The Olympic torch enters London with one week to go until 2012 Olympic Games

by Merryn Sherwood on 20 Jul, 2012 06:35 • Español

With exactly one week to go until the London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony, the Olympic Flame will be abseiled from a helicopter to the Tower of London this evening as it arrives for its seven-day journey around the Host City.

The Olympic Torch Relay – presented by Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung – has visited over 1,000 communities around the UK and celebrated the achievements of over 7,000 Torchbearers to date. In total 10.2 million people have lined the streets to see the Flame.

In London, the the final leg of its journey, the Torch will be carried by 982 Torchbearers around 200 miles of the capital’s streets. The final day of the Relay – 27 July – will see 18 Torchbearers carry the Flame, seven of whom will travel with it down the River Thames on Gloriana, the royal barge.

Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG said: ‘Thank you to everyone who has cheered on the Torchbearers right around the UK and helped to build the excitement towards the start of the Games. With eleven days to go until the Olympic Flame the lights the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony it is great to see London ready to welcome the Flame and set to celebrate inspiring people and amazing places in each and every Borough.’

Millions of people across the UK are preparing to join in a day of celebrations on Friday 27 July. The day will begin with bells ringing across the UK, as quickly and loudly as possible, at 8.12am for three minutes. This is part of the London 2012 Festival commission ‘All The Bells’ by Turner Prize winning artist Martin Creed.

Anyone can take part by ringing any kind of bell for three minutes – from change ringing experts to enthusiastic children with hand bells, bicycle bells and doorbells.

The latest update of the free official London 2012 Join In mobile application allows anyone to play the Martin Creed bell sequence by tapping or shaking their phone like a hand bell. Find out more here

Friday 27 July marks the final day of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay. After being carried through the world’s oldest hedge maze at Hampton Court Palace the Flame will board The Queen’s Rowbarge ‘Gloriana’ where a ceremonial cauldron will be lit. Over the course of the morning seven Torchbearers on board the Gloriana will light a Torch from the cauldron and carry the Flame for about eight minutes each. The finale to the public participation in the Torch Relay will see the last Torchbearer on the Gloriana carry the Flame to Tower Bridge at approximately 12.45pm. The Flame will then remain out of view until it appears at the Opening Ceremony that evening.

The worldwide broadcast of Danny Boyle’s ‘Isles of Wonder’ Olympic Opening Ceremony will commence at 9pm (local time) to an estimated audience of 1 billion people around the world.

More more on triathlon at the London 2012 Olympic Games, visit triathlon.org/olympics

With files from LOCOG

Article tags opening ceremony london 2012 torch relay

Article gallery

Related Event: London 2012 Olympic Games

04 - 07 Aug, 2012 • event page • all results

Results: Elite Women
1.	Nicola Spirig	SUI	01:59:48
2.	Lisa Norden	SWE	01:59:48
3.	Erin Densham	AUS	01:59:50
4.	Sarah True	USA	02:00:00
5.	Helen Jenkins	GBR	02:00:19

Results: Elite Men
1.	Alistair Brownlee	GBR	01:46:25
2.	Javier Gomez Noya	ESP	01:46:36
3.	Jonathan Brownlee	GBR	01:46:56
4.	David Hauss	FRA	01:47:14
5.	Laurent Vidal	FRA	01:47:21

Olympic Triathlon start lists finalised for London 2012
With the London 2012 Opening Ceremony exactly two weeks away, ITU is pleased to reveal the official triathlon start lists for the London 2012 Olympic Games after the draw for start numbers took place in Tiszuajvaros, Hungary
07:34 - 13 Jul, 2012
U.S. Olympic Committee confirms U.S. Triathlon team for London 2012
With less than three weeks until the Olympic Games kick off in London, the 2012 U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team has officially been announced by the U.S. Olympic Committee.
01:12 - 11 Jul, 2012
Italy names team for London 2012 Olympic Games
The Italian Olympic Committee has confirmed the Italian team for the triathlon competitions at London 2012, naming Alessandro Fabian, Davide Uccellari and Annamaria Mazzetti to make their Olympic debuts
11:02 - 06 Jul, 2012
Germany names team for London 2012 Olympic Games
The German Olympic triathlon team has officially been announced, highlighted by reigning Olympic men's champion Jan Frodeno and four-time Olympian Anja Dittmer.
10:11 - 05 Jul, 2012
Spain reveals London 2012 Olympic team
Spain was one of a handful of nations to qualify the maximum six triathletes for the London 2012. Double world champion Javier Gomez headlines the team that also includes European Championships runner-up Ainhoa Murua
05:44 - 21 Jun, 2012
Russia announces Olympic Team for London 2012
Russia has confirmed a formidable men's team for London 2012, highlighted by Alexander Bryukhankov and Dmitry Polyanskiy. The women's team will include an Olympic rookie and a returning Olympian
07:15 - 19 Jun, 2012
Switzerland reveals London 2012 Olympic team
Swiss Triathlon has announced the four triathletes that will represent Switzerland at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The team includes the reigning European Champion as well as a past Olympic medallist
10:14 - 15 Jun, 2012
France selects team for London 2012 Olympics
France confirmed the six triathletes that will represent them the London 2012 Olympic Games. The talented group includes three returning Olympians and three rising stars set to make their Olympic debuts
09:07 - 14 Jun, 2012
Canada announces Olympic team for London 2012
Double Olympic medallist Simon Whitfield will head to his 4th Olympic Games as Triathlon Canada unveiled the five athletes who will represent Canada in London. Paula Findlay and Kyle Jones will make their Olympic debuts
09:52 - 12 Jun, 2012
Australian women's team finalised for London 2012
Triathlon Australia has named the three female triathletes that will join Brad Kahlefeldt, Courtney Atkinson and Brendan Sexton to make up the Australian Olympic team for London 2012.
09:16 - 12 Jun, 2012
British Olympic team announced for London 2012
The British Olympic Association officially announced the six athletes that will represent the home team in the triathlon competitions at the London 2012 Olympic Games
11:12 - 09 Jun, 2012
Record number of countries earn spots at London 2012 Olympic Games
ITU's 2-year Olympic qualification period ended last week with a record 39 National Olympic Committees qualifying spots at the triathlon competition for London 2012, the highest number ever for triathlon at an Olympic Games
09:39 - 05 Jun, 2012
Japan announces Olympic team for London 2012
The Japan Triathlon Union (JTU) has announced that Juri Ide, Ai Ueda, Mariko Adachi, Yuichi Hosoda and Hirokatsu Tayama have been selected to represent Japan at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
06:12 - 05 Jun, 2012
Australian men's team named for London 2012 Olympic Games
The Australian Olympic Committee has announced Courtney Atkinson and Brendan Sexton will join Brad Kahlefeldt on the Australian men's team for the triathlon event at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
08:58 - 04 Jun, 2012
London 2012 - Olympic flame lit at Olympia
With only 78 days until the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Olympic flame was today lit at Olympia during a ceremony organised by the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC)
05:28 - 10 May, 2012