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The issue explained: The 2012 Olympics

What are you doing?

Jogging

Jogging?

I want to be ready for the Olympics in 2012.

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You look quite porky. Do you think seven years of training will be enough?

I’m planning to enter the race for the best seats.

Fair enough. Hand me that sweatband and I’ll join you

Lord Coe will be pleased to see you getting behind the London bid.

The London bid? Why would I want London to win? I’d much rather take a holiday in New York or Madrid

But you’re from Great Britain. Of course you want London to win the Olympics.

Nope

Coe, the bid chairman and therefore not entirely impartial, calls the event “the greatest prize in sport”. See. He calls it that and he’s won medals.

I’m still not interested

If you don’t get interested we might not win. Coe told Whitehall & Westminster World (Feb 8) that “we need the passion and support of the people in every region of the UK”.

I live in Oban. Should I care what happens in London?

“London may be the city that’s bidding for these Games, but it is bidding on behalf of the whole of the UK.”

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Are you quoting Coe again?

Yes. He’s very persuasive.

He hasn’t persuaded me. I still say all the action would happen down south

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Preliminary football rounds will be played all over the UK

Whoop de doo. It’s not even real football. Try again

Fat children across the country will lose weight emulating their sporting heroes.

I don’t have kids. What do I get?

The torch relay will probably involve every major town and city in the UK.

I suppose that might be fun, but I want a justification my bank manager would like

I suppose you are Sco—

Go with the stereotype and I leave now

Sorry. When Sydney held the Olympics in 2000, the state of Queensland, 1,000km away, earned the equivalent of £150 million from the Games.

How did it do that?

It encouraged teams to train there in the build-up.

I guess we could invite the gymnasts up for a while

Plus “thousands of businesses will enjoy a wealth of games-related opportunities”.

When will this all start?

The International Olympic Committee starts checking out London tomorrow, with the result due in July.

I meant the moneymaking

Prepare now for the action to hot up in the 18 months leading up to the Games.

www.olympic.org

www.london2012.org