The Olympic Athletes’ Village opened its doors Monday to the first competitors as the logistical operation to handle the arrival of thousands of athletes and officials shifted into a higher gear. Questions remained though about the recruitment of security staff after Britain was forced to draft in 3,500 troops to make up a shortfall in private guards.
London’s Heathrow Airport was handling a record number of passengers, with the Olympics arrivals swelling numbers to almost 237,000 at the west London hub, compared to 190,000 on an ordinary day.
The first priority “Games Lane” went into operation on the M4 motorway leading from Heathrow, designed to allow athletes and officials to be whisked to their destinations without becoming snarled up in London traffic. At Heathrow, operator BAA said waiting times had been reduced to within targets set by the interior ministry since extra staff were put in place on Sunday after queues of several hours at passport control in recent weeks.
For the athletes, more than 500 volunteers, speaking more than 20 languages between them, welcomed groups as they landed. The Netherlands women’s beach volleyball team flew in from Amsterdam in a blaze of orange tops and said they were impressed by the setup.
Damp welcome for athletes at London 2012: Athletes began arriving at the Olympic Village on Monday under leaden skies and persistent drizzle to what will be their home for the next three weeks and the scene of their quest for gold. Consistent with the British summer so far, the weather was anything but golden to welcome the competitors with brooding clouds and umbrella-busting winds keeping the international flags flapping outside one of the entrances.
However, some of the apartments have already been given a splash of national colour. One block had a banner reading “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie; Oi, Oi, Oi” spread over several balconies.
Another had a long banner in the Belgian colours hanging down, while others were decorated with Slovenian flags. The smell of damp fresh pine wood filled the air around many of the newly-constructed buildings. The site’s shops are already open, with a range of international newspapers and handy items such as batteries for sale. With thousands of athletes still to arrive, the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London, still doesn’t feel quite like the welcoming park organisers have envisaged. A myriad of winding, empty roads criss-cross the area, flanked by concrete barricades and metal fences. Soldiers in combat fatigues operated the airport-style security searches at the perimeter for regular visitors.
Inside the high fences, helpers and volunteers appeared upbeat with 11 days to go until the opening ceremony on July 27. At one of the entrances to the Olympic Village, the National Youth Theatre rehearsed their energetic routines for the official welcomes that each national squad will receive. In the shadow of the new shopping centre built at Stratford International railway station, they rolled out red carpets with “Welcome” written in a multitude of languages including Maori and Vietnamese. The performers were putting the finishing touches to sequences set to Queen hits including “Don’t Stop Me Now”, “Bicycle Race” and “We are the Champions”. Their routines involved golden bicycles, streamers and banners.
They rehearsed the welcomes they will perform for the representatives from Brazil, France and Italy, though the British Virgin Islands will be the first to receive the official greeting. “In the spirit of friendship and respect we welcome you all and ask the question: who will be the champion?”, they said in English and French. “We are all champions here.” Organisers tried to keep the enthusiasm going despite the drizzle, with many performers wearing green and blue ponchos to keep themselves dry.