July 27, next year, but the all-too-predictable hype is already in full swing with a big push to sell tickets.

Tickets for that opening ceremony cost up to £2,012 each. Yet they remain among the hottest tickets for the Games - along with track cycling and Usain Bolt's tilt at yet more 100m glory.

Houvenaghel, who won an individual pursuit silver medal at the Beijing Olympics, is not surprised that cycling tickets are at the top of many people's wish-lists. "We had great success in Beijing and that has put cycling on the map," she explained.

"Certainly, if I was a spectator, the velodrome cycling is something that I would be interested in watching.

"Clearly, that seems to be what is happening."

And the 36-year-old admitted that competing in London will be a unique experience.

"Having the Olympic Games on your own patch gives you an advantage," Houvenaghel added.

"Competing close to home is a bonus and should be a really positive experience. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

By the way, tickets for the Olympic final of Houvenaghel's team pursuit event - on Saturday, August 4 next year - start at £50 rising to £325.

Bolt's outrageous celebrations can be observed first-hand for £50 rising to £725.

Demand is expected to far outstrip availability for these blue riband events and ticket applications will be decided by a lottery.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

London Olympic Tours - Olympic Stadium 80,000 seats completed

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The newly completed Olympoic Stadium

Spyns is happy to know that when they will be given a VIP tour of Olympic Stadium next week to see what seats are the best for our clients, that the stadium will be complete and looking like it will in 2012. We have planned a range of luxury tours for the London Olympic Summer Games that we are offering to our present client base and to new clients. Spyns is an active travel company that specialises in planning and guiding luxury tours to a variety of sporting events. No matter whether you are a sports fanatic or someone who simply wants to see the Olympic Games, we will take you on the trip of a life-time. We have excelled as a private guiding company running Tour de France tours by offering riders, and their non riding partners guided activities and events that satisfy’s everyone. If you would like more information on your Olympic Tours, or Tour de France tours, email me at henry@london-olympiad.com

London today broke the world record for completing an Olympic stadium.

Construction of the landmark venue was declared finished today as the last piece of turf was laid by Olympic officials.

It has taken only 1,000 working days to complete the 80,000-seat venue in Stratford at a speed that was hailed as showing the capital's readiness to stage the "greatest show on earth".

The final £486 million cost came in £10 million under budget.

As an International Olympics Committee delegation made their eighth visit to the capital today to check on preparations, Mayor Boris Johnson said the breakthrough gave London a huge advantage over other host cities such as Barcelona, Sydney and Athens. Mr Johnson said: "This is yet another fantastic milestone in the preparations for London 2012. The faultless construction of the stadium, on time and under budget, is a shining example of how London is primed and ready to host the greatest show on earth.

"The real joy of being so far ahead is that, unlike any other host city, we are already able to focus on securing the legacy we are so determined to deliver from the Games." Some work remains to be done, such as laying the running track. But this has been deliberately delayed to prevent it being damaged when giant cranes arrive to erect gantries for the opening and closing ceremonies. The Games will begin on Friday July 27 next year.

IOC member Frankie Fredericks, a four-time silver medallist sprinter, was given the honour of laying the final piece of turf, less than three years after work began in May 2008.

The IOC was given further reassurance when the Olympic Delivery Authority, which has overseen the construction work at the Olympic Park, said the sports infrastructure would be finished in July.

Built and designed respectively by Sir Robert McAlpine and architectural practice Populous - the team behind Arsenal's Emirates ground - the stadium has employed 5,000 workers from 240 British businesses.

The last of 360 rolls of turf, grown in Scunthorpe, was laid today to complete the 9,000 square metre infield area.The running track - a blue surface by Mondo- will be laid later this year by organiser Locog. In its place is a temporary Tarmac surface resistant to the cranes that will lift into place stage sets for the opening ceremony.

History will associate the Olympic stadium with two controversies: its original bid book budget of £240 million has more than doubled though that figure was never seen as realistic.

The ODA have also been criticised for spurning the chance four years ago to install retractable seats over the running track to make it more attractive to football clubs.

Last month the post-Games future of the stadium was secured when West Ham were handed the long-term tenancy.

Stadium by numbers

80,000 seats Capacity in Games mode but designed to be flexible after.
40 acres Area of the stadium island, surrounded by water on three sides.
60 metres The height of the stands.
860 metres Stadium perimeter.
5 major new bridges into the site.
3 years Construction started in May 2008, completed ahead of schedule.
5,250 People involved in the project.
532 Individual floodlights in 14 towers to meet high-definition TV standards.

* The turf was grown in Scunthorpe and laid over three days this month.
* The track will be laid later this year.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Do people really care about THIS royal wedding?

In case you're still obsessed, some thirty years later, about the modern day royal wedding happening a mere month away, worry not. Americans can obsess over the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton with 20 hours of combined coverage spread over NBC, MSNBC, E! and a few other cable nets nobody really gives a damn about.

The real question, though, is whether people do actually care about this royal wedding? The previous royal wedding was big news because it was the first of its kind due to it being televised and the soon-to-be Princess Diana being a virtual nobody and coming from nothing. She used her fame, though, for good and made a lasting legacy with her charity work.

The whole Kate Middleton thing seems different. Oh, sure, she's easy on the eyes but she's already at least somewhat famous and seems to be just a lesser version of our American fame whores -- the difference being that she has an accent which makes being a fame whore a bit classier.

I can wish until I'm blue in the face but I already know that people will obsess over the Prince William/Kate Middleton nuptials just like any other wedding but do we need it to be televised? Hasn't Prince Charles done enough to sully the mystique of the British royal family to the point that we don't/shouldn't care any longer? Maybe we've finally moved on because we sure seem to be able to obsess plenty over stateside nobodies like Lindsay Lohan and her drug addiction/shoplifting habit and Charlie Sheen generally being a walking corpse who survives on a constant flow of porn star sex and cocaine.

Team USA Olympic update - London Olympic Tours 2012

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Tim Howard of Everton in action during the
Barclays Premier League match between
Newcastle United and Everton at
St James' Park on March 5, 2011

At Spyns we have been busy selling luxury 4, 5, 7, and 10 day tours to the London 2012 Olympics. The majority of our clients are North American and a few are coming with us to see the Tour de France finish in Paris the Sunday before the Opening Ceremony starts on Friday, July 27^th, 2012. We have put together a full itinerary of events and attractions in and around London over the duration of the Olympics. If you would like more information on our tours please feel free to contact me at info@london-olympiad.com. Now on to your Team USA weekly update:

The U.S. Men’s National Team will debut a new Nike red jersey when it takes on two-time FIFA World Cup champion Argentina at 7 p.m. ET Saturday at New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The men also will play five nights later, facing Paraguay on March 29 at LP Field in Nashville.

The game on Saturday will be a bit of a homecoming for goalkeeper Tim Howard, who is from nearby North Brunswick, N.J. Landon Donovan enters the game with the team’s most international caps: 128. He is also the leading goal-scorer with 28.

Five members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team are on the roster and three players who will be eligible to compete in the London 2012 Olympic Games are as well.

The U.S. is preparing for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, where it has first-round matches against Canada on June 7 at Detroit, Panama four days later at Tampa, Fla., and Guadeloupe on June 14 at Kansas City, Kan.

Argentina, led by two-time FIFA player of the year Lionel Messi, and Paraguay are getting ready for the Copa America. Argentina hosts South America's championship, which starts July 1.

SWIMMING AND DIVING

NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships, March 24-26, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

David Boudia, a junior at Purdue University and the 2010 USA Diving Athlete of the Year, won his fifth NCAA title on Thursday when he was victorious in the 1-meter finals on the opening night of the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Minneapolis. Boudia scored 461 points, winning the 1-meter springboard for the second consecutive year.

Boudia, who is the only diver in NCAA Division I history to win national titles in all three diving events, will go after the sweep in Friday‘s 3-meter springboard and Saturday‘s platform diving. He is a two-time defending champ in the 3-meter.

“I’m just going to go out there and enjoy this moment,” Boudia said after Thursday’s 1-meter win.

Stanford University’s winning time of 1:15.26 in the 200 free relay was a U.S. record and the Cardinal was in second place behind 2010 NCAA champion Texas entering the final two days of the NCAA Championships.

Also in diving:

FINA Diving World Series, March 25-26, Beijing, China

SKIING

Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships, March 24-27, Stratton Mountain, Vt.

Defending national champion Emily Cook won the U.S. aerials championship again Thursday, landing a back-full double-full jump. It marked the fifth national title for Cook.

“Nationals is always a fun event and I am really proud to be national champion again,” she told reporters. “It was pretty tricky out there today. After a crash in training, I was happy to have been able to hold it together for competition. It wasn’t the prettiest jumping I have ever done, but I got the job done and am happy.”

Dylan Ferguson won the men’s competition, scoring an event-best 83.79 points on a back full-full. The action was to continue Friday with men’s and women’s moguls, Saturday with the halfpipe and Sunday with the dual moguls.

Also in skiing:

U.S. 30/50km Championship & USSA SuperTour Finals, March 26-April 2, Sun Valley, Idaho

SNOWBOARDING

SBX World Cup, March 24-27, Arosa, Switzerland

Two-time Olympic champion Seth Wescott won in the snowboardcross event Thursday at an SBX World Cup stop in Arosa, Switzerland, defeating Cup leader Pierre Vaultier of France in the finals. Callan Chythlook-Sifsof had a career-best, second-place finish in the women’s competition. The snowboardcross competition ends Friday, followed by alpine snowboarding through Sunday.

CYCLING

UCI Track World Championships, March 23-27, Apeldoorn, Netherlands

The women’s pursuit team of Sarah Hammer, Jennie Reed and Dotsie Bausch earned silver medals Thursday at the UCI Track World Championships, giving the U.S. a silver in women’s team pursuit for the first time. Bausch and Hammer were part of a U.S. team that finished fourth last year. This time, they fell to Great Britain in the gold-medal match. “I think sometimes it’s a little difficult to keep it in perspective after you lose, but we’re second best in the world and we made it into the gold-medal final and that’s a huge accomplishment in itself,” Hammer said. Among the events still to come for nine U.S. riders are the individual pursuit and the omnium.

CURLING

Capital One World Women’s Curling Championship, March 19-27, Esbjerg, Denmark

Patti Lank skipped Team USA to an 8-3 win over top-seeded Sweden on Thursday at the World Women’s Curling Championship, but a 6-5 record was not good enough to carry the U.S. into the playoffs. “That’s the way we’re supposed to play,” said Lank, who was competing in her fifth World Championship. Team USA missed the playoffs by just one win.

USA Curling Mixed National Championship, March 19-26, Midland, Mich.

The gold- and bronze-medal games in the USA Curling Mixed National Championship will get underway Saturday morning at the Midland (Mich.) Curling Club. The top teams are Washington, which won eight of nine round-robin matches, and Alaska, which finished 7-2. Maryland, Ohio, Wisconsin and Minnesota each finished 5-4, and were to compete in playoff matches Friday.

TRIATHLON

ITU Winter Triathlon World Championships, March 26, Jamijarvi, Finland

Winter triathlon national champion Emma Garrard will be among 10 U.S. athletes competing this weekend in the ITU Winter Triathlon World Championships in Finland. Brian Smith, who placed second in the nationals and has repeat 12th-place finishes at the World Championships, and Mike Kloser, who placed fourth at nationals, will lead the U.S. men. Garrard, of Park City, Utah, finished fifth at last week’s Winter Triathlon European Championships. The event Saturday consists of a 6-kilometer run, 11.4-kilometer mountain bike race and 10-kilometer cross country skiing race.

Also in triathlon:

ITU World Cup, March 26-27, Mooloolaba, Australia

Long Course Duathlon National Championship, March 27, Oak Mountain State Park, Pelham, Ala.

BOXING

Pan Am Games Qualifier, March 25-29, Cumana, Venezuela

A 13-member boxing team, including three women, will fight for berths in the 2011 Pan American Games at this weekend’s qualifier in Venezuela. The U.S. lineup includes light heavyweight Jeffrey Spencer, heavyweight Michael Hunter and super heavyweight Danny Kelly. The heavyweight boxers must finish among the top three to qualify for the Pan Am Games, and all other male boxers must advance to the semifinals to qualify. Female boxers must get into the finals to advance to the Pan Ams.

GYMNASTICS

USA Gymnastics Men’s Collegiate Championships, March 25-26, Springfield, Mass.

Nash Mills of the U.S. Air Force Academy and Riley Barclay of Arizona State University will attempt to win repeat all-around USA Gymnastics Men’s Collegiate Championship titles this weekend at Springfield Colleges’ Blake Arena. Air Force is the defending team champion in the varsity category for Division I and II schools, which includes 13-time winner William & Mary. ASU won the 2010 Collegiate Club title. Five schools are entered in each division.

FENCING

Grand Prix, Women’s Saber, March 26-27, Moscow, Russia

Two-time Olympic champion Mariel Zagunis, who helped the U.S. to a bronze-medal finish two weeks ago at the Istanbul, Turkey, World Cup, will lead Team USA into a Grand Prix event this weekend in Moscow. Zagunis finished ninth individually in Istanbul, and Ibtihaj Muhammad was 14th.

Also in fencing:

Women’s Epee, individuals and teams, March 25-27, Leipzig, Germany

Women’s Foil, individuals and teams, March 25-27, Budapest, Hungary

FIELD HOCKEY

U.S. U-21 National Women’s Team vs. Germany, March 25-27, Monchengladbach, Germany

The USA Field Hockey U-21 National Women‘s Team, which tied Ireland twice this past week, will meet the Germany U-21 team in matches Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Rhian Jones and Laura Gebhart scored goals for Team USA in a 2-2 tie against Ireland on Tuesday in Dublin. “We anticipate that the German series is going to extend us a little bit and we are excited about the opportunity to see what we can do against them,” coach Ainslee Lamb said.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

NORCECA Beach Circuit, March 24-27, Grand Cayman

Lauren Fendrick and Brooke Hanson, and Will Strickland and Lucan Wisniakowski will lead four U.S. teams into the first NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit event this weekend at Grand Caymen. In all, two women’s teams and two men’s teams will compete for the United States.

Also in beach volleyball:

USA Volleyball men’s international development qualifier, March 26-27, Chula Vista, Calif.

JUDO

Vladimir Putin International Youth Judo Team Championship, March 21-27, St. Petersburg, Russia

A 10-member youth team coached by Jim Hrbek of Universal Judo in Texas is competing in the International Youth Judo Team Championship, which concludes Sunday in Russia.

Also in judo:

52^nd annual Alaska State Judo Championships, March 25-26, Anchorage, Alaska.

Oklahoma State High School/Collegiate Championships, March 26, Norman, Okla.

TRACK AND FIELD

Pan Am Race Walk Championships, March 26-27, Medellin, Columbia

Erin Gray, who’ll compete in the 20-kilometer women’s race, and Jonathan Matthews, in 50km men, will lead a 13-member U.S. team into this weekend’s Pan Am Race Walk Championships in Colombia.

TAEKWONDO

Pan Am Games Qualifier Tournament, March 25-26, Lima, Peru

At stake in the tournament are berths for the 2011 Pan American Games competition, which will be held Oct. 14-30 in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Also in taekwondo:

Michigan State Championships, March 26, Howell, Mich.

Kansas State Taekwondo Championships, March 26, Overland Park, Kan.

CANOE/KAYAK

Bank of America US Open, March 26-27, Wesser, N.C.

The Nantahala River in North Carolina will be the site for the U.S. Open, one of the early season major races for whitewater paddlers. The competition will include a sprint race Saturday and slalom finals Sunday.

WRESTLING

Northeast Senior Regional & Brockport Championships, March 25-27, Brockport, N.Y.

The competition for senior- and junior-level wrestlers will be held in Greco-Roman and freestyle classes.

EQUESTRIAN

CAI-B Live Oak, March 24-26, Ocala, Fla.

USEF national championships in horse pairs and single, pair and four-in-hands of ponies will be decided this weekend in Ocala, Fla. Shelly Temple, driving her Morgan LR Ami B-Line, won the FEI Single Pony Dressage title with a score of 41.60 on Thursday