LONDON 2012 – TURNING THE GAMES INTO GOLD

Lausanne, July 30, 2014 – Almost two years to the day from the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, the IOC is delighted with the news of a new report from the British Government showing that the Olympic Games continue to provide significant legacies for the city of London and the UK as a whole.
The report on the successful legacies from London 2012 reveals that the British economy has seen a trade and industry boost in excess of £14 billion (USD 23.8 billion) following the Games beating the four-year target of £11 billion (USD 18.7 billion) in half the time with British businesses securing contract wins, additional sales and new foreign investment in the two years since the Games were held.
The report also highlighted many other Olympic legacies, including an increase in international visitors to Britain since the Games (up 6 per cent to 33 million in 2013) and the transformation of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
More than one million people have visited Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park since it reopened to the public, while 2,800 homes have been created after the Athletes’ Village was converted into residential housing.
According to the report, more Britons are also playing sport than ever before, with 15.6 million people aged 16 and over taking part in sport at least once a week 1.7 million more than in 2005 when London won the bid to host the Games.
London 2012 also created a strong volunteering legacy, with the ‘Join In’ initiative supporting 10,000 local events across the country in summer 2013, further demonstrating how hosting major sports events can bring about benefits to society.
IOC President Thomas Bach commented: “Ensuring a positive legacy from the Olympic Games for a host city and country is very important for the IOC. This is why I am delighted to see that our British partners have succeeded in maximizing the legacy of London 2012 across a number of different areas.”
“As an Olympian – he continued – I saw that London 2012 was a Games built around the athletes. As IOC President, I see that London and Britain have also understood that the Games can be a catalyst for positive long-term economic, social and sustainable legacies. These figures confirm that the Olympic Games can provide tangible benefits for a lot more than just 16 days of competition.”