Olympic Heritage

The Olympic Games and the UK

In 2012 London will host a Games like never before, drawing on the country’s proud Olympic heritage.

London hosted the Olympic Games in 1908 and 1948.

Each time, we left our mark on the Olympic movement with our innovative approach:

1908

In 1908, London stood as Host City in for Rome after an eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

New in 1908:

• The Olympic Stadium (White City) was built especially for the Olympic Games.


• Athletes paraded under their national flags at a ceremony at the start of the Games.


• The Marathon was fixed at 42.195km (26.2 miles) – the distance from Windsor Castle to the Royal Box in the Olympic Stadium. This became the official distance from the 1924 Games onwards.

1948

In 1948, London again stepped in at the last minute to host the first Games after World War II.

New in 1948:

• Games shown on home television.


• Starting blocks for Sprint races.


• Volunteer Programme created to help run the Games.

Tickets for Vancouver 2010 Winter Games go on sale

Tickets for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games have gone on sale in Host Country Canada and around the world.

The Olympic Games take place in Vancouver and Whistler from 12-28 February 2010.

Tickets are on sale for the 16 Olympic sports, including Figure Skating, Cross-Country Skiing and Snowboard. They are available through National Olympic Committees and official ticket agents in each country.

Find out more on the Vancouver 2010 website, which offers a special section with advice for international visitors.

John Furlong, VANOC Chief Executive Officer, said: 'Visiting Canada and attending the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games promises to be the experience of a lifetime that people will remember for generations.'Canadians can’t wait to welcome the world with glowing hearts and invite everyone to join us in what is sure to be a spectacular celebration of culture, winter sport and incredible athletic achievement.'

This is the first phase of ticket sales, running until 7 November.

The Paralympic Winter Games take place from 12 – 21 March 2010. Tickets go on sale in May 2009.