Introduction

Who can forget when Jacques Rogge the president of the IOC said on 6th July 2005 "and the winning city is……..London"? That moment was the culmination of years of hard work spearheaded by the London 2012 chairman Lord Coe and his dedicated bid team and supporters.

This follows a proud Olympic heritage: we are one of just five countries to have competed at every Olympic Games - only Australia, France, Greece and Switzerland share that distinction. The UK is the birthplace of the Paralympic Games. We have also enjoyed the honour of hosting the Olympic Games themselves twice in the past, both times at short notice but to acclaim and appreciation. In 1908, London stood in for Rome after a devastating volcanic eruption and its aftermath prevented the Italian capital from hosting the Games. Forty years later, in 1948, London again hosted, and again stepped into the breach at the last minute after the cancellations of the 1940 and 1944 Olympic Games due to World War II.

The London 2012 bid received support at almost every level, from world class athletes to local residents, from David Beckham to the Prime Minister. Nelson Mandela also gave his support when he said "There is no city like London. It is a wonderfully diverse and open city, providing a home to hundreds of different nationalities from all over the world. I can't think of a better place than London to hold an event that unites the world."

Throughout the London 2012 bid, powerful and emotional messages were made about inspiring future generations and creating a legacy to last.

Immediately after the Games were awarded to London, the London Olympics Bill was laid before parliament.

Its purpose is to:

Set up the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to manage the Government's interest in the Olympic project. From the beginning, the ODA will be clearly accountable for the public money that will be spent on getting venues and infrastructure ready on time and on budget. It will also ensure that public transport systems are fully co-ordinated.
Ensure that the ODA powers are exercised with regard to the legacy of the 2012 Games and sustainable development.
Grant the Mayor of London (who is a signatory to the Host City Contract) Olympic-specific powers. That will enable the Greater London Authority to fulfil all its obligations to help prepare for and stage the Games.
Ensure that we can meet the commitments given in London's bid about how the Games, and the Olympic environment, will be managed. In line with IOC requirements, the Bill will regulate commercial exploitation of the Games. Olympic and Paralympic symbols and intellectual property will be given additional legal protection. Controls will be placed on advertising and street trading around venues, and ticket touting will be made a criminal offence.
The London 2012 Olympic Games will run from Friday 27 July to Sunday 12 August and the Paralympic Games will run from 29 August to 9 September.

There will be 26 sports played at the London 2012 Olympic Games: Athletics, Aquatics, Archery, Badminton, Basketball, Boxing, Canoe, Cycling, Equestrian, Fencing, Football, Gymnastics, Handball, Hockey, Judo, Modern Pentathlon, Rowing, Sailing, Shooting, Table Tennis, Tennis, Taekwondo, Triathlon, Volleyball, Weightlifting, and Wrestling.

There will be 19 sports played at the London 2012 Paralympic Games: Athletics, Archery, Boccia, Cycling, Equestrian, Football, Judo, Powerlifting, Quadball, Rowing, Sailing, Shooting, Sitting Volleyball, Swimming, Table Tennis, Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Fencing, Wheelchair Rugby, Wheelchair Tennis.