London 2012: Kenya's runners aim to drag golden haul from the disarray - The Guardian
Ordo ab chao – out of chaos, comes order. It is one of the oldest freemason mottos, attributed to the 14th century craft masons. In their own pursuit of world domination, it seems to be the motto the Kenyan Olympic team is adopting in 2012.
Kenyan runners have become a familiar sight on Olympic podiums ever since the great Kipchoge Keino first caught the world's attention, winning the 1500m by a huge margin in 1968. Yet good as they have been, in recent years Kenya's runners have got even better.
In Beijing in 2008, they won their biggest haul of medals yet, claiming almost half those available in the middle and long-distance running events. In London, they are set to do even better.
But if anything can stop them, apart from Mo Farah and the Ethiopians, it's their own chaotic preparations. While Britain has had its share of controversy in selecting a team for the Olympics, Kenya has gone from picking and then dropping its newest world record holder, to seeing its most flamboyant star in court on charges of stabbing a woman, and the majority of its team refusing to travel to the pre-Olympic training camp.
It all began when Abel Kirui won the marathon at the world athletics championships in August 2011. A month later Patrick Makau broke the marathon world record in Berlin. In a fit of excitement, Athletics Kenya (AK) announced that both men were pre-selected for the Olympic team. But then Wilson Kipsang almost broke the new world record, falling short by just four seconds. And Geoffrey Mutai followed up his course record in Boston by winning the New York Marathon, also in a record time. And then there was Emmanuel Mutai – no relation – who had beaten Makau to win the London Marathon, also in a course record. The selectors backtracked, reopened the qualifying criteria, and eventually settled, after another series of races, on Kipsang, Kirui and Emmanuel Mutai.
Makau, the world record holder, was not happy."This is something I can't understand. I don't know why I am not in the team since … I was promised by Athletics Kenya a chance to go and compete in the Olympics. Having run a world record, I think I deserved a place in the Olympics team."
The truth was that Kenya had the top 20 fastest marathon runners in the world in 2011 and AK simply couldn't make up its mind who to pick. "In this country, any runner is as good as the other," said AK's chairman, Isaiah Kiplagat, after making the final decision, which did not go down well, but probably summed up the governing body's approach to picking the team.
Amid that melee, AK then decided to run the Olympic trials for 5,000m and 10,000m not in Kenya, but in the US. The rationale was that the athletes needed to be tested in conditions and at an altitude similar to London, but the decision caused an outcry in Kenya that local fans were being denied the chance to witness one of the greatest races on the planet. It also ruled out the possibility of a wildcard coming from nowhere to beat the favourites, as all the runners had to be preselected and flown out to the US.
There was speculation, too, that the country's kit sponsor, Nike, was behind the decision. Kenya's commissioner of sports, Gordon Oluoch, said: "AK should not make excuses to have the trials in the US just because Nike is sponsoring the event." After the furore, AK again backtracked and in the end only the men's 10,000m was run in Eugene – the home town of Nike – while the rest of the trials were held in Nairobi.
A few weeks later, the trials went smoothly, with most of the main protagonists making the team. But just as everyone was predicting great things, a woman turned up late at night at a hospital in the town of Eldoret claiming she had been stabbed by the world steeplechase champion and Team Kenya member Ezekiel Kemboi. In what was a bizarre night at the local police station, Kemboi then turned himself in, saying the woman had actually been stabbed by her own accomplices in a botched attempt to rob him.
The nation was divided on the issue, with the prime minister's wife, Ida Odinga, sending a letter to the national newspapers blaming AK for not protecting the nation's star athletes. "As a mother," she wrote, "I feel there is too little Athletics Kenya, the Kenya National Sports Council and the National Olympics Committee are doing to protect our athletes, especially those selected to represent Kenya in prestigious events like the Olympics." The issue was eventually brushed under the carpet when Kemboi's lawyers convinced the court to hold the trial after the Olympics.
The team could now travel to its pre-Olympic training camp in Bristol. Kenya's national Olympic committee had arranged for the team to be based in Bristol in the weeks leading up to the Games to make use of its "highly specialised facilities". But just days before the team was due to travel, the athletes revolted, this time with the backing of AK, saying it would be madness to leave their high-altitude training camps in the weeks before the Games.
"The whole world is coming to Kenya to train in long and middle distance races. Why would we take our team to Bristol?" asked Kiplagat. Fortunately, some high level discussions took place and it was decided that only the sprinters, swimmers, boxers and the team's lone javelin thrower would travel to Bristol – probably not what the city had in mind when it agreed to host the great Kenyan Olympic team. But as one Kenyan athlete once told me: "In Kenya, nothing is straightforward."
Adharanand Finn is the author of Running with the Kenyans, published by Faber & Faber
Five Kenyans to watch out for at London 2012
David Rudisha
Men's 800m
Rudisha is probably the biggest shoo-in for gold in any track event at the Games. The world record holder and world champion likes to front run, and has been in imperious form this year, winning his last race in Paris by a massive four seconds. He has only been beaten once in three years, by the young Ethiopian Mohammed Amancorrect at the very tailend of last season
Main rival Mohammed Aman
Medal prediction Gold
Mary Keitany
Women's marathon
Keitany has been almost unbeatable over the last few years, winning the London marathon twice and breaking the world record for the half marathon. Her only blip came in the New York marathonMarathon last year when she paid for setting a blistering pace at the beginning and ended up finishing third. Her closest challenger is likely to be her training partner Edna Kiplagatcorrect, who is the world champion and finished second behind Keitany in London this year
Main rival Edna Kiplagat
Medal prediction Gold
Wilson Kipsang
Men's marathon
The second fastest marathon runner in history and an impressive winner in London in April, Kipsang is heading a Kenyan team looking for a clean sweep of the medals. A late bloomer, Kipsang didn't start running seriously until he was 25. As well as battling with each other, the Kenyan trio face a strong Ethiopian team. No one else is likely to get a look in
Main rival Emmanuel Mutai
Medal prediction Gold
Vivian Cheruiyot
Women's 5,000m and 10,000m
The triple world champion from last year (5,000m, 10,000m and cross country) can handle a fast pace, or is devastating in a sprint finish. She was also world 5,0005,000m champion in 2009. Her biggest challenge is likely to come from the double Olympic champion from Ethiopia, Tirunesh Dibabacorrect. The Ethiopian has been injured for much of the last few years but showed an ominous return to form in two races in the US recently. However, she is only in the Ethiopian team for the 10000m
Main rival Tirunesh Dibaba
Medal prediction Gold and silver
Asbel Kiprop
Men's 1500m
The world and Olympic champion is an erratic performer, often getting boxed in at crucial moments, although he usually gets it right on the big occasion. He only finished 3rdthird in the Kenyan trials, but that says more about Kenya's strength in this event than Kiprop's chances of winning gold. His two teammatesteam-mates, Silas Kiplagatcorrect and Nixon Chepsebacorrect, are sure to run him close, while the 1500m is always an event liable to throw up a surprise result
Main rival Silas Kiplagat
Medal prediction Silver
Olympic athletes lost in London by confused bus drivers - ITV
An olympic athlete faced a very different kind of hurdle today after arriving in London. The bus carrying world 400 metres hurdles champion Kerron Clement got lost.
The American was among hundreds of athletes arriving in the capital this morning ahead of the Games which begin in less than two weeks. Kerron Clement tweeted:
USA Track and Field said the American athletes were heading to the Village just to pick up their accreditation before travelling to their pre-Games training camp in Birmingham.
A media shuttle bus carrying officials from Australia also had trouble getting to its destination.
They were taken the scenic route past Buckingham Palace and through the back streets of West Ham on the east London/Essex border. Speaking to the Telegraph Online Australian official Damian Kelly said:
– DAMIAN KELLY, SPEAKING TO THE TELEGRAPH ONLINEIt would have been a great tourist trip if that is what you are here for. He [the driver] admitted this was the first time he had taken the route and no one had taught him how the navigation system works because it operates off GPS. One of the doctors on board got it working for him, but then the Olympic Village hadn't been loaded into the system.
– PETER HENDY, TRANSPORT FOR LONDONI don't know about two buses getting lost. Even amongst our 25,000 bus drivers occasionally they do. I can't believe it would be four hours. They must have been seriously lost - they'd be at Southend-on-Sea, rather than the Olympic Park.
Even the Olympic Torch Relay hasn't escaped problems with buses.
As the procession passed through Fareham in Hampshire over the weekend, staff on the top deck had to dive for cover after it hit a branch and snapped off a big piece.
Watch the video in full at ITV Meridian.
The events are remarkably similar to a plot in the BBC comedy series 'Twenty Twelve'.
In one episode a bus tour for a team of delegates ends in disaster as the driver gets completely lost.
UK family opens home to 'smallest' Olympic nation
First athletes arrive as Olympic countdown begins
Athletes, visitors flock to London after security row - Reuters UK
LONDON |
LONDON (Reuters) - The first wave of Olympic athletes and visitors began pouring into Britain on Monday as officials played down fears that a packed London would buckle under the pressure of its biggest peacetime security and transport operation.
An embarrassing shortage of security guards, fears over airport queues and questions about the capital's creaking transport system have overshadowed preparations for the Games.
Extra soldiers and police were mobilised to help guard the Games after private security firm G4S said it had run out of time to train all its newly recruited staff.
Less than two weeks before the opening ceremony on July 27, Prime Minister David Cameron said the G4S shambles would not compromise Britain's largest peacetime policing exercise.
"We had contingency plans, we are using those contingency plans and we will do whatever it takes to deliver a safe and secure Games," Cameron told a news conference.
The security fiasco dominated headlines and Cameron's coalition government was forced to defend itself in parliament from media accusations it had known for months of G4S's recruitment problems.
"In fact, G4S repeatedly assured us they would overshoot their targets," Home Secretary Theresa May, the minister responsible for domestic security, told lawmakers.
"G4S only told the government that they would be unable to meet their contractual obligations last Wednesday," she added, the day before May announced Britain would deploy a further 3,500 troops to make up the shortfall.
Police said personnel from eight forces across Britain had been deployed earlier than planned because of G4S's failings as part of a force that will peak at 12,500 officers on Olympics duty a day.
"SHAMBLES"
The police staff association condemned G4S, a company they see taking jobs from its members as forces look to the private sector to cope with spending cuts.
"What is unacceptable is that the officers I represent have to have their plans changed at such short notice to back fill for what is a shambles by a private company G4S who failed to deliver," West Midlands Police Federation chairman Ian Edwards told Sky News.
Shares in G4S fell to the lowest level in more than six months on fears the fallout from the botched contract could hit the company's chances to win work in Britain and abroad.
Security chiefs said they were prepared for threats on the scale of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Four British Islamist suicide bombers killed 52 people on three trains and a bus in London on the day after London won the Games in July 2005.
The private guards, police and soldiers are being backed up by fighter jets and missile batteries placed on the top of apartment blocks near the Olympics site in east London.
The International Olympic Committee said on Monday safety levels had not been compromised by the G4S glitch.
London's main Heathrow Airport, notorious for passport and security queues, was handling what was due to be its busiest day on record, while the Olympic village opened its doors to the first athletes.
"I was expecting a 3-hour queue like everyone said. It took not even five minutes. It was flawless - good job London," said John Retsios, 36, who had flown from New York with the U.S. modern pentathlon team.
RECORD DAY
Airport operator BAA Plc, owned by Spain's Ferrovial, said it expected a record 237,000 passengers to use Heathrow on Monday, including 335 athletes. The busiest day for arriving athletes is expected to be July 24.
The first section of road reserved for Olympic athletes and officials began operating on Monday, when one lane of the motorway linking Heathrow with the western edge of the capital was closed to all non-Olympic traffic.
It will form part of a 30 mile (48 km) network of road lanes designed to whisk 82,000 athletes and officials through London's notoriously congested streets. Critics have nicknamed them "Zil lanes" after the roads reserved for the limousines of senior officials in the old Soviet Union.
Traffic in central London was down by 10 percent, the capital's transport chief Peter Hendy said, as drivers took heed of warnings to avoid the capital during the Olympic rush.
Not everything ran to order, however. One member of the U.S. athletics team complained on Twitter that the bus taking him to the Olympic Village was lost for four hours en route.
"Not a good first impression London", twice world 400 metres champion Kerron Clement wrote.
But the U.S. Olympics Committee said feedback from American athletes arriving in London had been "fantastic".
"(London 2012 organiser) LOCOG is to be commended for the professionalism in which they have organised these Games and one bus trip doesn't detract from that a bit," spokesman Patrick Sandusky said.
(Additional reporting by Tim Castle, Omar Oresanya; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Tim Pearce)
Car Finance experts Car Loan 4U comment on the new Vauxhall ADAM - PRWeb
Car Loan 4U
Macclesfield, UK (PRWEB UK) 16 July 2012
The new three-door, four-seater ADAM is not set for unveiling until the Paris Motoshow later in the year, with an anticipated launch date for the UK in early 2013, but it promises to be an exciting new car from Vauxhall.
Car Loan 4U Co-Director Ryan Dignan comments;
“Vauxhall appear to be setting new ground with the ADAM, offering a greater level of personalisation and technical specifications that are normally only on offer with more expensive cars.
“Features such as Advanced Park Assist II system, which allows for automatic parking, is a new feature not seen before on any Vauxhall production car. Although the car is not due for release until next year, we anticipate that demand for Vauxhall Vauxhall car finance when it does come out will increase considerably.
“At Car Loan 4U we offer new car loans at affordable rates on a range of different makes and models. Anyone keen to upgrade to the ADAM at the time of launch should consider our flexible car finance options.”
The new car comes with a choice of three ecoFLEX four-cylinder petrol engines: a 1.2-litre 70PS, plus two 1.4-litre engines with either 87PS or 100PS. All will be available with optional Start/Stop technology.
The ADAM features what Vauxhall describe as a ‘floating’ roof that is ‘visually disconnected from the body.’ The car also features a high level of personalisation, with three trim styles and exterior colours.
Notes
For your car finance needs visit: http://www.carloan4u.co.uk.
Twitter: @carloan4u
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/carloan4u
London 2012: China hits back in Olympics team uniform row calling U.S. 'hypocritical' - Daily Mail
|
China's official news agency has blasted U.S. lawmakers for complaining that the uniforms American athletes will wear at the London Olympics were manufactured in China.
The Xinhua News Agency on Monday called the American outcry over the made-in-China Olympic blazers ‘hypocritical’ and ‘irresponsible.’
‘The Olympics spirit is all about separating sports from politics, but these U.S. politicians are going too far and trying to force a political tag onto the uniforms,’ it said in the Chinese-language commentary.
Democratic Party donor Ralph Lauren's China-made Olympic outfits, seen here on, from left, swimmer Ryan Lochte, decathlete Bryan Clay, rower Giuseppe Lanzone and soccer player Heather Mitts, were unveiled on Tuesday
Medal favorite Lochte, seen left at Olympic trials, is barely recognizable in the heavily branded ensemble
Xinhua snarkily suggested that all U.S. lawmakers should perhaps be banned from ‘wearing anything or using any product’ that was made abroad — a near-impossible restriction in today's globalized economy.
The news agency singled out U.S. Senate majority leader Harry Reid, who had called for the uniforms to be piled up and burned.
‘If there is anything that should be burned, it should really be the hypocrisy of the U.S. politics,’ it said.
Six Democratic senators have also said they plan to introduce legislation requiring the ceremonial uniforms be produced in the United States.
Xinhua blamed U.S. election year politics for the controversy, saying the team's uniforms have also been made abroad in previous years.
‘The reason this issue has stirred people up is because the words 'made-in-China' touch upon the most sensitive topic of the U.S. election - 'outsourcing,'' it said.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has repeatedly pledged to get tougher with China on its trade and currency practices, including pledging to quickly declare China a currency manipulator if elected.
Donor: Ralph Lauren, pictured, has donated $7,300 to the President since 2008, and more than $35,000 to the Democratic National Committee
The U.S. Olympic Committee has defended its decision to have Ralph Lauren Corp design the outfits and oversee the manufacturing process.
The clothing company now says Team USA uniforms for the next Olympics, the winter games in 2014, will be made in America.
'For more than 45 years Ralph Lauren has built a brand that embodies the best of American quality and design rooted in the rich heritage of our country,' Ralph Lauren representatives said in a statement cited by People.
'Ralph Lauren promises to lead the conversation within our industry and our government addressing the issue of increasing manufacturing in the United States and has committed to producing the Opening and Closing ceremony Team USA uniforms in the United States that will be worn for the 2014 Olympic Games.'
Meanwhile, BBC reported that Democratic senators are planning to introduce legislation to ensure uniforms worn by American athletes are only produced domestically.
The controversy over the Olympic uniforms broke out last Thursday when members of Congress discovered that the blazers that will be sported by Team USA at the Games were manufactured overseas.
Adding fuel to the fire, The Washington Free Beacon revealed that the uniforms' designer, Ralph Lauren, is a prominent contributor to President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party.
American Apparel poised to make Russians' uniforms for 2014 Olympics
Ralph Lauren has raised eyebrows this week when it was revealed that the company chose to produce Olympic uniforms for Team USA in China, and now another American clothing manufacturer is under scrutiny.
Los Angeles-based American Apparel has announced that it has been in talks since 2011 for a deal to design uniforms for Russia’s Olympic team for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
American Apparel CEO Dov Charney said that Russian officials stated that they did not want anything from China, not even merchandise, unlike their American counterparts.
Source: New York Post
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Mr Lauren has donated $7,300 to Obama since 2008, and more than $35,000 to the Democratic National Committee.
The links were uncovered after President Obama’s own ties to outsourcing have come under scrutiny of late, namely his green energy loan program, which awarded billions of dollars to foreign-owned companies and firms that manufacture their products overseas.
It is unclear whether the DNC will be returning Mr Lauren’s donation.
Both Republicans and Democrats joined together during the week to rail against the decision to dress Team USA in Chinese-manufactured berets, blazers and pants while the American textile industry is struggles with millions of U.S. workers desperate for jobs.
'I am so upset. I think the Olympic committee should be ashamed of themselves. I think they should be embarrassed. I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again,' Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said.
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters at her weekly news conference that she's proud of the nation's Olympic athletes, but 'they should be wearing uniforms that are made in America.'
Republican House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio said simply of the USOC, 'You'd think they'd know better.'
In a statement, the U.S. Olympic Committee defended the choice of designer Ralph Lauren for the clothing at the London Games, which begin later this month.
The team unveiled buttoned-up, refined uniforms designed by Ralph Lauren earlier in the week for the opening ceremony at the London Olympics. Men will wear navy blue blazers with the Olympic team patch, along with a red and navy tie, and cream-colored flat-front pants.
Women will pair the blazers with scarves with red, white and blue stripes, and a knee-length cream-colored skirt. All the team members will top off their uniforms with navy berets highlighted with red and white stripes.
Anger: Several members of Congress fuming, with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid demanding that the Olympic committee 'burn them and start all over again'
David Lauren, Ralph Lauren's Executive Vice President, told Today that the company was 'very inspired by the 1948 Games, which is the last time that American competed in England.'
The outfits are supposed to be an 'updated take on old-world elegance.'
'Unlike most Olympic teams around the world, the U.S. Olympic Team is privately funded and we're grateful for the support of our sponsors,' USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky said in a statement.
'We're proud of our partnership with Ralph Lauren, an iconic American company, and excited to watch America's finest athletes compete at the upcoming Games in London.'
In 2002 Winter Olympians wore a sort of beret as well, and it was a hit with consumers
Ralph Lauren also is dressing the Olympic and Paralympic teams for the closing ceremony and providing casual clothes to be worn around the Olympic Village. Nike has made many of the competition uniforms for the U.S. and outfits for the medal stand.
On Twitter, Sandusky called the outrage over the made-in-China uniforms nonsense. The designer, Sandusky wrote, 'financially supports our team. An American company that supports American athletes.
'It is not just a label, it's an economic solution,' said Democratic Congressman Steve Israel of New York. 'Today there are 600,000 vacant manufacturing jobs in this country and the Olympic committee is outsourcing the manufacturing of uniforms to China? That is not just outrageous, it's just plain dumb. It is self-defeating.'
Senator Israel urged the USOC to reverse the decision and ensure U.S. athletes wear uniforms that are made in America.
Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., sent letters to Lawrence Probst III, chairman of the USOC, complaining about the made-in-China uniforms. Senator Brown suggested that the USOC find a manufacturer with a facility in the United States, suggesting the Hugo Boss plant in Cleveland.
'There is no compelling reason why all of the uniforms cannot be made here on U.S. soil at the same price, at better quality,' Senator Gillibrand and Israel wrote.
Economic: Republicans and Democrats joined together Thursday rail against the Chinese manufactured berets, blazers and pants while the American textile industry struggles with many U.S. workers desperate for jobs
In a tweet, U.S. track and field Olympian Nick Symmonds, who will compete in the 800-meter run at the London Games, wrote: 'Our Ralph Lauren outfits for the Olympic opening ceremonies were made in China. So, um, thanks China.'
'I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again.'
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
This is hardly the first time patriotism has been discussed when it comes to Olympic clothing. The must-have souvenir of the 2002 Salt Lake Games was a fleece beret, something that athletes wore in the opening ceremony and prompted countless people to spend hours on lines waiting to purchase during those Olympics.
Those berets were made by Roots, a Canadian company that was the official U.S. team outfitter for that opening ceremony.
The marketing folks can only hope these berets go over as well as they did in 2002, when the U.S. team wore powder-blue berets at the Winter Olympics that became instant hits and quickly sold out at stores around Salt Lake City.
The company said in a statement the outfits aim to embody 'the spirit of American athleticism and sportsmanship.'
VIDEO: Senator Reid says the uniforms should be burned...
London 2012: Going nowhere fast, the Olympic lanes - Daily Telegraph
Despite an electronic sign telling the public they could still use this lane, motorists fearful of the fine avoided it, taking the other lane and creating a tailback during the morning rush hour.
To muddy the waters further, the lane on the A30 from Egham, Surrey, to Dorney lake, the rowing venue near Windsor, was brought into service and police fined motorists who transgressed.
“There are bound to be teething troubles,” said Paul Watters of the AA. “There are clear signs. Maybe motorists are not paying enough attention to them or missing them in busy traffic.
“We do prefer the flexibility that these signs provide, because it makes it easier to open up the lanes when possible.”
He said the A30 lane “may have come as a surprise” because attention had focused on the M4.
Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said it was no wonder if drivers were confused. “With unsportingly large fines of £130 being dished out to those who stray into Olympic territory, no one will be taking a chance even if the official launch day for the lanes isn’t until July 25,” he said.
Motorists have also been perplexed by some of the signs. Roadside boards — since removed — have given conflicting information over when lanes would come into force and one set of new markings in Russell Square, in the heart of London, appeared to offer a choice only of driving in a bus lane or an Olympic lane, either of which could prove expensive.
Even small problems during the Games could quickly escalate, warned Kevin Delaney, a former head of traffic at the Metropolitan Police. “London’s road network runs at, or very close to, capacity almost all day, almost every day of the year,” he explained. “Wherever the Games lanes are, they have reduced the amount of lanes for ordinary traffic.
“Unless everybody heeds the advice to not drive, there are problems. Imagine if there is a situation where we have a breakdown or a crash. The road network just would not cope with that.
“The best analogy I can make is the blood system in your body: it works fine until you get a clot but when you do it has a disproportionate effect.”
London 2012 Olympics: American and Australian team buses get lost from Heathrow to Olympic Park - Daily Telegraph
The result was a journey which took the tired and bemused athletes past Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament before finally crawling to its destination.
“Buckingham Palace, on the way to the Olympic Village? Not the most direct route, Monopoly tour maybe! Mayfair next?” said Australian sailor Elise Rechichi.
Rechichi had earlier feared her sail had been lost by Heathrow baggage handlers, although it was later found in the cargo area.
A separate London 2012 bus carrying American athletes got so badly lost it took four hours to make the 23-mile trip across the capital.
The blunders were an embarrassment to London’s Olympic organisers, especially as yesterday marked the point at which the world’s media began to take a special interest in the event, and given that Heathrow itself seemed to cope well with what had been billed as the busiest day of arrivals in its history. Bus drivers, many of them unfamiliar with London streets, found the GPS systems difficult to operate and some of the Olympic venues, like the athletes’ village location, have not been pre-loaded.
Navigation woes meant drivers missed key turn-offs and the 90-minute journey was in many cases extended well beyond 2½ hours even though the Olympic Lane was in operation on a small part of the M4.
In what resembled a script from the BBC comedy Twenty Twelve, the Dublin-based bus driver taking the Australian contingent of 30 athletes, officials and medical staff took his passengers past Buckingham Palace and into the back streets of West Ham yesterday morning before ended up driving the wrong way down a one-way street. The team had cleared immigration in less than 15 minutes after their 23-hour flight but had to wait an hour and a half for a bus to arrive.
“It would have been a great tourist trip if that is what you are here for,” said Australian official Damian Kelly. “The driver admitted this was the first time he’d taken the route and no one had taught him how the navigation system works because it operates off GPS. One of the doctors on board got it working for him, but then the Olympic village hadn’t been loaded into the system and everyone was trying to find the name of the street the village was in. In the end another physio got out his iPhone and gave directions to the driver via his phone.”
The experience of the Australians mirrored that of the United States contingent. Two-time world 400 metres hurdles champion Kerron Clement said his first impression of London was not that favourable.
Clement, the Olympic silver medallist and rival to Team GB’s world champion Dai Greene tweeted from the lost bus: “Um, so we’ve been lost on the road for 4hrs. Not a good first impression London. Athletes are sleepy, hungry and need to pee. Could we get to the Olympic Village please.”
But the transport commissioner Peter Hendy thought that particular delay may have been exaggerated.
He said: “I can’t believe it would have been four hours – they would have had to get seriously lost. They would have been at Southend rather than the Olympic Park. They would have seen the whole of south-east England.”
Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson apologised for the transport problems. More than 1,000 athletes checked into the Olympic village with a similar number expected on Tuesday.
He said: “If people have been on buses that have got lost then it is of course regrettable. I am extremely sorry, and clearly the drivers need to know where they are going.”
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games said the average time taken for the airport route was two hours, slightly longer than it had forecast. But it brushed off the transport problems.
A spokeswoman said: “We will do over 100 bus journeys today. It is day one and we have only had one or two issues where journeys have taken longer than planned, The vast majority are fine.”
Stagecoach and Arriva have the contracts to provide the bus travel for athletes and members of the media.
“With the athletes needing to be on top form when they arrive to compete, it is crucial that their journey is comfortable, convenient and hassle-free,” Stagecoach said in a release months ago. The company referred all media queries back to Locog.
Northern Motors Vauxhall Announce Pricing For Mokka SUV - PRLog (free press release)
Northern Motors Vauxhall will expand its already broad range later this year with the addition of the Mokka SUV, which is now available to order at a starting price of just £16,995.
The new model will enter the growing sub‐compact SUV B‐segment. However, despite its compact 4.28 metre length can accommodate five adults in comfort. Its key rivals will be cars like the Skoda Yeti and from Nissan, the Juke and Qashqai.
Like all Vauxhalls, the Mokka comes with Vauxhall Lifetime Warranty. Available in three trims – S, Exclusiv and SE – the Mokka comes with generous levels of standard equipment, including DMB (Digital Media Broadcast) radio, air conditioning, Descent Control System, cruise control, aux‐in and a multi‐function trip computer.
Three engines, ranging in power from 115 to 140PS, will be available from launch. The 1.6‐litre petrol produces 115PS and 155Nm of torque and, with its standard Start/Stop system, delivers a combined 43.5mpg. With 140PS, the 1.4‐litre turbo is the Mokka’s most powerful petrol engine and brings with it standard four‐wheel drive and sub‐150g C02 emissions.
The Mokka has a choice of two diesel models, both of which use Vauxhall’s 1.7 CDTi 130PS engine, with C02 emissions as low as 124g/km. In front‐wheel drive form, the 1.7 CDTi is available with a six‐speed manual or six‐speed automatic transmission, and with all‐wheel drive, the Mokka comes with the six-speed manual only. Like the petrol‐powered cars, all manual models have Vauxhall’s fuel‐saving Start/Stop system as standard.
Front or Four‐Wheel Drive Transmissions
The Mokka has been designed to perform efficiently in urban environments, but with the ability to be driven off‐road when the need arises. Both front‐wheel drive and four‐wheel drive models are available, with the AWD system being fully adaptive. When the vehicle is being driven on smooth, dry surfaces all drive is sent to the front wheels for maximum efficiency. However, when the road surface is slippery, as much as 50 per cent of the drive automatically and seamlessly is diverted to the rear axle. The entire AWD
system weighs just 65kgs, benefitting handling and fuel economy.
Mokka Brings Wide Range of New Tech to Sub‐Compact SUV Segment
A variety of state‐of‐the‐
Reinforcing its role as a recreational car for families, the Mokka also has the option of Vauxhall’s latest generation FlexFix rear bicycle carrier. The carrier is fully integrated into the rear bumper, and slides out like a drawer to accept up to three bicycles at a time. The system even allows easy access to the tailgate/cargo area when the bikes are on the carrier.
Standard on all Mokkas is a comprehensive package of safety systems, including Electronic Stability Control, Traction Control, Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control, providing drivers with reassurance, no matter if they are on or off‐road. HDC is an excellent ally when a driver is descending a steep hill, when it determines and limits the speed of the vehicle, meaning that the brakes need not be applied.
Adding further still to the Mokka’s comprehensive safety armoury is Vauxhall’s Advanced Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL+). This technology automatically adapts the Mokka’s lighting to suit its driving environment, whether it is motorway, country, urban, adverse weather, increased full beam, or cornering beam. The system is also equipped with High Beam Assist, which adjusts the high beams automatically so that oncoming traffic is not dazzled.
Bold SUV design combined with generous functionality;
1540mm track and 18‐inch wheels on most models.
Inside, the Mokka has 19 storage locations, 60:40 split rear seats, and an all‐up load space of 1,372 litres with the rear seats folded down.
Retail Launch Later This Year
Customers can order the Mokka from today through the Vauxhall retail network. The car will arrive in UK showrooms in November this year.
For further information, visit www.northernmotors.co.uk, www.facebook.com/
Andy White, Sales Manager at Northern Motors Watford, tel: 01923 813000
Derek Williams, Sales Manager at Northern Motors Harrow, tel: 0208 427 4444.
0 Responses to "London 2012: Kenya's runners aim to drag golden haul from the disarray - The Guardian"
Post a Comment