30 Days to Opeing of 2012 Olympic Games

Day 4 - Bath

The 2012 Summer Olympic Games is fast approaching. In fact they open in London in one month’s time – in 30 days.  They open on 27 July 2012 and close on 12 August 2012. The 2012 Paralympic Games will follow from 29 August to 9 September.

For those who want even more, the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Summer Olympics, open in the Maracanã Stadium in Brazil on 5 August 2016 – that’s only 1501 days away

The games are a gathering of people from around the world, with 205 nations expected to take part in 300 events at the Olympic Games in 2012. This is not the first time that London has hosted the Olympic Games – they also hosted them in 1908 and 1948.

A significant part in the lead up to the Olympic Games is the Olympic Torch, which spreads the message of peace, unity and friendship.

Elephants salute

The Olympic Torch Relay is on a journey to many of the cities and townships in the UK, visiting a number of UK’s Islands including the Isla of Man, Guernsey and Jersy   over a period of 70 days, England, Wales, Ireland, & Scotland will all see the Torch at some stage of the Relay.

The Olympic Torch was lit from the sun's rays at the Temple of Hera in Olympia, in a traditional ceremony among the ruins of the home of the Ancient Games. It arrived in the UK on 18 May and commenced its 70 day journey when it went from Land’s End to Plymouth on 19 May.

Chariots of Fire

The halfway mark of the Torch Relay (Day 35) was completed on 22 June when the Torch was carried from Kendal to Blackpool. At this point  the Olympic Torch Relay had been carried by 3,529 Torchbearers and had travelled 3,901.57 miles of its 8,000-mile journey and has been through 548 of the more than 1,000 cities, towns and villages that it is due to visit. More than 4 million people had seen the Olympic Torch at this halfway point of the Relay.

Some of the highlights so far of the Torch Relay  include:

- Elephants at the West Midlands Safari Park saluting the Olympic Flame as it was carried by Christopher Stokes on the Severn Valley Railway

- Joseph Forrester carrying the Olympic Flame along St Andrews West Sands, made famous by the film Chariots of Fire

- Bear Grylls carrying the Olympic Flame on a zip wire from the top of the Tyne Bridge

- David State proposing to his girlfriend in Loftus while carrying the Olympic Flame

- Stephanie Booth carrying the Olympic Flame on a steam boat across Lake Windermere

Bear Grylls

Today the Torch is being carried from Grimsby to Lincoln. On the last day of the Torch Relay, Day 70, the torch is being carried from Hampton Court into the Olympic Stadium  The last Torch Bearer will light the  Cauldron at the Opening Ceremony.

For more information about the Olympic Torch relay and the 2012 Olympic Games  see the official website http://www.london2012.com/