Volleyball England Foundation

View Original

Remembering LONDON 2012 - part 1.

I know we were all exciting about the spectacle that would have been Tokyo 2020 this summer. A chance to see the top athletes from around the world on court. COVID 19 has put a stop to that but, we can all look forward to July 2021.

Perhaps this is a good time to look back at the amazing summer that we had in London in 2012. To explore the experiences of some of our amazing GAMES MAKERS, and remember the pride, joy and elation we felt during that summer of stunning performances. To look at the legacy left from the games for us as a nation and for volleyball in particular.

Many of you will be too young to even remember what happened in 2012 so lets start back in 2005 with that momentous announcement.

Reading some of the coverage in the press following the announcement , it was easy to get the impression that a battle was about to start between optimism and cynicism, unfortunately a British condition.

There were those who believed London's 2012 bid would be a huge boost to tourism as the Sydney Olympics did in 2000 , a boost to the economy and would regenerate the deprived areas of east London. But some express doubts about our ability and the finance needed to deliver a truly world class event.

How wrong they were - more tomorrow about the next steps to 2012.