Posts tagged "Olympics"

London 2012 Olympics: Ben Ainslie begins Olympic torch relay

• Three-time Olympic sailing champion Ben Ainslie was the first of 8,000 torchbearers to lift the flame
• Huge crowds watched children take part in the relay’s opening day
• Torchbearers include some of Britain’s brightest sporting prospects
• David Beckham and Princess Anne travelled with flame as it was brought to Cornwall from Athens

By Rob Preece

PUBLISHED: 12:20 EST, 18 May 2012 | UPDATED: 17:33 EST, 19 May 2012

The London 2012 Olympic torch has begun its 8,000-mile relay across the UK, carried by one of Britain’s greatest athletes and cheered on by thousands.

Three-time Olympic sailing champion Ben Ainslie was the first of 8,000 torchbearers to lift the flame as it started its 70-day journey to the capital for the Games’ opening ceremony.

Some 3,500 supporters of all ages gathered at Land’s End in Cornwall to watch the 35-year-old collect the torch and take it on the first leg of its long journey.

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Ready to start: Triple Olympic champion sailor Ben Ainslie sets off from Land’s End as the torch relay gets under way

Excitement: Crowds snake across the beach at Marazion, Cornwall, as the torch is handed over with St Michael’s Mount in the distance

Many of them had got up at 4am to make the trip and Ainslie happily paused and waved so they could take photographs.

He decided to walk his relay leg, despite being in fine physical form as he prepares to try to win his fourth successive gold medal.

His feat was followed by dozens of other torchbearers, including children.

Table tennis player Vicki Smith, 16, of Plymouth, Devon, and aspiring rugby player Henry Hocking, 12, of Penzance, Cornwall, were among the lucky ones to be chosen .

After completing his relay leg, Ainslie said: ‘I did alright. At least I did not trip over.

‘I did not really want to rush it.

‘I wanted to give everyone the chance to touch the torch, it gives everyone around the country to feel part of it.

Awe: British table tennis player Vicki Smith carries the Olympic torch

Unforgettable: Torchbearer Henry Hocking takes his turn

‘It is one of those moments in your life where you are just in shock.

‘It was an amazing moment. I was very proud obviously to help kick start this period in the run-up to the Olympics.

‘It was probably one of the more nervous moments in my life but it is so special for everybody to see the Olympic torch.’

Ainslie, who went to school in Cornwall, also has the honour of being the first athlete to formally be selected for Team GB.

Can I touch it? The sailor’s supporters reached for the torch as he took it on the first leg of the relay

All smiles: Ainslie happily paused and waved so the crowd could take photographs

‘It’s amazing,’ he said. ‘For me, growing up in this part of the world, in Cornwall, for the Olympic Torch to set off from here around the nation, is a fantastic moment for the UK, for London 2012.’

A slight wind caught the flame as his torch was lit, beneath the famous Land’s End signpost which marks the extreme westerly point on the English mainland.

There was slight alarm for a moment as it looked like the flames were going to singe the sailor’s eyebrows.

Proud: Ainslie, who went to school in Cornwall, also has the honour of being the first athlete to formally be selected for Team GB

In focus: Many in the crowd wanted a picture of one of Britain’s brightest gold medal hopes

Ainslie said: ‘Initially when the gas was full up there was a bit of breeze so we had to be pretty careful.

‘The atmosphere was great. Everyone was really excited.’

After completing his mile, Ainslie passed the flame on to the second torchbearer, 18-year-old Anastassia Swallow from St Ives, Cornwall.

She has represented Britain four times as member of the junior British surf team and dreams of becoming the first woman to represent her country at both surfing and snowboarding.

Multi-talented: Surfer and snowboarder Anastassia Swallow, 18, carries the London 2012 Olympic torch on the leg between Land’s End and Sennon

Friendly wave: Nicole Martin carries the torch between the Cornish villages of Rosudgeon and Helston

The Olympic flame arrived in Cornwall last night on board a special golden liveried British Airways flight from Athens.

An RAF Sea King helicopter later brought it to Land’s End from RNAS Culdrose, near Helston.

There are 139 torchbearers carrying the flame a total of 136 miles on the first day of the relay.

It will arrive at the Hoe in Plymouth tonight for the relay’s first evening celebration.

The relay is due to travel across the country, coming to within one hour’s travelling time for 95 per cent of the UK population.

Sir Keith Mills, the London 2012 deputy chairman and a friend of Ainslie’s, described the start of a relay as a ‘historic and emotional day’ that had been nine years in the making.

Sir Keith was a key member of London’s winning bid to stage the Games.

He said: ‘This has been an amazing journey.

Delight: Torchbearer Sarah Blight gets mobbed as Olympic excitement builds

Patriotic: Torchbearer Sarah Blight wore the Union flag on her fingernails as she carried the flame

‘For me this is the start of the Games and when the whole country starts to get excited.

‘You have many milestones in this like winning the bid, the lighting of the flame and its arrival yesterday was a special moment.

‘This is clearly another big moment.’

Sir Keith, who is a keen sailor who has worked with Ainslie on an America’s Cup, said: ‘Seeing Ben with the torch was one of the reasons that I wanted to be here.

‘He is one of our greatest Olympians and he also happens to be a friend.

‘I have spent a lot of time with him with the America’s Cup and the way that he is sailing with such passion, he is in a great position for a fourth gold medal.

‘I also know that for him being able to carry the torch on his home soil, is very special for him and his family.

‘I wanted to share in the moment with him.’

Security: A Metropolitan Police officer guards the Olympic flame onboard a Royal Navy Sea King helicopter as it travels to Land’s End

Ainslie made a point of wishing Miss Swallow luck as he passed the Olympic flame to her.

Miss Swallow said she wanted to take it slowly to take it all in but she got ‘a bit excited and a little crazy and ran too fast’

London 2012 wanted the bulk of people taking part in the relay to be unsung heroes who have done things to help their community, individuals involved sport and people from the younger generation.

Miss Swallow, who is hoping that surfing will soon become an Olympic event, said: ‘Ben Ainslie is definitely a role model.

‘I would love to be in his position in the future and be a role model to younger people.

‘Everyone knows that I have had to work hard to get where I am.

‘I was really surprised by the atmosphere here today. Everyone was cheering and calling my name.

‘It is something I will never forget.’

Dave Jackson, from Penzance, was nominated to carry the torch for his dedication to HM Coastguard.

Mr Jackson has been a volunteer coastguard for over 40 years and is the station officer of Land’s End Coastguard rescue team.

He has led his team during the response to many incidents, such the 1981 Penlee lifeboat disaster, in which 16 people, including eight volunteer lifeboatmen, died.

Behind the scenes Dave gives up many hours to check and maintain the rescue equipment to ensure that the team are available at anytime.

Touchdown: Thousands lined the streets as the Royal Navy Sea King helicopter carrying the flame arrived at Land’s End

‘It is a great honour to have been chosen to be one of the official torchbearers,’ he said.

‘It truly is an opportunity of a lifetime and one which I am very grateful for.

‘The Olympics is such a huge event which all the world’s media will be following as the torch makes its way from the start of its journey at Land’s End to the start of the Games in London.

‘I feel extremely proud to be a small part of it and I look forward to telling the story to my granddaughter who is just a couple of months old at the moment and is too young to understand it.

‘I would like to thank coastal safety manager Helen Hutson for nominating me and all the members of the Land’s End cliff rescue team past and present who I have had the pleasure to get to know and work with over the past 40 years.’

Other first day torchbearers included Andy Ferris, from Newquay, who was nominated for his work with surf life saving.

Keia Wardman, from St Ives, was nominated to carry the Olympic Torch because of her dedication to sport.

A keen swimmer, she is the Cornish champion at 400m and 800m freestyle and has achieved medals at regional level.

It’s arrived: David Beckham looked pleased as he carried the Olympic torch at RNAS Culdrose

The Airbus plane ‘Firefly’ Flight 2012 carrying the flame touched down at RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall at 7.25pm yesterday.

The flame was held in four different lanterns, which were fastened into specially designed cradles in seats 1A and 1B for the near four-hour flight from Athens.

It was carried down the steps of the plane by Princess Anne, who was followed by Games chairman Seb Coe, London mayor Boris Johnson and former England captain David Beckham.   

A welcoming party including Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg greeted the delegation as they stepped off the plane.

The distinctive gold London 2012 torch was then lit from the lantern and was passed to Beckham.

He then climbed on to a stage and used the torch to light a cauldron at the air-sea rescue base, where it burned overnight.

The ceremony was broadcast live on the BBC’s The One Show, presented by Chris Evans.

More than 500 guests were present at Culdrose, which is home to most of the Navy’s Merlin and Sea King helicopter squadrons.

Lord Coe said: ‘The arrival of the Olympic Flame on home soil is a magical moment for any host country.

‘It will connect millions of people around the UK to the Games in a unique way and allows us to celebrate the best of the UK and its people.’

Mr Clegg said the Torch relay would allow Britain to showcase itself to the world.’

Mr Johnson said: ‘This is a fantastic moment for the London Games.

‘With every day of the Torch relay, the excitement will build around the country as we look forward to this fantastic festival of sport and culture.

‘It also signals the beginning of delivering the wonderful post Games legacy we have promised Londoners that continues to build on the jobs and economic growth that are already benefiting every corner of the capital.

News | Mail Online

London 2012 Olympics: Princess Anne, Boris and Becks take the torch in Athens

• Princess Anne led London’s delegation in accepting the flame
• She was joined by Boris Johnson, David Beckham and Sebastian Coe
  
• Event hit by heavy rain – but the flame stayed lit
• Lord Coe thanked Greece for ‘laying on the British weather for us’
  
• Olympic ambassador Beckham accidentally called ‘Sir David’ twice by official announcer
• Flame will now begin 70-day, 5,000 mile relay around UK
  

By Eleanor Harding and Kerry Mcqueeney

PUBLISHED: 12:14 EST, 17 May 2012 | UPDATED: 02:51 EST, 18 May 2012

Princess Anne has admitted the Olympics could be seen as an expense the country cannot afford, but insisted the cost was making a constructive impact on people’s lives.

While the Games could be perceived as an extravagance, the Princess said, it was important to see it as an opportunity to boost skills and employment – especially for young people.

The Princess made her comments ahead of the official ceremony in Athens to hand the Olympic flame over to London.

Accepting the flame: Princess Anne raises a torch with the Olympic Flame next to Spyros Kapralos, head of the Greek Olympic Committee

London delegation: Boris Johnson, Princess Anne, David Beckham and Sebastian Coe take part in the handover ceremony

Speaking in a BBC interview before the ceremony, Anne said: ‘There’s an awful lot of people for who the torch relay is the signal, the beginning of what the Olympics is all about.’

The princess added: ‘There has been an awful lot of employment maintained and to some extent increased largely as a result of the Games taking place.

‘And for some of those they will have gained skills because people have concentrated on the apprenticeship side of the equation…’

‘So yes I understand that it looks like an extravagance but if they recognise the way a lot of that money has been spent, it’s made a constructive impact on people’s lives, particularly those setting out.’

The historic event, which featured a delegation including David Beckham, Boris Johnson and Princess Anne, took place in a rain-hit sundown ceremony at the Panathenaic stadium in Athens, venue of the first modern Olympics in 1896.

But the flame stayed lit and will now make its way back to the UK where it will start a 70-day 8,000 mile relay around Britain.

Ambassador: David Beckham shelters from the rain during a wet handover ceremony

Wet delegation: David Beckham (centre) and Mayor of London Boris Johnson (right) during the handover ceremony

Despite the buzz surrounding the last-minute news that the LA Galaxy star was flying in specially to be part of the ancient ceremony, the more formal duties came down to the Princess Royal as leader of the British delegation to Athens.

Both she and Karolos Papoulias, the Hellenic Republic president, sat in ancient thrones that are part of the stadium during the hour-long ceremony.

The flame was handed to the Princess, who was watched closely by other members of the official delegation including London 2012 chairman Lord Coe, Olympics minister Hugh Robertson, London mayor Boris Johnson, Beckham and five British sporting teenagers.

Each member of the British VIP delegation sheltered under blue umbrellas as they walked through the centre of the stadium to their front-row seats.

Everyone from the Princess Royal to Mr Robertson were named over the loudspeakers and greeted by cheers from the crowd.

There was also a chuckle from British people in the crowd as the announcer twice insisted on introducing Beckham as ‘Sir David Beckham’.

Nearly everyone will get a chance to see the Olympic flame up close

And the hosts refused to let the rain dampen proceedings, beginning the ceremony with a torch relay before some traditional dancing and music.

Afterwards, the Mayor of London joked: ‘I can’t testify to the accuracy of the music or dances but I still thought they were fantastic.’

Organisers also won over Beckham by producing a group of schoolchildren to sing God Save The Queen, to which he mouthed every word.

London Mayor Boris Johnson, meanwhile, described the event as an ‘an amazing day for us’.

He added: ‘This is the moment when we prepare to take the torch and the eyes of the world are swivelling to London. I think they will see a city that has made phenomenal progress in getting ready … by any, London is extraordinarily well prepared.

In his speech, Lord Coe thanked the damp crowd in the stadium for Greece’s warm hospitality and also for ‘laying on the British weather for us’.

The past week had linked Britain and Greece in a ‘very special way in the spirit of peace and friendship’, he said.

Princess Anne watches the handover ceremony from a ceremonial marble throne

Lighting the flame: Greek veteran weighlifter Piros Dimas and Chinese gymnast Li Ning light a cauldron with the Olympic Flame inside the Panathenaic stadium in Athens

Lord Coe added: ‘If the Olympic Games are about celebrating the best athletes in the world, the Olympic spirit is about celebrting the best in ourselves and in our communities.

‘We have found the very best torchbearers who, like Olympic athletes, will inspire a generation.

‘As we prepare to bring the flame to the UK, we are reminded of our responsiblity – like that of our predecessors in 1908 and especially 1948 – to stage Games that use the power of sport to unite the world in a celebration of achievement and inspiration in challenging times. A Games that will inspire the next generation to choose sport.’

The youngsters taking part in the handover were picked by London 2012 for displaying Olympic values. During the ceremony they exchanged symbolic olive branches to the tune of John Lennon’s Imagine.

The five, who come from different national regions, are from schools and colleges which are part of London 2012′s Get Set education network and school linking programmes run by the British Council.

The Olympic Flame has been taken on a relay around the Greek mainland and islands since it was lit by the rays of the sun in ancient Olympia last week.

Ceremonial: Greek athlete Niki Liosi lights her Olympic torch from a cauldron with the Olympic Flame atop the Athens Acropolis

Flags: The British and Greek flags are carried into the Panathenaic stadium during an Olympic Flame handover

The torchbearers have been taking it from Olympia to the Panathenaic Stadium. The Olympic flame was “laid to rest” at the Acropolis overnight before being taken on the eighth and final day of its Greek relay – taking it to the Acropolis Museum, the centre of Athens, Zappeio and to the handover ceremony.

A trio of world champions brought the flame safely to the stadium. It arrived in the hands of rower Christina Giazitzidou and was carried by gymnast Vasilis Tsolakidis and rower Alexandra Tsiavou.

Chinese gymnast Li Ning, who lit the cauldron at the opening ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Games, and Greek weightlifter Pyrros Dimas were the last torchbearers in Greece.

The ceremony also included priestesses in a performance choreographed by Artemis Ignatiou.

The British delegates fly back tomorrow evening, landing at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall, where they will attend a special ceremony welcoming the flame.

The flame has been given special clearance to travel onboard a plane. It will rest in a special cradle and be secured into its seat by a secure holding device.

When it arrives on British soil, a 70-day relay, involving 8,000 torchbearers covering 8,000 miles, will take the flame to east London’s Olympic Stadium and the opening of the Games on July 27.

Arriving in Athens: Boris Johnson stepped off the special 2012 plane in Athens on Wednesday

Holiday snaps: The London mayor poses for a photograph in front of the Acropolis

News | Mail Online

Olympics: Now there’s a block of flats you wouldn’t break into! Surface-to-air weapons to form an Olympic ring of steel to protect the Games

By John Hutchinson

PUBLISHED: 15:13 EST, 4 May 2012 | UPDATED: 02:45 EST, 5 May 2012

Being told the block of flats where you live will also be the home of surface-to-air missiles may leave many bewildered, and no doubt apprehensive.

But as these pictures show, the Fred Wigg Tower in Waltham Forest, London, has been chosen as one of six sites around London to form a ‘ring of steel’ to safeguard the Olympic Games.

And whilst The Army will be needed to protect and operate the weapons if required, they might also have to be on their toes to ward off any potential thieves who might target the run-down looking buildings.

Repurposed: The Fred Wigg Tower in Waltham Forest, London, has been chosen as one of six sites around London to form a ‘ring of steel’ to safeguard the Olympic Games

Now there’s a sight: The army placed a surface-to-air missile on top of the Fred Wigg tower block

Scene: It’s unlikely any flat thieves will fancy taking on a surface-to-air missile

They would certainly get a fright when faced with these powerful weapons.

Military chiefs have said that they hoped to ‘allay people’s fears’ as they unveiled surface-to-air missiles which could be deployed at six sites across London during the Olympics.

And whilst many residents have voiced their opposition to any plans for their residences to be used to as a weapons site, it seems the government are pressing ahead with their security initiatives.

The Rapier and smaller High-Velocity Missiles would be used as ‘prudent measures’ to safeguard the Games and would be protected by armed police, the joint air defence team said.

Action stations: The army have a practice of how the surface-to-air missiles would be stationed, and if necessary, used to protect the games

In the line of fire: A London bus drives past surface to air missiles at an army cadet base in Blackheath, southeast London

The weapons were showcased at Blackheath Army Cadet Centre, in south east London, as part of a massive 2012 security test on land, sea and in the air.

Colonel Jon Campbell, commander of the Joint Ground Based Air Defence, said: ‘We have done as much as we can to allay people’s fears.

‘The Rapier system has a world-class radar on it and is particularly good at picking up low and slow-moving objects in the sky.

‘It means we’re able to get the very best picture of what is happening in the skies of London.’

Launch site: The Army will station soldiers and high-velocity surface-to-air missiles on the Lexington Tower Water Building, seen centre, in East London

Air Vice Marshall Stuart Atha added: ‘We want the focus to be on Usain Bolt this summer and not us. We’re very proud to be part of this plan to deliver a safe and secure Olympics.’

The Lexington Building in Tower Hamlets as well as the Fred Wigg Tower in Waltham Forest, both in east London, have been identified as potential sites for the High Velocity Missiles.

Rapier missiles would be positioned on Blackheath Common and in Oxleas Wood, both in south east London, and at William Girling Reservoir Chain in Enfield and Barn Hill at Netherhouse Farm in Epping Forest, both in north London, should the Air Security Plan be approved by the Government.

Col Campbell said the sites had been chosen to avoid having weapons inside the Olympic Park.
He said: ‘We’re trying to de-militarise this and let the sport do the talking. The Lexington Building is the best available location away from the Olympic Park.’

Blackheath, one of six positions that could be used to home missiles during the Olympics

Oxleas Wood at Shooters Hill, Woolwich may have a station for surface-to-air missiles

The William Girling Reservoir, Enfield, is another possible site for missile deployment

Netherhouse Farm, in Barn Hill, Epping Forest, has also been earmarked to protect London

News | Mail Online

The biggest ship in London! HMS Ocean heads up the Thames in show of strength before the Olympics (as Defence Secretary warns: ‘We would shoot down a jet if necessary’)

• HMS Ocean sails up the Thames as preparations for Olympic security continues
  
• Phil Hammond reveals he has been trained on terror decisions such as shooting down a hijacked jet

By Leon Watson

PUBLISHED: 13:09 EST, 3 May 2012 | UPDATED: 12:06 EST, 4 May 2012

The Army has done it, as has the airforce. Today it was the turn of the Royal Navy to show off the weapons it hopes it never has to use at the London Olympics.

HMS Ocean – the largest in the Navy – slipped up the Thames, past the tidal barriers, and up towards Greenwich to check out the berth, where it will monitor and protect London during the Olympics this summer.

The hardest part of the journey was slipping past the Thames barrier, which at only 60m gave some clearance on each side – but not much in terms of margin of error.

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Welcome to London: The UK’s largest warship nudges its way through the Thames Barrier on the way to docking at Greenwich

The Carrier HMS Ocean makes her way up the River Thames as part of security rehearsals ahead of the London Olympics

Test run: The exercise is aimed at testing military capabilities to ensure operational readiness before the start of the Olympic Games

The show of strength came as Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said today he was prepared to to give the order to shoot down a hijacked airliner if the Olympics were threatened by a 9/11-style attack.

Hammond told the Evening Standard: ‘The decision to engage would be made at the highest levels of government.’

Asked if he was personally willing to give the order to destroy a rogue aircraft, he said: ‘Of course … I’m certainly prepared to make decisions.’

Mr Hammond added that Londoners  and visitors ‘should be reassured by the military presence – there is no risk from the equipment. It’s defensive in nature and pointing skywards.’

The amphibious assault ship is being positioned in Greenwich to provide extra security for the London Olympics

A SHIP THAT’S ONE OF A KIND

HMS Ocean was commissioned in September 1998 at her home port Devonport, Plymouth, after being built by Kvaerner Govan Ltd on the Clyde and fitted out by VSEL at Barrow-in-Furness.

She is the sole member of her class in the Royal Navy, designed to support amphibious landing operations and to support the staff of Commander UK Amphibious Force and Commander UK Landing Force.

The ship carries a crew of 255, an aircrew of 206 and 480 Royal Marine Commandos. An additional 320 marines could be accommodated in a short-term emergency.

HMS Ocean is capable of transporting and sustaining an embarked military force of up to 800 people equipped with artillery, vehicles and stores.

She has capacity for 40 vehicles but is not designed to land heavy tanks. There are four LCVP Mk5 vehicle/personnel landing craft on davits.

The ship has full facilities for 12 EH101 Merlin and six Lynx helicopters, plus landing and refuelling facilities for Chinook helicopters. Twenty Sea Harriers could be carried but not supported. The flight deck is 170m long and 32.6m wide, with two aircraft lifts.

Its weapon systems include four Oerlikon/BAE twin 30mm guns together with three Raytheon/General Dynamics Phalanx Mk15 close-in weapon systems.

Questioned how he would deal with a hijacked airliner full of passengers, he said: ‘We rehearse these things, we train for them.

‘All the ministers involved are fully versed in the processes they have to go through, the judgments they have to make.

‘I’m not going to spell out precisely who is in the loop and who is not, but there are a number of ministers who are involved in the air defence arrangements. The decision to engage would be made at the highest levels of government.’

Mr Hammond, who was taken on board HMS Oceans by a landing craft, said of the security arrangements: ‘I don’t think it’s over the top. Every Olympic Games in recent times has had a significant military component to its security plan.’

Arrangements for security has been ongoing for the last few days, with HMS Ocean now making its debut appearance.

The ship will remain in Greenwich throughout the summer games.

The warship, which has the motto ‘Boldly Faithfully Happily’, will have quite an army on board – 300 military personnel will base themselves on the ship, while eight Lynx helicopters with sniper teams onboard will be ready to lift off at a moment’s notice.

It is part of huge military protection for the city, with Typhoon jets stationed at RAF Northolt, and ground-to-air Rapier missiles dotted on rooftops at six sites across the city.

Defence Secretary Phillip Hammond said: ‘Whilst there is no specific threat to the Games, we have to be ready to assist in delivering a safe and secure Olympics for all to enjoy.’

Rapier surface-to-air missiles have also been showcased at Blackheath Army Cadet Centre, in south east London, as part of the massive 2012 security test on land, sea and in the air.

Weymouth and Portland in Dorset will play host to the sailing where the Albion-class amphibious assault warship HMS Bulwark will play a key role in protecting the events.

Colonel Jon Campbell, commander of the Joint Ground Based Air Defence, said: ‘We have done as much as we can to allay people’s fears.

‘The Rapier system has a world-class radar on it and is particularly good at picking up low and slow-moving objects in the sky. It means we’re able to get the very best picture of what is happening in the skies of London.’

Air Vice Marshall Stuart Atha added: ‘We want the focus to be on Usain Bolt this summer and not us. We’re very proud to be part of this plan to deliver a safe and secure Olympics.’

The Lexington Building in Tower Hamlets and the Fred Wigg Tower in Waltham Forest, both in east London, have been identified as potential sites for the High Velocity Missiles.

Members of the public watch as the HMS Ocean passes Greenwich Naval College

Rapier missiles would be positioned on Blackheath Common and in Oxleas Wood, both in south east London, and at William Girling Reservoir Chain in Enfield and Barn Hill at Netherhouse Farm in Epping Forest, both in north London, should the Air Security Plan be approved by the Government.

Col Campbell said the sites had been chosen to avoid having weapons inside the Olympic Park.

He said: ‘We’re trying to de-militarise this and let the sport do the talking. The Lexington Building is the best available location away from the Olympic Park.’

Heading to England: The HMS Ocean earlier today, out at sea, making its way to the Thames

Ready and waiting: The Typhoon jets line up on the tarmac at RAF Northolt, west London, ahead of a nine-day military exercise to test security for the Olympic Games

What the…? A man walks past a Rapier short range air defence system at Blackheath, London, ahead of the exercises

We got your back: Surface-to-air missiles at the army cadet base in Blackheath, southeast London

The Rapier surface-to-air missile has the power to take down a Boeing 747 full of passengers if needed to protect a stadium full of 80,000 Olympic spectators in a terrorism nightmare scenario.

The British military has insisted that the missiles – with a range of up to five miles – could be deployed as the last line of defence. Experts say the likelihood that they will be fired is slim to none.

Downing an aircraft would still cause debris to rain from the sky, high casualties and fires.

When you launch a Rapier missile and shoot down an aircraft, it’s not like the whole thing vanishes. It’s 100 tons of metal, scraps, and other stuff that is coming down,’ said Jan Wind, a retired Dutch Navy captain who is director of the Hague-based Wiser Consultancy.

‘If a Rapier is used, the damage could be just about the same as the intentions of the terrorist – only on another spot. The goal of the terrorists will be met in a certain sense,’ Wind said.

It’s rare for the British military to publicise the location of its weapons, but the military says it hopes that any potential attacks will be deterred by showing the missile strength and other defense assets such as Typhoon fighter jets.

Ground-to-air missiles have been a fixture of Olympic games and large VIP events in the post-9/11 world, but London’s missiles have sparked outrage among residents of an apartment block who learned that the Rapiers might be stationed on their roof.

They say the missiles are creating a climate of fear – which security experts say is exactly the point. That’s because the systems are more valuable as deterrents than as deployed weapons, Mr Wind said.

‘The British army and air force don’t do all this to really shoot down a terrorist aircraft, they do it to display their determination to do so, which will hopefully prevent the terrorists from attacking,’ Mr Wind said.

‘If you know that there are 500 policeman outside the jewellery store, you will not go there and try to rob the store.’

The Ministry of Defence it has not decided where it will ultimately station the missile batteries.

News | Mail Online

Falkland Islands: London 2012 Olympics ad shows athlete training on ‘Argentine soil’ in Port Stanley

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 08:22 EST, 3 May 2012 | UPDATED: 13:54 EST, 3 May 2012

Argentina is attempting to politicise the London Olympics by using the event to highlight its claim to sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.

President Cristina Kirchner’s government released a television advertisement linking the Games to its demand to rule the South Atlantic islands.

The 90-second commercial shows Olympic hopeful Fernando Zylberberg training in the Falklands, which the advert describes as ‘Argentine soil’.

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Opening scene: After a caption reading ‘Islas Malvinas’, the Argentinian name for the Falkand Islands, Olympic hockey player Fernando Zylberber is seen stepping out early in the morning for a run

Obvious landmarks: As the advert progresses, Zylberberg can be seen limbering up outside the Globe Tavern, a popular pub in Port Stanley

Passing ALL the sights: As rousing music reaches its eventual peak, Zylberberg jogs past the office of the Penguin News, a weekly Falkland Islands newspaper

The advert was filmed on the island and shows the 35-year-old Argentine hockey player training outside a typical pub, the Globe Tavern, and running past the local newspaper the Penguin News – as well as an iconic red telephone box.

It finishes with the slogan: ‘To compete on English soil, we are training on Argentine soil… Tribute to the fallen and ex-combatants.’

The advert, made by U.S. agency Young & Rubicam for president Kirchner’s office, screened on several Argentine TV stations on Wednesday night – the 30th anniversary of the sinking of the General Belgrano by British forces in the 1982 Falklands War.

Iconic British phone box: There’s little doubt over why the advert’s makers included this shot in the mix

Evocative and provocative: A close-up shot shows a hand, supposedly Zylberberg’s, meaningfully rolling sand through its fingers

The Argentine government did not say how the commercial was filmed, or whether they had permission to shoot in the Falklands.

Reaction to the advert was mixed in Argentina. While senator Anibal Fernandez tweeted: ‘Very good advert about the Malvinas and the Olympics’, an unnamed official said: ‘This is going to generate international repercussions.’

And the whole stunt may backfire, as many Argentines were highly critical of the advert. One wrote on the website of newspaper La Nacion: ‘This advert seems to me to show a lack of respect for the soldiers who died in the Malvinas and what our claims to sovereignty mean.

Pointed message: With the rugged Falkland Islands countryside in the background, the caption reads: ‘To compete on English soil’

Dramatic pause: After the first caption fades out, the most incendiary comment follows: ‘We are training on Argentine soil’

Final say: In an emotion-charged final shot, the screen fades to white with the message: ‘Tribute to the fallen and ex-combatants’

‘Will winning medals at the Olympics make us feel closer to the islands? It is a disgrace and a game aimed at submerging people in greater ignorance.’

Another wrote: ‘A tribute to who? People on both sides died in this absurd war.’

And another joked ‘At least on the islands they won’t steal his trainers and tracksuit at gunpoint!’

Zylberberg, a member of the men’s hockey team, will be competing in his third Olympics after previously taking part in Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004.

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