Turning the tables: giving ping-pong a go

This week Richard Scruton, LOCOG's Table Tennis Manager, invited several of the other Sport Managers to experience table tennis first hand at Canary Wharf as part of the Ping! London project, funded by Sport England and delivered in partnership with the English Table Tennis Association.

Published: 07/27/2010 | 01:00 PM

Photos of the day: Two years to go!

Today has been full of exciting activities as we celebrate two years to go to the start of the Olympic Games. Here are a few of my favourite images from the day.

Published: 07/27/2010 | 01:00 PM

Have you got what it takes to be a London 2012 Games Maker?

You can feel the energy everywhere you go in the London 2012 offices today. Not only are we marking just two years to go until the Games, but it is also the launch of our official Games-time volunteer programme.

Today we start our search for our London 2012 Games Makers, and I am so excited to launch our campaign to the UK and the world. I’m not alone in my excitement, of course. Hundreds of thousands of people have registered their interest in volunteering at the Games.

Today, our volunteering ambassadors – dance act Diversity, Olympic champion Sally Gunnell and CBeebies presenter Cerrie Burnell – will be on hand alongside pre-Games volunteers, our Trailblazers, to promote the opportunity.

From this morning, applications are open for specialist volunteers and other interest groups that we have been working closely with, including many disability organisations.

We're then giving the general public six weeks to really consider whether or not they truly understand what it means to be a Games-time volunteer.

It's hard work. It's sacrificing at least 10 days of your free time. It's not very glamorous, and there won't be any free tickets or back stage passes.

But you will go down in history as being a part of putting on the greatest show on Earth! 

So join the team and I in reading all of the newspaper articles and watching the news, navigating around our new Games Maker website and asking yourself if you've got what it takes to be a Games Maker!

Have you got what it takes to be a Games Maker?

Published: 07/27/2010 | 01:00 PM

The London 2012 Velodrome will be the best in the world

Today I had the privilege of being on the Olympic Park to mark two years to go to the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games. It was my first time on the Park since 2008 and it has literally transformed since then – so congratulations to all London 2012 staff on a job well done so far.

Published: 07/27/2010 | 01:00 PM

Are you up for the London 2012 Open Weekend challenge?

Millennium Square in Leeds brings back happy memories for me. It’s the first stop on a three day tour of the UK to take in as many of the Open Weekend 2010 celebrations as I can.

Published: 07/23/2010 | 01:00 PM

Photos of the week: Celebrate! Open Weekend and Two years to go!

Construction is now complete on the Olympic Stadium's roof covering. A total of 45,000m² of material was fitted by a team of 23 expert abseilers. Not a job for the faint hearted!

Published: 07/23/2010 | 01:00 PM

First teams qualify for Paralympic Sitting Volleyball competition

Over the last 10 days, 35 teams from 20 countries descended on the windy city of Oklahoma to compete not only for the Sitting Volleyball World Championship crown, but also the chance to secure a place at the London 2012 Paralympics, with the top three teams going through.

Published: 07/21/2010 | 01:00 PM

Alas sir, I cannot fence

Hilary Philbin (nee Cawthorne), the LOCOG Fencing Manager and two-time Olympian (Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980), recently organised a 'taster' session for some of the Sports team. No, we weren't going to practice mending picket fences, this was going to be an opportunity to try out one of the oldest of the Olympic Sports, Fencing being one of the four sports which have been featured at every modern Olympic Games.

Published: 07/16/2010 | 01:00 PM

A recipe for Sitting Volleyball Success

What do you get when you mix the following: 5 Londoners, 3 Surrey boys, one Midlander and a guy from Wales?

The answer is the Men’s Great Britain Sitting Volleyball team. A squad of 12 players united in their goal for Paralympic success who are currently competing for the first time in the World Sitting Volleyball Championships (www.2010worlds.com) in Oklahoma.

Published: 07/15/2010 | 01:00 PM

International Inspiration school partnerships: what's in it for the UK schools?

So, International Inspiration clearly has huge benefits for teachers taking part in school visits, enabling them to share ideas with their partner school on PE and sport and how they can use it to enhance the lives of their young people. But what about the longer-term benefits for the UK schools? How do school links involve teachers and students across the school and in the wider community?

Published: 07/13/2010 | 01:00 PM