London Can Echo a Greek Victory ; Our Sporting Passion Is Trump Card in Bid for the 2012 Games

Evening Standard - London › August 31, 2004

Linked as:

Summary

THERE were times during the XXVIII Olympic Games here that you inevitably had to ask yourself once again whether all the hype and hoopla of the most elephantine event on earth was really worth it.

Was it worth having to assemble the biggest peacetime security exercise in Europe's history? Was it worth the millions spent on the deployment of Patriot air defence missiles and thousands of 'Big Brother' surveillance cameras? Or the complete disruption to one city's life just to allow us to play and watch a bit of sport?

See the full content of this document

Extract

London Can Echo a Greek Victory ; Our Sporting Passion Is Trump Card in Bid for the 2012 Games

Then, any time you could feel the cynicism growing inside you again as another positive drugs test was revealed or another irritating medal protest was announced or the sight of another half- empty stadium prompted dismay, something wonderful would occur to quite dispel the ...

See the full content of this document