Olympics

Famous Olympic Swimmers
With the Olympics approaching fast, it seems a good time to recall some of the champions that have enthralled us with their scintillating performances. So, here is an account of a few famous Olympic swimmers.

Wrongly Accused Olympic Bomber Suspect Richard Jewell Dies
Richard Jewell, who was miscast in the press as a suspect in the 1996 Olympic bombing, has died from complications of diabetes.

The Ancient Olympic Games
Most people know that the modern Olympic Games are a revival of an ancient competition. What were these games like? Are there any similarities between them and the Olympics today?

Kenteris and Thanou Suspended Through 2006
Former Greek heroes Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou, a couple with a history for being elusive at drug testing times, will put the Athens incident behind them.

London Beats Out Paris to Host the 2012 Olympic Games
In the final round of voting, London has been awarded the right to host the Olympic Games in 2012.

Follow the Money: Olympic Protest Movement Turns Its Sights on to Sponsors
Companies sponsoring the Beijing games are the targets of a new, more vigorous war on China's human rights

Struggle to Find International Sports Translators for the Olympic Games
Lots of trained international translators, educated in math, computer science, medicine and more are always in high demand for companies needing translation for high tech or medical text, but with the Olympic Games just around the corner, who knew professional translators who moonlighted as coaches or sports announcers would be in high demand.

Chinese in Manchester Protest Over Bbc 'bias' on Tibet and Olympics
Demonstrators read an open letter to the broadcaster, accusing it of 'tarnishing and demonising China'

Dark Moments and Desire That Drove a 13-year-old to Beijing
Big interview: Tom Daley has overcome his father's cancer and crippling doubts to qualify for the Olympics and beat the best in Europe

Who is Going to the Olympics Opening Ceremony?
Julian Borger: News that the UN secretary-general will not attend the Beijing opening ceremony will be taken as a signal for other dignitaries to consult their calendars

There's News, American News, and Then There's Fox News
Will Buckley: On Fox, the travails of the Olympic torch provided an excuse for some aggressively racist coverage

At Least the Torch Tour Shone a Light on Olympic Hypocrisy
Catherine Bennett: The vision of the Games is sacrificed in pursuit of Beijing gold and now the flame burns as a potent symbol of Chinese oppression

Olympic Chiefs Deny Bowing to China on Tibet
Olympic Games: Officials denied succumbing to pressure from China after the IOC apparently watered down calls for a solution in Tibet

San Francisco Authorities Forced to Switch Plans Amid Torch Protests
The San Francisco leg of the Olympic torch relay descended into farce last night after the authorities cut the route in half and canceled the official closing ceremony

Olympic Torch Journey Descends Into Farce
Authorities cut the route in half and drive the torch a mile inland to keep it away from waiting protesters

The Long March
Leader: Parading the Olympic flame through Tibet will only go down as another act of cultural imperialism

On Second Thoughts: Linford Christie
Don't let the failed drugs tests distort your memory - the Olympic gold medalist is one of the greatest sportsmen in British history, argues Andy Bull

Budget for Olympic Aquatic Centre Triples
London 2012: The Olympic aquatic center will now cost £240m, more than three times the estimate when the bid was made

San Francisco is Braced to Greet Olympic Torch - and Thousands of Protesters
Thousands of protesters expected to line the route of the latest leg of the Olympic torch's 'Journey of Harmony'

San Francisco Authorities Brace for Olympic Protests
Thousands of protesters are expected to line the route of the latest leg of the Olympic torch's "Journey of Harmony"

Ten Burning Questions About the Olympic Torch
Who was to blame for London's chaotic parade? Will it make any difference to Tibet? Patrick Barkham has the answers

Olympic Torch Relay Cut Short Amid Paris Protests
Officials scrap procession after demonstrations force them to put out torch four times

Thousands Protest As Olympic Flame Carried Through London
Police and security staff forced to fend off anti-Chinese demonstrators in chaotic scenes

Arrests, Fights, Jeering: Olympic Spirit Flickers Amid the Chaos
Government concedes torch relay brought an atmosphere of 'threat and menace' to London

Sri Lankan Minister Among Dozen Killed in Suicide Blast at Marathon
Victims of bombing at New Year race include former Olympic runner and coach

Olympic Torch Hits London But Tibet Remains Closed
The Chinese authorities hope flame will draw visitors to China, but tourist visas to Tibet remain suspended

Enchanted By the Old World Values of a Five-star Show
Kevin Mitchell studies the modern pentathlon, a crusty anachronism to some, but still an important event for Britain in Olympic years

A Spluttering Flame
Leader: Whatever happens to the flame tomorrow, the Olympic spirit is not burning that brightly just now.

Top Names Withdraw From Relay As Torch Becomes Beacon for Protest
Demonstration plans and sensitivities grow prior to the Olympic flame's passage through London

Olympic Sports to Look for Football Cast-offs
Digger: Footballers who do not make the grade will be encouraged to transfer their skills to other sports

IOC Inspectorate Confirms That Games Will Not Be Censored
Beijing 2008: The IOC's coordination commission has announced that reporting from the Olympics will not be subject to state restrictions

UK Hopefuls Given Target of Eighth in Beijing Medal Table
Olympics: UK Sport rejected claims that the stated aim of eighth place in the Beijing medals table was a 'soft target'

Rogge Hopes to Meet Chinese Prime Minister
Beijing 2008: IOC president Jacques Rogge is to meet with the Chinese government to try to ease tensions over the Olympics

India Captain's Olympic Torch Protest
India's captain, Bhaichung Bhutia, has pulled out of the Olympic torch relay in protest at China's response to demonstrations in Tibet

Beijing Has Used Games for Political Ends, Says Amnesty
Olympic Games: An Amnesty International report will allege that abuses have increased in the build up to Beijing 2008

Reedie Stands By Beijing Games As a Force for Good
Beijing 2008: Britain's IOC member Sir Craig Reedie believes that the Olympics should remain above national and international politics

Will Dave Be Dancing in Beijing?
The victory jig of GB Performance Director Dave Brailsford has been a familiar sight at the world championships - let's hope it will be repeated at the Olympics, writes William Fotheringham

Reedie Stands By Beijing Games As a Force for Good
Beijing 2008: Britain's IOC member Sir Craig Reedie believes that the Olympics should remain above national and international politics

Pendleton Finds a Silver Lining As Crampton Emerges As Cream of New Crop With Olympics in Their Sights
Cycling: Victoria Pendleton capped a fine individual display at the world championships with silver in the women's keirin

Playing the Boycott Game
Peter Preston: If Tibet proves that the Olympics are a time for protest, London had better be prepared

Enchanted By the Old World Values of a Five-star Show
Kevin Mitchell studies the modern pentathlon, a crusty anachronism to some, but still an important event for Britain in Olympic years

McDonald to Be Protester Target
Olympic Games: Anti-China protesters say they will target Sir Trevor McDonald when the Olympic torch arrives in London next month

UK Athletes Urged to Inform on Dopers in Run-up to Beijing
Athletics: UK Sport will test every British Olympic athlete in the run-up to Beijing later this year

British Keep Home Fires Burning
Cycling: Starting today in Manchester, the world championships will present a big challenge for British cyclists in Olympic year

McDonald to Be Protester Target
Olympic Games: Anti-China protesters say they will target Sir Trevor McDonald when the Olympic torch arrives in London next month

Permanent Olympic Home Can Avoid These Repellent Spectacles
Richard Williams: China's only interest in the Olympic Games is to turn the event into a vehicle for its own global aggrandizement

A Clarion Call
Leader: World leaders who have committed to attending the Olympic games in August are finding it equally hard to hold the line

Britain Opposed to Boycott of Beijing Despite Tibet Uproar
Athletics: The British government remains opposed to a boycott of the Beijing Olympics in August despite the escalation of violence in Tibet

Whitehall Could Put 'scroungers' to Work
Peter Hetherington: Are ministers failing to harness the resources of their multi billion pound procurement program - from school and hospital building to the great Olympics "spendathon" - to steer the unemployed into work?

Queally Out As Young Guns Are Given Chance of World Titles
Cycling: The 2000 Olympic gold medalist Jason Queally has pulled out of this month's world championships

Moynihan Will Resist Any Chambers Challenge Over Olympic Ban
Athletics: Dwain Chambers' attempts to compete again at the Olympics will be strongly opposed by the BOA

Olympic Stadium Ahead of Schedule
Athletics: Construction of the London 2012 Olympic Stadium in Stratford is due to start three months early

Gebrselassie Rules Out Olympic Marathon Challenge
Athletics: Haile Gebrselassie will not compete in the marathon in Beijing amid fears about the city's pollution levels

Gebrselassie Rules Out Olympic Defence
Athletics: Haile Gebrselassie will not defend his Olympic marathon title in Beijing amid fears about the city's pollution levels

Chambers Heads for Court - and Beijing
Athletics: Dwain Chambers has his sights sets on the Beijing Olympics after revealing he will appeal against his lifetime ban

Sport and Politics Go Hand in Hand in the New China
The 2008 Beijing Olympics will be a showcase for the country's achievements and ambitions

BOA Ready for Chambers Challenge
Athletics: The BOA will "vigorously defend" any legal challenge by Dwain Chambers to their ruling which prevents drug cheats from competing at any future Olympics

Pound Questions Legality of Chambers Ban
Athletics: Dwain Chambers' hopes of competing at the Olympics have received a boost from an unlikely source

Bjork's Shanghai Surprise: a Cry of 'tibet!'
First, Stephen Spielberg upset Chinese internet users after resigning as artistic adviser to the Olympics over Darfur. Now, Bjork is under attack after shouting "Tibet! Tibet!" at the end of her song Declare Independence at a concert in Shanghai

Games Organisers Trawl Essex for Biking Site
Digger: An alternative site has yet to be found for mountain-biking events at the London Olympics

Cheap and Efficient: Capital's New Subway Route
Subway route and airport part of construction projects to impress visitors to the Beijing 2008 Olympic games

Miliband Rejects Olympic Boycott But Urges Reforms
Foreign secretary David Miliband calls on China to open up politically as well as economically

IOC Visit Puts London Plans Under Scrutiny After Month of Controversy
A team of IOC officials will conduct a biannual project review of London's Olympic preparations

London 2012 Reveals Training Venues
The organisers of the London 2012 Olympic Games have lined up more than 600 sporting venues across the UK to host training camps for visiting teams

Cathy Freeman
Small Talk: Australia's 400m Olympic medallist on flamin' galahs, Coronation Street and fridge magnets from Vanuatu

Making a Splash
At 13, Tom Daley is already ranked as Britain's best diver and will represent his country at this summer's Beijing Olympics. He tells Patrick Barkham how he's coping with the global attention and his new role as a teenage pin-up

'They Are Hosting an Event to Promote Peace and People Are Being Killed for Their Organs'
European politicians are expressing their concern about China's appalling human-rights record ahead of the Beijing Olympics, says Will Buckley

Christie Will Not Carry Olympic Torch on London Leg
Beijing 2008: Decision to invite disgraced former sprinter was 'a mistake' says Greater London Authority

The Only Way to Save the Olympics: Ban All Sport
Harry Pearson: Sport will be far more divisive than politics when it comes to the Beijing Olympics

'They Are Hosting an Event to Promote Peace and People Are Being Killed for Their Organs'
European politicians are expressing their concern about China's appalling human-rights record ahead of the Beijing Olympics, says Will Buckley

A Great Summer of Sport?
From Henmania to the Olympics, sport makes it all too easy for us to forget about real life, says Stephen Moss.

The Competitor Going to Beijing 44 Years After His Only Previous Olympics
With six months until the start of the games, 66-year-old Japanese event rider Hiroshi Hoketsu is already causing a stir, writes Paolo Bandini

Chris Tomlinson
The world's No1 long-jumper and British Olympic hopeful bashes motorway service stations and fails to fall for Small Talk's fiendish attempts to get him in trouble with his fiancee

British Airways Signs As Official Airline for 2012
Olympics: British Airways is to be the games' official airline partner in a deal worth £40m

Wiggins and Cavendish Denied Place in Giro
Cycling:Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish have been denied a place in the Tour of Italy, hampering their Olympic preparations

Mass Food Poisoning Raises Query Over Chinese Olympics Catering
Safety standards in China's food industry were called into question again today with reports that dozens of people in Japan had become ill after eating imported dumplings containing insecticide

Prince Charles Used in Campaign to Boycott Beijing Olympics
Olympics: The Prince of Wales' decision not to go to Beijing is being used in a campaign to boycott the games

Importing Olympic Athletes Isn't Going to Fool Anybody
Jackie Ashley: For British success to make us genuinely proud in 2012, there is no alternative to serious investment in sport

Why London 2012 Had to Swot Up on the Guardian
London 2012: Senior Olympic officials prepared for at least one grilling by turning to the Guardian's sports pages

Sporting Bodies Wary of Forging Beijing Alliance
Digger: Leading Olympic sports are worried about the 'appropriatness of a Sino-British alliance, writes Matt Scott

Government Promises No More Lottery Raids to Pay for 2012
London 2012: Culture secretary James Purnell has said no-more lottery money will be used for the Olympic project

British Team Quick March to Aldershot for Training Camp
Olympics: Aldershot army barracks selected to be the training camp for London 2012

Jones Under Suspicion Since Sydney
Athletics: Disgraced sprinter's surprising performance in 2000 Olympics set initial alarm bells ringing

Rising Price of Olympic Dreams Paints Dark Future for the Arts
The London Olympics should not be allowed to benefit at the expense of funding for the arts says Richard Williams

Good Day for 13-year-old Olympic Hopeful
Duncan Mackay watched as Tom Daley, Britain's 13-year-old prodigy, moved a step closer to qualifying for the Beijing Olympics

Saracens Consider Move to Olympic Stadium
Rugby union: Saracens have confirmed that Eddie Jones will coach them next season and the club are considering leaving Vicarage Road for the 2012 Olympic Stadium

Eight Wishes for 2008
From Olympics to Ryder Cup via Andy Murray, Richard Williams presents his hopes for the year

'Paranoia' Keeps London Games Team on Track
Fear of falling behind schedule is forcing the London 2012 project to stay on course, according to Olympic organizers.

Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games
Games: With countless diverse events, Sega's latest offering is classic post-pub, party-time Wii fare.

Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games
Games: With countless diverse events, Sega's latest offering is classic post-pub, party-time Wii fare.

Thanou Considers Legal Action
Athletics: Katerina Thanou will consider legal action if the Sydney 2000 Olympics 100 metres gold medal, returned by the US sprinter Marion Jones, is not awarded to her

Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games
Games: With countless diverse events, Sega's latest offering is classic post-pub, party-time Wii fare.

Army in Running to Host British Olympic Camp in Final Days Before London Games
· Team may use Aldershot barracks for preparations· Sports officials impressed by facilities and security

£1bn Extra for Olympic Park Puts More Pressure on Games Budget
Contingency funds likely to be needed, Jowell says· Security bill up sixfold to £1.2bn since bid

Jowell Confident 2012 Olympics Budget Under Control
Olympics minister Tessa Jowell today insisted the cost of staging the 2012 games is on track despite speculation of further cost overruns

Jowell Rejects 2012 Cost Overrun Claims
Olympics minister Tessa Jowell today insisted the cost of staging the 2012 games is on track despite speculation of further cost overruns

Marathon Mum
Athletics: Paula Radcliffe talks about her determination to keep taking risks and her dream of at last achieving Olympic glory

Team Gb Closes Fast on Olympic Berth in Beijing
Cycling: Bradey Wiggins and Mark Cavendish's final day heroics at the World Cup brought qualification for Beijing a step closer

Marathon Mum
Athletics: Paula Radcliffe talks about her determination to keep taking risks and her dream of at last achieving Olympic glory

Jowell to Reveal Budget Details
Olympic minister Tessa Jowell will bow to pressure and detail how the revised London 2012 budget is actually being spent

Rogge Blames Jump in Olympic Budget Figure for Confusing Public
IOC president is happy with London's progress but tells Paul Kelso costs left out of bid have been damaging

Olympic Organisers Consider Scrapping £90m Fencing Arena
London 2012: Organizers are considering moving the fencing away from the ExCel Center to save the games £90m

Orient Open Discussions Over Olympic Stadium Move
Soccer: Olympic officials have approached Leyton Orient over the possibility of them moving into the Stratford Olympic Stadium following the 2012 Games.

Ohuruogu Given All-clear to Compete in the Olympics
Christine Ohuruogu has won her appeal against a lifetime Olympic ban for missing three out-of-competition drugs tests.

Ohuruogu Hopeful After Appeal
Athletics: Christine Ohuruogu was quietly confident that her lifetime Olympic ban would be overturned after her appeal hearing today

Radcliffe: Let Ohuruogu Run
Paul Radcliffe has called upon the BOA to overturn Christine Ohuruogu's Olympics Games ban for missing drugs tests

Rising Olympic Costs Slammed As Catastrophic
London 2012: Olympic organizers have been heavily criticized by an influential committee of MPs about the huge increase in budget

Olympic Cash Breakdown Promised in New Year
The Olympic Delivery Authority will finally bow to public and political pressure in the new year and publish a detailed breakdown of its "program scope and budget", according to assurances given to opposition politicians yesterday.

Calling London's Olympic Plans to Account
Paul Kelso outlines the key questions the public accounts committee must ask the organizers of London 2012

Olympic Arena May Get £40m Roof After Games
Digger: The ODA is considering a boost to the Olympic stadium budget so a roof can be fitted after the 2012 Games.

Long on Legacy, Short on Wow
Jonathan Glancey: If you like your Olympic stadiums like Beijing's next year or like Athens's in 2004, then the London stadium is unlikely to be your cup of green tea, much less your shot of ouzo.

London 2012 Stadium Revealed
Organizers of London 2012 have today unveiled designs for the Olympic stadium.

Woodward's Effect on 2012 Funding Questioned
Digger: Clive Woodward's involvement in the Olympic Program is causing problems amid concern he could affect fundraising, says Paul Kelso.

Radcliffe Returns
Athletics: Paula Radcliffe aims to prove she still has Olympic gold potential when she returns to marathon competition in New York.

China Takes Tough Line on Olympics Protests
Warning to activists eyeing Games spotlight · UN passes truce resolution supporting 2008 event

Pound Backs Ohuruogu's Olympic Campaign
The chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency says he has sympathy for Christine Ohuruogu's Olympic plight.

We Have Not Lost Control of Olympic Budget, Claims Jowell
Olympics minister Tessa Jowell was again on the defensive over questions raised about the cost of London 2012.

Woodward's Secrecy Clause Causes Concern
Digger: Olympic athletes working with Sir Clive Woodward will not be able to reveal details of their training, writes Paul Kelso.

Cost of Olympic Stadium Nearly Double By 2012
London 2012: The Olympic stadium will cost £496m, not £280m, but the ODA say it is still within budget.

Embarrassed London Forced to Abandon 2012 Canoe Venue
London 2012: Olympic organizers have abandoned their original plans for a site in Hertfordshire due to contamination.

Doubts Persist Over Olympic Stadium's Legacy
Digger: There are doubts about the commercial viability of London's Olympic stadium after the event is finished, says Paul Kelso.

Radcliffe Second in Comeback Race
Great Britain's most successful athlete moved a step closer to the Olympics by competing in the Great North Run on Tyneside.

Britain Left With Only One Lab for Dope-testing As Olympics Loom
Olympics: A drug-testing laboratory in Cambridge has had its Wada accreditation revoked, leaving Britain with only one remaining option.

French Builder Pulls Out in Aquatic Centre Row
Digger: One of the building firms bidding to work at the 2012 Olympics has pulled out after a payment row.

London 2012 May Offer Special Role to the Special One
Digger: Seb Coe said he may ask Jose Mourinho to be an ambassador for the London Olympics.

Seven Cities Bid for 2016 Olympics
Olympics: Chicago are the early favourites to host the 2016 games after the IOC revealed the cities bidding.

Olympic Board Yet to Provide Cover for Stadium
Digger: With only a month to go before the design's for the main Olympic stadium are to be unveiled there are still disagreements over crowd covering, says Paul Kelso.

Coe Fights Channel 4 Allegations of Personal Gain Through 2012 Bid
Olympic Games: The London 2012 organizing committee have denied allegations that Sebastian Coe has exploited his position as chairman of the organizing committee for personal gain.

Coe Worried Over Olympics Allegations
Olympic Games: London 2012: Sebastian Coe's lawyers have held talks with Channel 4 amid concerns that a Dispatches program will air damaging allegations about the LOC chairman.

Olympic Budget Under Fire Again
Athletics: The government is set to face renewed accusations that it mishandled the London Olympic budget in a Channel 4 Dispatches program.

Warner Calls for Ohuruogu's Olympic Ban to Be Lifted
Athletics: UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner insists that Christine Ohuruogu's lifetime Olympic ban should be lifted.

World Champion Ohuruogu Eyes Path to Beijing
Athletics: UK Athletics performance director, Dave Collins, is hopefully that world champion Christine Ohuruogu's Olympic ban will be lifted.

Reade Triumphs in Olympic Bmx Warm-up in China
Cycling: After Shanaze Reade's victory in an Olympic warm-up event, the call for a BMX training facility in Manchester was repeated.

'When I Came Here There Was Still This British Thing About Underdogs'
Olympic Games: Jürgen Grobler transformed British rowing but his story is far from over as he chases more gold at the world championships.

China Prays for Olympic Wind As Car Bans Fail to Shift Beijing Smog
Prayers for strong winds look set to become a major component of Beijing's Olympic preparations after a traffic-reduction trial failed.

Olympic Chief Dismisses Call to Boycott Beijing
Olympic Games: Britiain's Olympic boss says a claim to boycott the Beijing Olympics for human rights reasons is "absolutely extraordinary".

Rogge Warns of Smog Threat to Olympics
Olympic Games: Beijing 2008: IOC president Jacques Rogge admits air pollution could force events to be postponed next year.

Olympic Artist Attacks China's Pomp and Propaganda
· Man behind bird's nest stadium to boycott games · Row with Spielberg over role of film directors

Olympic Fears Over Beijing Smog
Beijing 2008: IOC president admits air pollution could force events to be postponed next year.

Lottery Sales 'harming Grassroots Sport'
Digger: Olympic lottery scratchcards are outselling other scratchcards in such numbers that sports, art and charities are all feeling the pinch. By Andrew Culf

Georgia Up in Arms Over Olympic Cash
· Anger at Russian deal with breakaway republic · Diplomatic row could end in international boycott

British Pair Claim London Glory
Great Britain's Tim Don and Michelle Dillon overcame strong fields to win the men's and women's Olympic races at yesterday's London Triathlon.

After 180 Million Years, First 2012 Olympic Venue is Ready for Action
Olympic Games: Weymouth looks forward to new facilities, tourist boom, and long-awaited relief road.

Gatlin Handed Olympic Hope By Fbi Evidence
Athletics: Joint 100m world record holder Justin Gatlin is hoping the FBI will help him get his eight-year testosterone ban reduced.

Gatlin Handed Olympic Hope By Fbi Evidence
Athletics: Joint 100m world record holder Justin Gatlin is hoping the FBI will help him get his eight-year testosterone ban reduced.

Brown's Olympic Structure Under Fire
Digger: Confusion reigns as to who exactly is in charge of London 2012, says Andrew Culf.

'Now I'm a Senior, I'm Going for Glory'
Interview: Britain's outstanding young triathlete Olly Freeman talks about his training regime, what drives him on and his Olympic dreams.

Boa Consider Ending Life Bans
Digger: The British Olympic Association is on collision course with UK Sport after considering ending life-time bans for drug cheats.

London 2012: Building Begins
Olympic Games: Work begins on the site for the new Olympic Stadium in East London this week.

Olympic Games: Lemley Paid Off With £388,000 After Only Seven Months at Oda
London 2012: Former ODA boss Jack Lemley received a huge payout before being forced out of the organisation.

London 2012: London Signs Up Its Second Major Sponsor in £50m Deal
Olympic Games: London Olympic organizers expect to have nearly all their top-tier sponsors before next year's Beijing Games.

Briton Fears Deportation After Chinese Media Clampdown
Newsletter closure raises concerns prior to Olympics - Influential briefing links non-governmental groups

MPs Demand Tighter Rein on Olympics Spending
Olympic Games: The government is today criticized by a Commons financial watchdog for seriously underestimating the cost of the London 2012 Olympics - and warned of the danger of further budget increases.

China Plans Highway to Mount Everest for Olympics
China is to start building a highway to Mount Everest as part of preparations for next year's Olympics, the state media reported yesterday.

Olympics 2012: London Preparations Are Best Ever
After visiting the 2012 Olympic site, the chairman of the International Olympic Committee says London's preparations are the best he's ever seen.

Seeing the Sites If Not Many Olympic Buildings
Digger: The Olympic organizers gave the IOC members a sightseeing tour with few actual venues to show-off.

Tensions Building Over Olympic Park
Digger: Tensions are building on the London Olympic Board over future plans for the Olympic Park. By Paul Kelso

London 2012: Budget in Check Say Organisers
Olympic Games: London 2012 organizers will today reassure the IOC inspection committee that the budget for the games is in check.

London is Getting Into the Olympic Spirit - By Kicking Out the Gypsies
Evictions of the poor, along with mentally ill people and beggars, are one of the games' best-established traditions. By George Monbiot

London 2012: Spiralling Construction Costs Are Major Challenge
Olympic Games: Gordon Brown says spiraling construction costs are the major obstacle to the delivery of London 2012.

Scots Back at Wembley: How to Bring Out Best of British Through Sport
Olympic Games: Thinktank urges return of home internationals - Jowell backs focus on pride and tolerance

Olympic Games: Construction Shambles on Cards for London, Says Union
London 2012: Olympic preparations could be jeopardized by strikes and delays just like Wembley, according to one union.

Please Look Away ... It's the 2012 Logo
Olympic Games: The organizers of London 2012 may have foreseen some of the criticism they have received since unveiling the Olympic logo - variously derided as an uninspiring emblem, a puerile mess, an artistic flop.

Olympics Blamed for Forcible Removal of 2m Over 20 Years
More than 2 million people have been moved from their homes over the past 20 years, many of them forcibly, to clear space for the Olympic Games, a human rights group reported today.

Edgy Symbol of Digital Age or Artistic Flop - London Unveils Olympic Logo
Glitzy launch of brand designed to work with new media greeted by online petition for it to be scrapped.

World Triathlon Champion Tim Don
Athletics: World triathlon champion Tim Don will be able to compete in next year's Beijing Games after he won his appeal against a lifetime Olympic ban.

Tories Plan Anti-doping Unit Ahead of Olympics
Digger: If the Conservatives gain power UK Sport will be stripped of its anti-doping duties ahead of London 2012.

Cycling: Hoy Falls Short in Kilometre Record Attempt
Chris Hoy came agonisingly close to breaking Arnaud Tournant's world kilometre record in Bolivia yesterday falling a fraction over 2cm short. That was the margin of defeat as the Olympic and world champion crossed the line in 58.880secs to record the second fastest kilo in history.

Organisers to Give Olympic Clouds a Silver Lining
Chinese metereologists are preparing one of mankind's greatest ever assaults on the heavens next August, which the organisers belatedly acknowledge as the month when the capital gets almost half its annual rainfall.

China Defends Sudan Role After Olympics Threat
China defended its support for Sudan yesterday amid threats of an Olympic backlash unless Beijing makes greater use of its influence to stop the slaughter in Darfur.

Olympic Body Appoints Rail Man
Olympic Games: Digger: John Armitt has been named the new Olympic Delivery Authority chairman, thanks to his experience as Network Rail's boss. By Paul Kelso

Mother Superior
Britain's champion long-distance runner Paula Radcliffe tells Nick Greenslade of her highs and lows, pregnacy and her continuing quest for Olympic gold.

Youth Olympics Questioned
Digger: Jacques Rogge's plan for a Youth Olympics in 2010 has received a lukewarm reception in Beijing...By Paul Kelso

The Olympics Are a Chance to Transform the Nation's Lifestyle
Worries about cost and diverted funds shouldn't obscure London 2012's potential impact on our fitness and obesity crisis. By Jackie Ashley

Olympic Games: Sports Bosses Funding Fear
Sports bosses from the 'big five' are having crisis talks over £100m of grassroots funding being diverted to London 2012.

London 2012: Big Five Sports Demand New Law to Crush the Ticket Touts
Olympic Games: The government will implement ticket-touting protection for the London Olympics, and other sports want the same protection.

Grassroots Participation is the Loser As Sport England Props Up Games
Olympic Games: London 2012: The latest cut to the lottery distributor's budget will keep more people on the couch, says Andrew Culf.

The Rising Costs of London 2012
Olympic Games: The Government should cifen taxes gained from the 2012 Olympics back into sport, writes Kevin Mitchell.

Wembley No Open and Shut Case for 2012
Olympic Games: Digger: Wembley emerges as candidate to host opening and closing ceremonies of London Games. By Matt Scott

Hyde Park Triathlon Plans May Founder on Cost
Olympic Games: Digger: British Triathlon is in talks with Olympic organisers to try to bring a World Cup event to the Olympic venue in Hyde Park. By Matt Scott

Sort Out Olympics Funding, Tories Tell Brown
Olympic Games: Hugo Swire, the shadow sport secretary, called on the chancellor to answer questions about the funding as Mr Brown used a school sports visit to declare his pride at the way Britain was organising the 2012 event.

Children's Slides Feed Beijing Olympic Metal Boom
The next time Japanese children turn up at their local park to find that their slide has disappeared overnight, they could try blaming the rise in world metal prices.

London 2012: Ioc 'impressed' With Preparations
Olympic Games: The IOC have declared themselves "impressed" with the preparations for the 2012 games despite fears over the cost.

Olympic Chiefs' Dismay at 2012 Budget Rows
Olympic Games: Digger: The IOC is worried preparations for London 2012 are being overshadowed by concerns over the mounting cost. By Paul Kelso

Cycling: Hoy Retrains His Sights on Keirin
Olympic kilometre time-trail champion, Chris Hoy, will not be able to race in that event at the forthcoming Beijing World Cup, as it has been scrapped.

Athletics: Mps Call for Independent Anti-doping Agency
MPs believe a radical overhaul of Britain's drug-testing regime is necessary ahead of the 2012 Olympics.

British Athletes Slide to 34th in World Alongside Eritrea and Latvia
Athletics: The British Olympic Association says the performances of athletes must improve if Britain is to achieve its medal target in 2012.

Shelley Rudman
The Olympic medallist chats about John Terry, slingshots and "the knicker thing"

Athletics: How Farah Found the Formula to Take on World's Best
Britain's brightest running hope Mo Farah tells Paul Weaver about his remarkable rise and Olympic dreams.

London 2012: Image of Games is Being Hurt By Talk of Rising Costs, Says Ioc
Olympic Games: London's mayor Ken Livingstone has speculated that the cost of the Olympics may rise to as much as £5.1bn.

Cameron Forced to Ditch Olympics Site Cycle Trip
Olympic Games: Heavy snow has forced David Cameron to abandon a cycle trip around the London Olympics site.

Ringing the Changes
Olympic Games: The organisers of the London 2012 Olympics have promised that the games will be the most sustainable ever. But are their much publicised green goals really as ambitious as they sound? David Adam reports.

Interview: Sir Keith Mills
Having won the Olympics for London, Sir Keith Mills tells Donald McCrae that he now wants to land the oldest trophy in world sport.

London 2012: Games Are Not a Black Hole, Says Ioc Chief
Olympic Games: The IOC chief, Denis Oswald believes the media's preoccupation with the cost of the games could detract from their positive impact.

London 2012: Jowell Accuses Tories of Undermining 2012 Games
Olympic Games: The culture secretary hits back, as the Conservatives voice fears about overspending on the Olympics.

London 2012: Radioactive Scare for Olympic Village
Olympic Games: Residents on the site of the Olympic village have sought a court injunction to stop tests that they feel may disturb radioactive material.

London 2012: With 2,012 Days to Go, 2012 Can Be a Success
Olympic Games: Andrew Culf looks at 20 reasons why London 2012 will be a success - and 12 reasons why it won't.

Athletics: Colin Jackson
Colin Jackson, now coaching two Olympic prospects, tells Donald McRae how poorly young British athletes are being trained.

Swimming: Bill Sweetenham Tempted By London 2012
Bill Sweetenham has hinted for the first time that he could stay on until the London 2012 Olympics.

London 2012: Spiralling Costs Could Hit Clubs
Olympic Games: The escalating costs of staging the Olympics could prevent funding from filtering down to sport at grassroots level.

Twelve for 2012
Olympic Games: One year on, Duncan Mackay looks at the progress made by the twelve young athletes tipped for glory in 2012.

Athletics: East Germans Compensated for Systematic Doping
The German Olympic Sports Federation has agreed to pay £6,000 to 167 former East German athletes who were systematically doped.

Your Journey to Olympic Greatness Starts Today
Olympic Games: What's the best way to secure yourself a place in the GB Olympic team? Pick an obscure sport that no-one else plays, reckons Sean Ingle.

Ill-defined Plans Could Leave a Disastrous Legacy for 2012 Olympics
Bloated and ill-defined regeneration plans could leave a disastrous legacy for the 2012 Olympics. By Jonathan Glancey

London 2012: Urged to Prosecute Drug Cheats
Olympic Games: IOC medical commission chief Arne Ljungqvist has called on London to prosecute Olympic drugs cheats.

We Think We Can't
The latest Olympic panic is born of that very British fear that we make a hash of anything ambitious. By Hugh Muir

London 2012: Aquatics Centre Scaled Down
Olympic Games: The "front door to the Olympic Park" has had to be scaled down amid spiralling budget cost worries.

New 2012 Row As Bill for Olympics Stadium Nears £500m
Olympic Games: The true cost of the showpiece venue for the 2012 Olympics was seriously underestimated by organisers of London's bid when they were campaigning to win the right to host the event, The Observer can reveal.

London 2012: Focus on Regeneration, Says Olympic Chief
Olympic boss David Higgins says the Olympic funding row is less important than the social problems the games will solve.

Treasury Wary of Olympic Overspend
Digger: Gordon Brown says he won't bail out London 2012's rising costs with a blank cheque. By Paul Kelso

Olympic Costs Could Cross £3bn Line
The budget for the London 2012 Olympic venues has risen by more than £900m, culture secretary Tessa Jowell revealed today, as she also admitted there are several other major cost increases the government has not yet calculated.

Olympic Support Fades As Bills Soar 'to £8bn'
Public support for the 2012 Olympics is in danger of draining away because costs are likely to reach an astonishing £8 billion, according to a devastating report by members of the London Assembly.

The True Cost of Olympics
Olympic Games: Revealed: With a possible final bill of £8bn London's 2012 Olympics could be the most costly sports event ever, says a report obtained by The Observer. Why were the original figures so much lower? By Denis Campbell.

Mayor's Warning Over Soaring Olympics Cost
Olympic Games: £5bn bill feared amid row over contingency fund · Green light to overcharge, forecasts Livingstone

Livingstone Reveals Row Over Olympics Contingency Fund
Olympic Games: A row has erupted over whether there should be a multi-billion pound contingency fund to cover the costs of the 2012 Olympics project going wrong, Ken Livingstone revealed today.

London 2012: British Coaches Warned Away From Drugs
Olympic Games: Britain's top athletes and coaches have been warned not to see drugs as a shortcut to Olympic success.

Boxing: Britain Hires Amir Khan's Olympic Rival
The Amateur Boxing Association has hired Mario Kindelán - who beat Amir Khan to gold at Athens 2004 - to coach Britain's boxers for London 2012.

Melbourne's British Olympic Reunion
50 years on from the Melbourne Olympics Frank Keating salutes the British heroes given a dollar-a-day allowance and told to do their own laundry.

Greenwich Park 'too Small' for Olympics
Digger: Critics say Greenwich Park cannot handle the number of spectators expected for London 2012's equistrian events. By Paul Kelso

Athletics: Crawford Severs Links With Graham
Olympic 200m champion Shaun Crawford has severed his ties with under-fire coach Trevor Graham.

Architect Lord Rogers in Olympic Boycott Threat
Olympic Games: Award-winning architect Richard Rogers has threatened to boycott London 2012 in protest at how building contracts are being awarded.

Black Hole Expands for 2012
Digger: As if £250m wasn't enough to add to the Olympic deficit, it now appears a further £100m is needed to train athletes. By Paul Kelso

London 2012: Chancellor Plays Down Olympic Vat Problem
Olympic Games: Chancellor Gordon Brown played down the Olympic VAT issue, describing it as a simple transfer between government departments.

Olympics 2012: Vat Bill Could Add £250m to Cost
It has emerged that VAT was not included in the budget for the construction and infrastructure needed to deliver London's games.

Jowell and Caborn Need to Use Same Hymnsheet
Digger: Despite her department acknowledging Richard Caborn was correctly quoted, Tessa Jowell is blaming the media for the Olympic stadium confusion. By Paul Kelso

Is London's Olympic Site Behind Schedule Already?
Olympic Games: The man who was charged with making the 2012 Games run on time claims they are mired in politics and indecision. Is he right?

London 2012: Can London Really Deliver Its Promises?
Olympic Games: Battle lines are being drawn over key areas of the Olympic vision for six years and beyond.

London 2012: Lemley Called to Explain Fears Over 2012 Package
Cricket: "Warm words and vague reassurances" on Olympic venues are at odds with the warnings of ex-Olympic Delivery Authority chairman, Jack Lemley.

Olympics 2012: Political Rows Threaten Games, Says Former Olymoic Chief
Jack Lemley says he quit as Olympic Delivery Authority supremo because he feared political rows would undermine construction projects.

Reedie Cannot Go to the Ball
Digger: Despite playing a big part in bringing the Olympics to London, Sir Craig Reedie was not invited to the BOA's annual corporate fundraiser.

West Ham Consider Olympic Stadium Move
Soccer: After Tottenham ruled themselves out of the running, West Ham are in "serious negotiations" over a possible move to the 2012 Olympic Stadium.

London 2012: Met Assistant to Handle Olympic Security Threat
Olympic Games: Metropolitan Police chief Sir Ian Blair has appointed an assistant commissoner specifically to look after games security.

Can't Pay Won't Pay 2012 Bill
Digger: A pair of pensioners have refused to pay a portion of their hiked council tax as they believe they will not benefit from the Olympics. By Paul Kelso

French Sports Minister Backed for Anti-drug Role
Sports politics: French double Olympic gold medallist Jean-Francois Lamour is the favoured European candidate to become chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

London 2012: Emirates Team to Build Olympic Stadium
Olympic Games: The builders of Arsenal's Emirates stadium have been awarded the contract to design and construct London's 80,000 capacity Olympic stadium

Cities on Mark for 2012 Piggyback Race
Olympic Games: British cities face stiff competition from abroad over the Olympic training camp bonanza, writes Andrew Culf.

London 2012: Crystal Palace to Host World Event
Olympic Games: Crystal Palace has been chosen as the host venue for the Modern Pentathlon world championships in 2009.

Athletics: Olympic Walking Champion Thompson Dies
Don Thompson, the 1960 Olympic 50 kilometres walking champion, has died at the age of 73.

New School of Excellence to Head Olympic Darts Bid
Darts: Britain is to get its first school of excellence in darts as part of an effort to achieve Olympic status for the game.

Conflict After British Olympic Football Team Gets Go-ahead
Soccer: The Scottish and Welsh FAs fear they will lose their separate status as both men and wmone get the go-ahead to compete in 2012.

Lord Foster in Frame for Olympic Stadium
Digger: The architect who designed the new Wembley, Lord Norman Foster, has bid for the design-and-build of the Olympic stadium. By Duncan Mackay

Olympics: Woodward Facing Tough Battle for Hearts and Minds
Sir Clive Woodward has been linked with many jobs at the top of sport. Now he has one, can he be successful?

Ohuruogu Hit With One-year Ban
Athletics: Christine Ohuruogo's also faces a lifelong Olympic suspension after missing three drug tests.

London 2012: Livingstone Signals Paralympic Danger
Olympic Games: The Mayor of London has warned of a low medal tally in 2012 if sports clubs fail to improve facilities to attract disabled athletes.

Athletics: British Star Faces Olympic Ban
Britain's Christine Ohuruogu must explain her failure to attend three drugs tests or face an Olympic ban.

London 2012: Woodward Role Sparks Anger
Sir Clive Woodward has sparked a row among Olympic organisers after being appointed as the BOA's director of elite performance.

Jones Cleared of Doping Allegations
Athletics: Three-time Olympic champion cleared of doping allegations after 'B' sample comes back negative.

Olympics: Woodward Handed Olympic Role
Sir Clive Woodward has charged with bringing Olympic success back to Britain in his new role as eite performance director of the BOA.

Bustling Beijing Gives London an Olympic Lesson
The 2008 Olympics is shaping up to be one of the most spectacular festivals in human history - which could make it a hard act to follow for London in 2012.

London Olympics: No Repeat of Wembley Fiasco
The Olympic Delivery Authority say that the British construction industry will deliver the Olympic stadium on time and on budget.

International Rider Killed in Fall at Horse Trials
A three-day event rider who hoped to take part in the Beijing Olympics has been killed after her horse lost its footing in a competition and fell onto her.

The Male Domination of Sport
Olympic Games: Women's sport used to have real heroines but, as the London Olympics draw nearer, there's a shortage of role models, says Duncan Mackay.

London 2012: Cheaper Aquatics Centre Will Be Better
Olympic Games: After being refused for being overpriced, plans for the 20,000 seater Olympic aquatic centre will finally be approved.

Olympics: Main Stadium Could Cost £120m Than Plan
Rising construction costs could force the price of the London Olympic Stadium up by £120m to £400m.

London 2012: Olympic Sports Left to Grovel for £100m
Olympic Games: A treasury funding "black hole" has left UK Sport with a huge sponsorship headache, writes Andrew Culf.

London 2012: Improve or Games Will Fall Flat, Says Coe
Olympic Games: Seb Coe has told British athletes that they must improve if the London Olympics are to be a success.

Tories Accuse Ministers of Neglecting Olympic Legacy
Olympic Games: The government is in danger of squandering the opportunity to create a sporting legacy from the London 2012 Olympics because of a drastic reduction in lottery funding for sport at the grassroots, it was claimed yesterday.

BBC at War Over 'mad' Olympic Start Times
Protest at bid to change times of 2008 events to suit American viewers.

Scandal Threatens Italy Bids
Digger: Italy's match-fixing scandal has jeopardised the country's hopes of hosting both the 2012 European football championships and the 2016 Olympics. By Duncan Mackay

Pregnant Radcliffe Vows to Keep on Competing
Athletics: Paula Radcliffe still plans to take part in the 2012 Olympics after revealing she is due to become a mother.

London Parties As Lottery Boosts Funds
2012 Olympic Games: Lord Coe talks of strengthened resolve as 2012 team head to Trafalgar Square for a party to celebrate the anniversary of winning the Games.

Athletics: British Athletes Given Freedom of London
Britain's elite athletes will be allowed to travel free in London as part of a new scheme to ease the cost of training for the Olympics.

Athletics: Johnson Invited to Help British Sprinters
Despite often criticising British sprinters, Olympic gold medallist Michael Johnson may soon be coaching them after he was offered a role nurturing the UK's top athletes.

Johnson Discussing Uk Athletics Role
Sprint legend Michael Johnson has been approached by UK Athletics performance director Dave Collins regarding a possible role of helping British athletes. Having won five Olympic gold medals, ten World Championship gold medals and still world-record holder over 200m and 400m, Johnson is one of the most respected voices in the world of athletics.

Athletics: Double Olympic Champion El Guerrouj Forced to Retire
World 1500 metres and mile record holder, Hicham El Guerrouj, has announced his retirement at a press conference in Casablanca.

London 2012: Olympic Finances Come Under Fire
The good feeling generated by London's Olympic win appears to be over, after the government was criticised from all sides over the sudden leap in budget from £1.5bn to £2bn.

Media Must Obey Chinese Law, Warns Olympic Chief
The International Olympic Committee has moved to allay media fears that their freedom will be restricted during the 2008 games, but warned they will have to respect Chinese law. By Julia Day.

London 2012: Ioc Hope to Raise $1bn
The Internatonal Olympic Committee hope to raise $1bn in sponsorship for the 2012 Games but will shun any approaches from gambling companies.

Labour Blamed for Exploiting London Olympics
Digger: Labour and the Conservatives' Olympics peace is set to end as both parties look to exploit the London 2012 bid. By Paul Kelso

London 2012: Full Steam Ahead for Olympic Land Grab
Olympic Games: London Development Agency's last-minute deals with businesses have left only 30 to 40 serious objections to Olympic construction in the Lower Lea Valley.

London 2012: Legacy is Key to 2012
Olympic Games: Sebastien Coe has insisted that creating a sporting legacy remains central to the Olympic project.

London 2012: Land Obtained for Stratford Scheme
The Olympic Delivery Authority has secured crucial land sites for its Stratford City development project.

2012 Olympic Games
Leader: This month a new quango bounced into life with the enormous task of making sure the 2012 London Olympics takes place on time.

Athletics: London Olympics Get Early Boost
The international Olympic Committee gave London a glowing report in its first check on preparations for the 2012 games.

Olympics is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
· IOC scrutinises London preparation for Games · Coe denies French claim delegates were bribed

Olympics: Oswald's Lead Role
Rowing: 58-year-old Swiss lawyer, and Olympic rowing bronze medallist in 1968, Denis Oswald will head the IOC's review group for the London 2012 games.

Cycling: Hoy Quits the Kilometre That Brought Him Gold
Olympic kilometre time-trial champion Chris Hoy today rides the event for the last time in a major event at the World Championships in Bordeaux.

Olympic Funding for 2008 Announced
UK Sport's funding for Olympic success in Beijing has been announced with handball and synchronised swimming among the winners.

£200m Pledge to Push Britain Up Medal Table
A further £200m of public money has been promised for the training of elite athletes, in the hope of propelling Britain to fourth place in the medals table at the London Olympics in 2012.

Brown to Boost Olympic Funding in Budget
Digger: Gordon Brown is expected to unveil his plans to fund athletes for Olympic glory in 2012, but many fear much of the money will come from the private purse.

Government Eases Olympics Ad Rules
Olympic Games: Advertisers that use words such as 'games', 'gold', 'silver' and '2012' in the lead up to the London Olympic games will no longer be automatically found guilty of breaking advertising laws. By Stephen Brook.

London 2012: Uk Sport 'ducking and Diving' on Medal Target
Olympic Games: UK Sport was accused by a committee of MPs of giving unhelpful answers in the row over a British medal target for the London 2012 Olympics.

Curlers Lose to Canada
Olympics: Rhona Martin has admitted GB's women's curling team are under pressure following today's 9-3 defeat to title favourites Canada.

London 2012: Funding Delay is Devastating, Says Moynihan
Olympic Games: The chairman of the British Olympic Association has warned that delayed funding for Britain's athletes has forced a gymnast used to promote the Games to quit.

London 2012: Now Uk Sport is Accused of Misleading Mps
Olympic Games: A senior executive at UK Sport may have to reappear before a parliamentary committee after concerns she mislead MPs over medal targets for the Games.

London 2012: Pendry Calls for Betting Controls
Olympic Games: Lord Tom Pendry has urged ministers to introduce a betting code of practice for the 2012 Olympics.

Rugby League: From Ny Jets to Harlequins Via Olympic Bronze in the Bobsleigh
As a former American footballer and bobsleigh Olympic medallist, Harlequins' new conditioning coach Thibault Giroud boasts an unusual background.

Caborn Promises No Eddie the Eagles at 2012
London 2012: Sports minister Richard Caborn has indicated that Treasury support will be directed towards those sports capable of delivering medals at the London Olympics.

Athletics: Jobs Spared Olympic Park Plans Change
Nearly 100 businesses will avoid relocation after organisers of the 2012 Games announced updated plans for the Olympic Park venue.

Olympics:London Seeks Four Sponsors to Pledge £50m Each for 2012
London 2012 Olympics organisers yesterday started the search for four top-level sponsors who will be asked to commit £50m each to the cost of running the games. By Andrew Culf.

Badminton: Brits Fly Flag for Jazzed-up Game
Olympic stars Gail Emms and Nathan Robertson were cheered into the All England Championship Badminton final at the NIA in Birmingham.

Cycling: Olympic Lessons for Pro Ranks
Coaches for Badley Wiggins' Cofidis professional team have been brainstorming training methods with Britain's Olympians.

Sewage Overflows Threaten London Olympics
The government is drawing up urgent measures to stop the London Olympics being swamped in millions of gallons of sewage. Ministers have set up a working group to "urgently consider" how to avoid sewage overflows backing up the river Lee, which runs through the Olympic site. It...

London 2012:
Olympic Games: Richard Caborn, sports minister, could be reported over allegations he breached ministerial code with answers he gave on the funding of athletes for London 2012.

Olympics: Why Britain's Shooters Should Stop Whinging About Pistol Ban
There is nothing to prevent pistol-shooters from transferring to long-barrelled weapons, thus satisfying a perfectly sensible law.

Formula One: Ecclestone Talks Up Former Olympic Site As Home for Future Greek Grand Prix
The possibility of a Greek grand prix has moved a step closer after Bernie Ecclestone visited Athens to discuss the prospect.

Swimming: Sweetenham Likely to Be Cleared of Bullying
Bill Sweetenham looks set to be cleared of allegations of bullying and may lead Britain's swimming programme through to the London Olympics.

London 2012: Coe Given Knighthood to Go With His Peerage
Olympic Games: Sebastian Coe is one of 14 people involved with the London 2012 Olympic bid to receive recognition in the new year's honours list.

Olympian Task to Inspire New Generation of Stars
Olympic Games: 2005 success stories bring hope of new momentum · Revolution in world-class sporting facilities

IOC Member Denies Voting Blunder
Olympics: The IOC member accused of accidentally helping London's to win the 2012 Olympics Games by voting for the wrong bid today denied making any blunder during the election.

Olympics: Caborn Urges Team Spirit for 'strategic' Games Funds
The sports minister Richard Caborn has called for an end to the bitter row over the funding of elite athletes for the 2012 Olympics.

Olympics: Lord of the Rings Shows Old Brilliance in the Finishing Straight
The host city of the 2012 Olympics was decided in Singapore where Lord Coe produced another trademark kick for the finishing line, writes Paul Kelso.

Olympics: Tories Cry Foul on Caborn in Games Funding Row
The Conservatives accused Richard Caborn, the sports minister, of orchestrating a "smear campaign" against the British Olympic Association.

Olympics: Caborn in War of Words With Boa Over 2012 Funding
The sports minister, Richard Caborn, has launched an attack on the BOA calling its behaviour over calls for additional funding for athletes as 'unacceptable'.

Mills Switches Focus in 2012 Build-up
Olympic Games: Digger: Keith Mills will still play a big part in the build-up to London 2012 despite stepping down as acting chief executive of the Organising Committee.

London 2012: Coe Finds His Man in Carshalton
Olympic Games: Carshalton-born Paul Deighton, a multimillionaire banker, has been appointed head of the company that will organise the Olympic Games.

Deighton Handed Olympic Reins
London 2012: Paul Deighton has been chosen as the man responsible of a £2.4bn budget to organise the games.

London 2012: London 2012 Primed to Name Head of Organising Committee
The identity of the person who will be responsible for organising the 2012 Olympics in London will be revealed today.

Cricket: Olympic Stadium Could Be Used for Cricket
Kevin Mitchell adds his support to the campaign for Stratford's planned 80,000-seat stadium to be used for cricket after the 2012 Olympics.

Olympics: Games Must Benefit Everybody, Mps Warn
Staging the London 2012 Olympics will be under close scrutiny after a report warned that regions could be about £2.8bn worse off as a result of the Games.

Olympic Curlers See Future With Vision Coach
Olympic Games: Digger: Britain's Olympic curlers are the latest team to seek help from Sherylle Calder, the vision coach favoured by Sir Clive Woodward.

London Olympics: Government Under Pressure to Provide Funds for London 2012
The government is facing increasing flak over its failure to announce funding for potential medallists at the London Olympics.

Olympics: Aquatic Centre Budget is Unrealistic, Warns Architect
The row over London's aquatic centre for the 2012 Olympics intensified when architects said it would cost more than the sum promised by the Olympics minister.

Olympics: Olympic Cash Fears After Brown Leaves Out Funding
The British Olympic Association is thought to be seeking an extra £50m a year after the chancellor announced no funding in his pre-budget statement.

Sailing: Brown Under Fire for Lack of Olympic Investment
The Royal Yachting Association has criticised chancellor Gordon Brown for failing to back preparations for London 2012 with cash in his pre-budget report.

London 2012: £320m Lottery Windfall Must Benefit All Sports, Tories Argue
Olympic Games: The opposition are backing a bid to increase financial support to non-Olympic sports which fear their funding could be threatened by London 2012.

London Olympics: Rogge Praises Government Enthusiasm for 2012
After meeting culture secretary Tessa Jowell in Lausanne, IOC president Jacques Rogge has praised London's preparations for the 2012 games.

Olympic Games: London and Ioc on Same Team
Denis Oswald has stated that he wants to be considered a partner of London 2012, not an inspector.

Olympics: London Wins Praise for Flying Start to 2012 Olympic Preparations
London's plan for the 2012 games are in line to recieve a thumbs up from an International Olympic Committee who will visit the city.

London 2012: Australian Higgins to Deliver
Olympic Games: An Australian has been appointed to work with an American to deliver the facilities and infrastructure needed for London to stage the 2012 Olympics.

Athletics: Top Athletes Face the Cut in Race for Funding
British athletes including Ashia Hansen and Darren Campbell may miss out on national lottery funding ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Sports Politics: Grassroots Sports to Be Given £75m Boost
National Lottery funding is to be pumped into grassroots sport during the next three years to help it develop for the 2012 Olympics.

London 2012: Deal is Struck Over Land for 2012 Games
Olympic Games: Compulsory purchase orders are about to be served on homes and businesses occupying land required for the London Olympics.

London Olympics: Caborn Moves to Remove Covenant Blocking Games
Sports minister Richard Caborn says an amendment is being inserted into the Olympics Bill to deal with an unexpected planning problem.

Livingstone Turns Screw on Stratford Landowners
Olympic Games: The mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has defended his decision to use statutory powers to secure property required for the Olympic Village.

Women Fight to Get Softball Restored for London Olympics
Olympic Games: Dropping sport will cut female participation · Website and IOC lobby help rally support

Moynihan Dirty Tricks Row
Olympic Games: Digger: MPs have heard evidence that two of British sport's leading figures lobbied against Colin Moynihan's election as British Olympic Association chairman.

Olympics: Britain to Go for 18 Golds at the London Games
Britain's athletes have been set a target of 18 gold medals at the 2012 Olympics - which would double the number won in Athens.

North and South Korea to Join Forces in Fight for Olympic Gold
· Team for Beijing 2008 represents breakthrough · Lack of food and facilities hinder northern athletes.

Architect in London's Debt
Olympic Games: Digger: HOK Sport, the leading architectural practice in British stadium design, has been appointed to produce the technical briefs for the London 2012 Olympic venues.

Boxing: Women Boxers Close to Entering Olympic Ring at London 2012
Women's boxing, illegal in Britain until 1998, looks set to be included on the programme for the 2012 Olympics.

Athletics: Chinese Olympic Hope Stripped of Medal After Failed Drugs Test
Sun Yingjie, China's leading distance runner, has tested positive for androsterone - a banned performance-enhancing drug.

London Olympics: Cap Council Tax Bills for 2012 Games, Say Tories
The Tories are adamant that council tax bills must be capped in order to prevent Londoners shouldering the financial burden of the 2012 Olympic Games.

London 2012: London Will Beat the Touts With £20 Tickets, Promises Coe
Organisers of the London 2012 Olympics yesterday pledged that nearly half of the tickets will be sold for £20 or less to make the Games as accessible to the public as possible.

London 2012: Moynihan Plans Funding Boost
Olympic Games: Lord Moynihan, the newly-elected chair of the British Olympic Association, is hoping to secure a "significant increase" in funding for sport to deliver fourth place in the 2012 Olympic medal table.

Athletics: Radcliffe Warns English Clubs
Peter Radcliffe, Paula's father, has written to every athletics club in England telling them to improve before the Olympics in 2012.

Shooters Gun for Olympic Help
Olympic Games: Digger: Shooting laws may be relaxed to help Britain's Olympic shooting team. Current legislation prevents them from training in the UK.

Scots Refuse to Play Ball With Britain
Olympic Games: Digger: Scotland aren't opposed to the idea of a united British football team at the 2012 Olympics - they just don't want any part of it, say the SFA.

Athletics: Moynihan Wins Vote for British Olympic Chief
Former Olympic silver medallist Lord Moynihan has won the race to become chairman of the British Olympic Association.

Moynihan Elected As New Boa Chief
Sports Politics: Former Conservative Party sports minister Lord Moynihan is the new chairman of the British Olympic Association.

Caborn Faces Embarrassment As Moynihan Remains Favourite
Olympic Games: Sports minister Richard Caborn has been accussed of interfering in todays election of the British Olympic Association chairman in a bid to steer support away from the favourite, Lord Moynihan.

Court to Rule on Drug Ban for Kederis and Thanou
Olympic Games: The Court of Arbitration for Sport will adjudicate on whether the Greek athletics federation was right to clear Greek sprinters Kostas Kederis and Ekaterina Thanou of missing a drugs test.

A Blueprint for Sport - But Will It Be Heeded?
London 2012 Olympic: It makes perfect sense to simplify the convoluted model that currently exists in this country, but to do so would mean putting an awful lot of noses out of joint, says Clare Baldwin.

Athletics: Organised Crime is 'in Control' of Doping Trade
Italian Olympic official Sandro Donati has alleged that organised crime groups are trafficking banned performance-enhancing substances across Europe.

Olympics Are Handed an Extra £1bn As Costs Soar
2012 London Olympic: The cost of the 2012 London Olympic is soaring amid growing fears that the final bill will be far higher than the original estimates.

Sports Bodies Streamlined to Prepare Future Medal Winners
London 2012 Olympics: A radical streamlining of the way sport is organised has been announced by the government in an attempt to create a record number of gold medallists at the London 2012 Olympics.

Minister Relives Moment of Euphoria That Will Last for Seven Years
2012 London Olympics: Culture secretary Tessa Jowell has decsribed the moment that London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympics was announced as the most exciting of her life.

Sports News: Business Squabble Rumbles on
Following a London Assembly meeting last week, relations between London 2012 and some of the businesses forced to vacate the Olympic site have hit a new low.

Livingstone Promises Green Olympics
2012 London Olympics: The London mayor, Ken Livingstone, today promised that the 2012 London Olympics will be the most environmentally friendly games ever staged.

'Since When Did Seb Coe Learn to Jive Talk?'
2012 Olympics: He is one of our greatest Olympic champions, once the fastest man in the world, yet no one wanted him to be part of London's bid for the Games. No wonder Linford Christie is so angry. Exclusive interview by Tim Adams.

London 2012: London Handed Strict Timetable in Build-up to 2012
Olympic Games: The IOC is to hold London to a "master schedule" intended to avoid the embarrassing hold-ups that dogged the 2004 Athens games.

London Olympics: Oswald to Head 2012 Watchdog
Denis Oswald, president of the International Rowing Federation, will chair the watchdog body that will monitor London's preparation for the games.

London 2012: No-play Zones Set for 2012
Several sports look set to face major revisions to their calendars to comply with Olympic regulations.

Businesses Cry Foul in Olympic Site Row
2012 London Olympics: The dispute between landowners on the site of London's proposed Olympic park and the London Development Agency deepened yesterday as the businesses accused the LDA of using diversionary tactics and imperilling their future.

Street Olympics Proposed in Run-up to 2012
Frisbee contests in the park, tugs-of-war between neighbours and pub sack races could all be part of a nationwide Street Olympics the government is considering for the run-up to the 2012 games in London.

Sports Politics: Pinsent Opts Out of Boa Race
2012 London Olympics: Ambitious to pursue a media career, Sir Matthew Pinsent has ruled himself out of the running to become British Olympic Association chairman.

Athletics: Radcliffe Plots Her Route to 2012
The Bedford runner is planning an historic double at the world championships and has also fixed her sights on helping young British runners in the 2012 Olympics.

Duncan Mackay's Digger
Despite plans to build a temporary site near the main Olympic stadium, Bisley Shooting Centre still hopes to hold the shooting events there.

Athletics: Canadian to Lead Drug Fight
Canada-born sports academic Andy van Neutegem will oversee Britain's drug testing programme ahead of the 2012 London Olympics.

Olympics Lottery 'to Raise £750m for Games'
2012 London Olympics: The 2012 London Olympics are set to receive an estimated £750m from a new lottery game being launched today.

Athletics: Cram Questions Radcliffe Double Act
Bookmakers have priced Radcliffe at 8-1 to become the first athlete to do the double at the championships since Emil Zatopek in the same city in the 1952 Olympics.

Duncan Mackay's Digger
London Olympics in 2012: A record number of people have already volunteered to work at the London Olympics.

Let the Olympics Make London a Bikes-first City
The capital needs a grand scheme that will spread sport to everyone. Polly Toynbee

Olympic Bill Reading Postponed
A second reading of the Olympic bill has been postponed because of the death of Sir Edward Heath.

Sport should reflect our out of shape and aging society
Now we have the Olympics, perhaps sport should reflect our out of shape and aging society, calls Harry Pearson.

2012 Olympics: Coe Puts Security First
Sebastian Coe placed security at the top of the agenda for the 2012 Olympics and announced the setting up of a special cabinet committee.

Sports in Call for Funding Shake-up
2012 London Olympics: The funding of elite sport is to undergo an urgent and radical shake-up in an effort to ensure British success at the 2012 London Olympics.

Athletics: Sport is Losing the Plot
Track and field now gets barely a passing mention unless there is an Olympics on: something must be done.

Bids to Host the Bid
2012 Olympic Games: There is immense scope for dinner jackets, low-cut gowns, corny anthems and young children bearing envelopes on velvet cushions. Martin Kelner

Summit Aims to Discover 2012 Winners
Britain's sports leaders will meet this week to develop plans to improve Britain's Olympic performance ahead of the 2012 London Games.

Everything You Need to Know About London 2012
Will it rain during the Olympics? Will you be able to buy tickets, or help as a volunteer... our 2012 insider provides all the answers

UK's Hopes of Gold in 2012
We've won the Olympic bid - but can we now win dozens of gold medals at the Games? Where is the next Kelly Holmes and the next Steve Redgrave going to come from, ask Kevin Mitchell> and Jamie Jackson.

London 2012: Stadium Will Need New Pool for a Very Modern Pentathlon
Modern pentathlon plans to revolutionise itself for when it appears at the Olympics.

Let the Olympics Be a Memorial
Any hope of preventing a repetition of yesterday's atrocities demands we ask the right questions. Polly Toynbee

'Savagely woken from a pleasant dream'
Londoners woke yesterday still basking in the warm glow of their Olympic triumph. Then came the news they had dreaded - and half expected - since September 2001. James Meek walks through the streets of a suddenly pedestrian city.

Olympics 2012: Rogge Faces Defeat Over Plan for New Sports
Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee, faces his second defeat of the week in Singapore today.

London Will Go on Calling
The hideous ordeal inflicted on London will not prevent it hosting the Olympics, one of the most life-affirming events mankind has devised. Richard Williams

2012 Olympics: Spectre That Stalks the Games
Duncan Mackay in Singapore on security fears after yesterday's London bombs.

London Games Safe, Ioc Insists, As Bid Team's Delight Turns to Sadness
Security now top of agenda for Olympics organisers.

The World in One City
London's Olympic triumph depended on its openness to other countries and cultures. Jackie Ashley

London Celebrates Olympics Decision
Tony Blair today hailed "a historic day for London" after it was awarded the 2012 Olympic Games, with the decision sparking scenes of jubilation throughout the capital.

London Wins 2012 Olympics
London today won the race to host the 2012 Olympic Games, beating the long-term favourites, Paris, at the finish line to secure one of sport's greatest prizes.

2012 Olympics Will Be in London or Paris
Either London or the favourite Paris will host the 2012 Olympic games after Moscow, New York and Madrid were eliminated in the first three rounds of voting in Singapore.

The Olympic Vote - As It Happens
Minute-by-minute report: Follow all the - cough - action from the 17th Congress of the International Olympic Committee as it happens.

London Games Would 'inspire Athletes of Tomorrow'
Holding the 2012 Olympic Games in London would offer a "vision of inspiration" for future generations, the city's bid team told the International Olympic Committee in Singapore today.

Olympic Games 2012: Paris is Banking on Third Time Lucky
Can the IOC really afford another 'non' for the French capital?

Olympic Games 2012: Gate-crasher's Guide to the Galaxy of Presidents and Shakers
Singapore witnessed a charming resurrection of the entente cordiale yesterday.

Beckham Tries to Fashion Olympic Win
London will today discover whether two years of planning, 18 months of campaigning and three days of frenetic lobbying led by Tony Blair have been sufficient to earn the right to become the first city to host the summer Olympics three times.

How I Dragged the Olympic Vote Out of a Hotel Room and Into the Television Age
Former Guardian correspondent John Rodda recalls lifting the shroud of secrecy the announcement of a winning Olympic candidate.

Philippe Baudillon, Head of Paris's Bid
As Wednesday's vote to decide the hosts of the 2012 Olympics draws near, Donald McRae hears Paris's bid leader urge caution for the favourites.

Rumour Mill Goes Into Overdrive Ahead of Olympic Vote
The Raffles complex is a hive of intruige and speculation as last-minute lobbying reaches fever pitch ahead of Wednesday's Olympic vote.

2012 Olympic Bids Hang in the Balance
The race to host the 2012 Olympics will go down to the wire, predicts Clare Balding and could yet produce a surprising result.

London Surges in Olympic Race
London is enjoying a last minute surge of support in the five-city race to stage the 2012 Olympics just days before the decision is taken.

Olympic Veteran Looms Large in Stop Paris Campaign
Former IOC chief at centre of late frenzy as London tries to hobble French bid.

Injury and Pain Force Lewis Into Retirement
After 'months of deliberation and setbacks' the 2000 Olympic heptathlon champion Denise Lewis has quit athletics at the age of 32.

Lewis Hangs Up Her Spikes
Athletics: Former Olympic heptathlon champion Denise Lewis has admitted defeat in her battle against injury and confirmed her retirement.

London 2012: Caborn Backs Wada in Bid Boost
Sports minister Richard Carbon's plan to help fund the World Anti-Doping Agency could boost London's Olympic bid.

Olympic Bid Team Heads for Last Lap
London Olympic 2012 bid leaders departed for Singapore last night determined that not even a plane crash will undermine their final push to win the right to host the games.

Athletics: Us Trials Blow Mack's Hopes
Olympic pole vault champion Tim Mack will not compete in the World Championships after finishing seventh in the American trials.

Bid Faces Londoners' Protest in Singapore
Protests by local businesses opposed to the Olympic Games being staged in the capital may undermine the final stages of London's 2012 bid.

London 2012: Promises, Promises - But London's Weakness is Credibility
Olympic Games: New Labour has a habit of promising things it doesn't deliver, says Richard Williams, and the Olympic bid will be no different.

London 2012: London Bid Happy Not to See Slavkov
Olympic Games: London's bid will be spared potential embarrassment after the man at the centre of bribery allegations decided not to attend next month's vote.

TV Sport: Martin Kelner
Olympic gold medals should be the culmination of, rather than the start of, a career on the awards circuit, says Martin Kelner.

FA Backs New British Team at London 2012
The FA said Britain will enter a football team for the 2012 Olympics if London's bid is successful, even though Scotland objects.

Princess Gets Off Fence to Help London Olympic Bid
IOC member Princess Anne has decided to ignore royal protocol and, for the first time, lobby publicly on London's behalf.

London 2012: New York Blow Aids London
Olympic Games: London's bid to host the Olympics could be strengthened after New York saw its stadium plans collapse over a funding vote.

Cautionary Praise for London Olympic Bid
London was praised today in a crucial report assessing the merits of the five candidate cities hoping to host the 2012 Olympic Games but some concerns were raised about the scale of its plans.

IOC Praises Coe Bid With a Month Left
London's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games begins a frantic final month of campaigning today when the city is expected to earn a glowing appraisal in a crucial report by Olympic inspectors.

London Surges in Race for 2012 Games
London's bid to host the 2012 Olympics will receive a major boost tomorrow when inspectors from the International Olympic Committee declare that the capital is as well-equipped as the favourite, Paris, to stage the world's biggest sporting event.

Banned Cyclist Blames 'twin' After Dope Test
Olympic champion claims ignorance of his rare blood condition has cost him $1m.

Olympic Bid: Beamon Leaps Into Row With London
'Leap for London', the capital's latest promotional literature for 2012 Olympic bid, has annoyed the long-jump legend Bob Beamon for using his images.

Athletics: Lewis-francis Opens European Season Under a Cloud
Mark Lewis-Francis's first European race since Olympic glory in Athens is overshadowed by his positive test for cannabis use.

Olympics: Paris Voted Big Cheese By Mice
Paris would easily win the race to host the 2012 Olympics if the decision were left to the click of a mouse.

Gymnastics: London Boost As the Dome Hosts 2009 World Event
London's bid to host the 2012 Olympics has been boosted by yesterday's announcement that the capital will stage the 2009 World Gymnastics Championships, says Duncan Mackay.

Athletics: Olympic Call to Sir Clive
Sue Campbell, the chair of UK Sport, believes that the help of Sir Clive Woodward would be invaluable in preparing Britain's Olympic team for the 2008 games in Beijing.

Protection for Olympic Sponsors
The government will introduce legislation to protect the investment of sponsors and advertisers should London win the right to host the 2012 Olympic games.

Khan Takes a Risk in Olympic Sequel
Boxing: Tonight's lightweight rematch with Kindelán is the ultimate amateur bout but one that John Rawling believes could hit the market value of Britain's silver medallist.

Passive Smoking Plea Helps Olympic Athlete Escape Drug Ban
Britain's Olympic gold medallist, Mark Lewis-Francis, has tested positive for cannabis but escaped a career-threatening ban after becoming the latest sportsman to claim he was the victim of passive smoking.

Olympic Games 2012: Drut Will Go If Trial Damages Paris Bid
The Paris 2012 bid committee member Guy Drut says he will resign if corruption charges against him "damage the bid".

Olympic duo vie for the title
Equestrianism: Pippa Funnell and William Fox-Pitt held on to the top two places at the Badminton Horse Trials

Olympics: Sports Fear for 2012
Sports bosses have organised an emergency meeting following the International Olympic Commitee's proposal to vote on which sports should be dropped from the 2012 summer games.

London 2012: Firms Take Anti-bid Case to Ioc
A coalition of London businesses threatened by the 2012 Olympic bid is to lobby the International Olympic Committee against it.

Olympics 2012: London Bid Upsets Local Businesses
A consortium of local businesses that will be forced to relocate to if London wins the Olympic bid, claim their options are 'inadequate'.

Olympic Bid: London's U-turn End of Bruising Week
The London's 2012 committee's decision to withdraw althete incentives may have come just in time to put the bid back on track.

Olympic Bribes Row Forces London Into £15m U-turn
Olympic Games: London's bid for the 2012 Olympic Games suffered a major blow yesterday when it was forced to withdraw a £15 million package of financial 'incentives' which the International Olympic Committee claimed came dangerously close to bribery.

2012 Olympic Bid: London Calls on Cherie
Athletics:Cherie Blair is to take a prominent lobbying role in London's bid for the 2012 Olympics after the general election.

Rogge Warns London on Olympic Inducements
International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge has warned London and its rivals not to become involved in a "bidding war" as July's vote approaches.

Rogge Warning Over 'bidding War'
Olympic president Jacques Rogge has told London and its rivals for the 2012 Games not to overstep the mark in their bidding measures.

2012 Olympics: London Goes the Extra Mile
Lord Coe has been employing some cunning measures to capture the IOC's floating voters for London's bid.

Latest Wheeze to Lure the Olympics to London - £20m of Freebies
Olympic glory is usually the only motivation an athlete needs, but should London host the 2012 summer games all 10,500 competitors will find themselves showered in freebies whether they win or not.

2012 Olympics: London Gets Down to Brass Tacks
London continued its campaign to win the games with an appeal about pockets and practicalities rather than hearts and minds.

Duncan Mackay's Digger
Madrid's bid to host the 2012 Olympics appears to be imploding amid reports of infighting among its organisers.

Athletics: Brown Britain's Unsung Hero
Jon Brown, who has twice finished fourth in the Olympics, is one of the great underestimated British talents in his sport.

Athletics: Baldini Ready to Milk Marathon
Olympic champion Stefano Baldini has set his sights on the London Marathon where he has never finished out of the top 10 in six appearances.

Olympic Hopes a New Onassis Will Bail It Out
A picture of Aristotle Onassis's smiling face still hangs on a wall of the president's office at Olympic Airlines.

Duncan Mackay's Digger
Olympic Games: Prince Albert may not be able to attend the meeting of the IOC in Singapore on July 6 where he would have voted for Paris.

Gebrselassie Misses London Marathon
Athletics: Double Olympic 10,000 metres champion Haile Gebrselassie has pulled out of the Flora London Marathon later this month because of a