Excitement builds ahead of London Olympics

　　ロンドン五輪の開幕まであとわずか。エリザベス女王の在位60周年祝賀行事に引き続き、お祭りムードに包まれている現地から、ホットなリポートが届きました。英国各地を巡る聖火リレーには大勢の見物客が詰めかけ、競技場や関連施設も次々と完成しました。

　不景気の折、多額の費用がかかる五輪に当初は冷めた視線を送っていたロンドンっ子ですが、五輪を待ちわびる子どもたちの笑顔を見るにつれ、大人の間でも４年に１度の一大イベントへの関心が高まっているようです。

　After much clicking and sighing, I was excited to buy tickets online for the London Olympics recently, as most people that I know had been unsuccessful. It was a chance for me and my children to attend an historic event in Britain, even though many of the sports are unfamiliar to us. We were able to get tickets for handball, a sport not played in Britain, and of which I know absolutely nothing. I will need to do some homework.

　The scramble for tickets has left a lot of people critical of the organization and pricing. However, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in June have started to build up a national pride which looks to extend into the Olympics. The torch procession around the country has helped generate a sense of excitement, and has been followed by huge crowds.

　About 8,000 torchbearers have run a mile each around every corner of Great Britain, through over 1,000 cities, towns and villages. As with the Jubilee, it is a chance to celebrate and create a positive atmosphere, in what is a difficult time financially for many people.

　The venues for the games are spread across London, its surrounding counties as well as Cardiff, Coventry, Manchester, Newcastle and Weymouth. The majority of the cost has been in constructing the Olympic Park in east London, which will be the focus of the games. The site is an old contaminated piece of formerly industrial land in a deprived area of the city, which has now been regenerated through the Olympics.

　As you walk through the park, the designers have created a very organic feel, with long grasses and open stretches of water.

　The first of the park's three focal points is the 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium. Surrounded by water and accessed over bridges, it uses 10,000 tons of steel, significantly less than other stadiums, and the structure reuses steel oil pipes.

五輪後も見据えたデザイン

　The second, the Aquatics Center, has two 50-meter pools and a diving pool. The third, the Velodrome, will host the cycling events. It is naturally lit and ventilated, and uses much fewer materials than the Beijing cycling venue.

　There are also temporary venues built in the park for other sports. I am looking forward to walking through Olympic Park and seeing this collection of sculptural buildings, along with smaller artworks, structures and pods which will serve food and drink.

　The colossal "Orbit" sculpture by Anish Kapoor stands 100-meters tall. Made from a twisting red steel truss structure, it has an elevator that takes you to a viewing platform at the top.

　The Olympic legacy has been an important factor in planning the games. As well as the future use of the venues, public transport systems have been upgraded and extended, and facilities have been built for future generations.

　Metro and bus facilities have been improved, and a cable car has been built that crosses the river from Greenwich to the Royal Docks. A "Green Enterprise District" will spread across London from its heart in the docklands, promoting low-carbon industry to spark economic growth. The main emphasis is to inspire the younger generations in sport, culture and technology.

豊富な文化イベント

　This Olympics will also be remembered for the cultural events staged in London. The Olympic opening ceremony plans to create the spirit of Great Britain within the stadium. Danny Boyle, director of the Academy Award-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire," has created an event which will include rolling hills of grass, a game of cricket, a music festival, herds of sheep and horse riders, and man-made clouds will appear and rain on spectators.

　The rest of the city will come alive with the London 2012 festival. About 12,000 pop up events will appear all over the city, along a cultural and discovery trail. These will include a river of music, a Latin American carnival, flower gardens, a comedy relay race from London to Edinburgh and a playground of dance.

　The cultural Olympics will run throughout the Olympics and the Paralympics. The Paralympics will see greater coverage in the media this year, with David Beckham as one of its ambassadors. Through his "1 million kids challenge," he has drawn attention to many of the Paralympic sports, such as sitting volleyball and blind football.

　Many sporting events have been organized throughout Britain in parallel to the Olympics, such as school Olympics, free swims and days at sports venues and youth challenges.

　In recent weeks tickets for the Olympics and Paralympics have been arriving in the post. Friends of my children have brought them to school and excitedly shown them to each other.

　Their bright colors and graphics are designed to add to the build-up and catch the eye. British people still feel a bit cynical about the Olympics, due to the high costs in a time of recession. However, the infectious excitement of our children has ensured that it will be a summer to enjoy and remember.