London Prepares For Third Olympic Games

Having already hosted the event in 1908 and 1948, London is set to become the first city in the world to host the modern Olympics Games three times.

The 1908 Olympics were only the fourth of modern times. The first was held in Athens, before it went to Paris and then St Louis. In 1906, the Intercalated Games took place in Athens but these are not officially recognised by the International Olympic Committee.

Originally the 1908 games were to be held in Rome but because of the 1906 eruption of Vesuvius - which claimed 100 lives and released the most lava recorded from any of that volcano's activities - the Italian government decided to spend their funds elsewhere.

British athletes enjoyed home conditions and collected more medals than any of the other 21 participating nations and won more Gold than the others combined. The 1908 event was marred by controversy but also set standards for future events - both were highlighted by the marathon.

Previously this race was 25 miles; however, to allow the marathon to begin at Windsor Castle and end in front of the Royal Box in the stadium it had to be extended to 26 miles and 385 yards - the distance that is run today.

At the end of the race, Italian runner Dorando Pietri entered the stadium first but began going the wrong way round the track. Officials redirected him but, due to exhaustion, Pietri collapsed. The officials helped him up but he collapsed several more times before the finish line, each time being given help to get up, before he crossed the line in first place. American representatives complained that he was helped, Pietri was disqualified and the gold medal was given to the runner up - US athlete Johnny Hayes. Officials later deemed that it wasn't his fault that he had been disqualified so he was given a cup as a memento of his, now unofficial, victory.

Forty years later, the Olympics were held in the Wembley Stadium, not in White City Stadium as before. London was originally chosen to host the 1944 event but the event was cancelled because of World War II. The city reapplied for the 1948 games and, this time, they went relatively smoothly. British medals were scarce and the UK team finished 12th most from 59 nations.

Only one major incident occurred - Czechoslovakian gymnast Marie Provaznikova refused to return home after winning a gold medal, claiming there was a lack of freedom in her country. This political defection was the first to happen at the Olympics.

Tickets for the 2012 games go on sale in 2011 and demand is expected to be huge. Businesses and hotels in London are anticipating a huge call for their services and the public transport system is likely to be tested like never before.

However, British athletes will be hoping to emulate the success from their 1908 counterparts whilst organisers will be hoping that they can get the games running smoother than in previous times.

Isla Campbell writes on a number of topics on behalf of a digital marketing agency and a variety of clients. As such, this article is to be considered a professional piece with business interests in mind.

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