奥运倒计时:伦敦如何演绎自己的精彩

100 day countdown: how London not to be shadowed by Beijing?

By Barry He

With the hundred day countdown to the Olympics looming, the worlds' fixation on the city of London is rapidly intensifying. The pressure felt by the authorities to put on a show to rival its formidable predecessor is apparent. Just strolling through the city you are likely to see many hastily constructed community rejuvenation projects littered around the host boroughs of East London. With such a short period of time left and expectations rising, many wonder if it is even possible for London to display anywhere near the level of grandeur and extravaganza as Beijing did four summers ago. Delivering the games in such conditions of economic austerity probably wouldn't have been the perfect plan for the LOCOG organisers in City Hall, indeed many may be bracing for a repeat of Dehli Asian Games in 2010. In the wake of the most expensive show in the world, pulled off by the worlds' newest superpower, what can London possibly do to hold its own against such a display of power?

The challenge of delivering the games in a credit crunch means that alternative tactics will have to be used. LOCOG, the games organisers, have admitted that they will not be able to match Beijing in scale, indeed they have stated that they will not even try to. One strength that will surely be utilized however, is its multiculturalism. London is easily one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world, its demographics vibrant, far more so even when compared to cities such as New York and Los Angeles. It is estimated that over 300 languages are spoken in London's schools, a statistic that will manifest itself in the stadium's audience this summer. Contrast this to the Beijing Olympics, where almost 90% of the tickets bought were by a home crowd. This meant that during the Chinese games many noted the lack of friendly international rivalry in the audience, the inter-crowd banter, such a fundamental aspect of any competition, was lost. Arguably, the spirit of the competition surely exists within the stands just as much as on the track for it to be worth remembering. The organisers have already marketed this August as the most accessible and diverse games ever, producing an infectious atmosphere that will surely rival any previous competition.

The organisers and sponsors of London 2012 have also made the games extremely youth orientated, apparent from the loud technicolour logo to the army of celebrity singers and rappers that have been drafted in for the cause. This is proving hugely popular, a heavy bass line driven Adidas games commercial featuring Tottenham MC Wretch 32 has clocked up over half a million views on the internet since its release barely a week ago. This connection between the organisers and young people can even be seen on root community levels. Front row tickets for high profile events such as the men's 100m sprint final have been reserved for school children from the most deprived areas of the Capitol. Initiatives like these demonstrate a philosophy of all inclusiveness, differentiating London 2012 from previous Olympics.

These initiatives are taken very seriously at the highest levels. The committee chairman of the games, Seb Coe explained the London 2012 logo to the BBC, stating it was to: "use the Olympic spirit to inspire everyone and reach out to young people around the world." Whilst the city will never match the hugely elaborate and impressive spectacle put on by Beijing, the intention of the organisers are clear. London is marketing itself to the whole world as a diverse futuristic young faced and fast paced city, defining itself with its own determined character to make this summer's games one to remember.

距奥运会开幕还有100天时间，世界的目光越来越聚焦在伦敦身上，但如何能把本届奥运会办得和4年前一样辉煌，伦敦显然面临巨大压力。

在伦敦东部的社区随便走一走，你就可以看到许多为奥运而匆忙改造的建筑。随着开幕时间越来越近，人们对奥运的期望越来越高，许多人在怀疑伦敦是否有能力再现4年前北京奥运会的那般壮观，哪怕接近那样的水平。

目前经济如此不景气，这对于伦敦奥组委来说或许始料未及，很多人甚至做好了出现2010年印度新德里英联邦运动会那样糟糕状况的心理准备。

伦敦奥组委另辟蹊径，其中最有效的一招，就是伦敦的多元文化环境这张牌。伦敦是世界上文化最多元化的城市之一，程度甚至超过纽约和洛杉矶。据统计，在伦敦的学校里，你可以听到300多种语言，这意味着今夏奥运赛场，会有各种文化背景的人坐在观众席上。

伦敦奥组委和赞助商的另一张牌是年轻人。从他们推出的奥运标志，到征召大批流行歌手以及说唱歌手，都说明了这一点。最近，出生在伦敦托特纳姆区的说唱歌手MC　Wretch　32主演的奥运宣传视频在网上火爆，视频推出不到一周，点击已过50万次。主办方与年轻人的这种联系已经蔓延至社区层面。组委会已经把包括男子100米决赛在内最热门比赛的最前排门票，都预留给了伦敦最落后地区学校的学生，这种办赛理念是与以往历届奥运会不同的，又是伦敦奥组委上层最为重视的，奥组委主席塞巴斯蒂安·科就说过："利用奥运精神激励全世界所有的年轻人。"

伦敦奥组委的目标很清楚，这就是通过奥运会，向全世界展现一个多姿多彩、富有活力并且积极追赶时代的都市，伦敦奥运会也必将以自己鲜明的特点被世人所铭记。