Step length, a devastating finish and ‘springs in his spikes’: the science behind Gout Gout’s speed

2024 Chemist Warehouse Australian All Schools Championships live stream, Australian Athletics Dylan Hicks, Flinders University and roland van den Tillaar, Nord University

Every now and then an athlete comes along who makes people wonder, “how are they so fast?”

Let me introduce you to Gout Gout.

Gout is a 17-year-old sprint sensation from Australia, whose blistering 100m and 200m times have drawn comparison to none other than Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt.

While he was edged out over 200 metres in Melbourne last weekend by 21-year-old Lachlan Kennedy – recent 60-metre world indoor silver medallist who is a rising sprinter poised to break the ten-second barrier for 100 metres – Gout’s performances continue to signal a bright future on the track.

In a seven-month period since last August, Gout has:

• won silver in the 200m at the World Junior Championships (20.60 seconds, -0.7 metres/second wind)
• broken Peter Norman’s long-standing Australian 200m record (20.04 seconds, +1.5m/s)
• two weeks ago in Brisbane, smashed through the magical 20-second barrier for the 200m, recording a world-leading 19.98 seconds (+3.6m/s), albeit wind-aided (anything greater than 2.0 metres/second is considered wind-aided).

But what makes Gout so fast?

Is it his explosive start, long stride, top speed or smooth technique?

The answer, as with all athletic outliers, is likely a combination of several unique attributes.

Let’s dive into the science.

The science of sprinting

Sprinting is an ongoing battle of force and mass.

Gravity is pulling the athlete’s body mass down. Meanwhile, the athlete must apply muscular force into the track to keep the body upright.

Research suggests the world’s fastest sprinters generate the highest ground reaction force relative to their body mass and apply it in the shortest period, in the right direction (more horizontally in acceleration and more vertically at top speed).

At 5'11" (180cm) and 66kg, Gout does not display the muscular physiques of past champion sprinters including Asafa Powell (Jamaica), Justin Gatlin (the USA), or Australia’s own Matt Shirvington. Yet his performances suggest is he redefining the archetype of elite sprinting.

For anyone who has run at school, you know the difficulty of holding your top speed for the duration of a 200-metre race.

But Gout defies logic. His speed endurance (maintaining speed) sets him apart from nearly all athletes.

And not just compared to his age group, although he currently sits second on the all-time under-18 200-metre list behind US runner Erriyon Knighton.

Gout’s speed endurance is up there with the best in 200-metre history: Bolt, Michael Johnson or Noah Lyles. Each of them has won multiple Olympic medals.

The fastest official 100-200 metre segment (the final 100 metres of the race) ever run in a 200-metre event is 9.16 seconds by American Lyles, on his way to winning the 2022 world athletics championships in Oregon (19.31 seconds overall).

In Gout’s recent performance in Brisbane, he completed this segment of the race in 9.31 seconds. Bolt and Johnson’s best 100-200 metre segment is 9.27 and 9.20 seconds respectively.

This statistic puts Gout in elite company.

The magic of Gout

Closer analysis of Gout’s performance highlights some sprinting anomalies.

He covers the first 100m of the race in 10.67 seconds, which is quite slow relative to his finishing time of 19.98.

For comparison, when Bolt broke the 200-metre world record in 2009 (19.19 seconds), he ran 9.92 seconds on the curve (and 9.27 seconds on the straight).

But once Gout enters the straight, his magic is on full display.

Gout has an average step length of 2.60 metres. Bolt’s average step length in his 100-metre world record performance was 2.45m, with Lyles displaying a similar result, 2.35m, in his 100-metre win in Paris.

This allows Gout to take between 3.75-4 steps for each ten-metre segment, which he covers at an average speed of 10.8m/s (or 38.8km/h). Like Bolt, his step length is a huge advantage over his competitors.

However, there is a trade-off with step length and step frequency.

Gout’s longer-than-average step length reduces his average step frequency to 4.15Hz (steps per second), much lower than Bolt who averaged 4.47Hz when at his best.

However, research highlights elite sprinters are reliant on either step length or frequency, and athletes should train to their strengths, rather than fixing their weaknesses.

So this may not be an area of concern for the teenager.

Gout also displays a unique coordination pattern in how he interacts with the ground: the way he strikes the track with his feet almost makes it look like he has springs in his spikes.

Well, we all do in a sense.

Elastic energy is stored and released in our Achilles tendon which acts as a muscle power amplifier during running.

Longer Achilles tendon length and stiffness play a huge role in sprint efficiency. This allows athletes to move at faster speeds for longer periods at a reduced energy cost, and may be another one’s of Gout advantages over his contemporaries.

A bright future

At 17, Gout’s performances are out of this world.

The way he generates and maintains speed challenges some conventional paradigms in sprinting – namely that raw power and muscle mass are the primary determinants of speed.

With most elite sprinters peaking in their mid-20s, Gout’s performances at this stage of his career are even more noteworthy.

His success likely highlights the role of his unique coordination patterns, biomechanics, technical efficiency, hard work and great coaching all bundled together.

Gout has already rewritten Australian sprinting history. Next up, he’s taking on the world.

Just don’t blink – he’s that fast, you might miss him.

Dylan Hicks, Lecturer & Movement Scientist / PhD Sports Biomechanics, Flinders University and roland van den Tillaar, Professor in Sports Science, Nord University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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One year to go: Will the Paris 2024 Olympics see a return to normalcy?

A group of tourists walk past the Olympic rings in front of Paris City Hall with one year until the Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony, on July 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) Angela Schneider, Western University; Alan C Oldham, Western University, and Richard Baka, Victoria University

We haven’t had a “normal” Olympic Games since the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. The 2020 Tokyo Summer Games and the 2022 Beijing Winter Games were both affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in significant changes and schedule disruptions. There were virtually no spectators, strict COVID-19 protocols for anyone involved in the Games, budget issues, no corporate hospitality, reduced community engagement and a lackluster atmosphere in the two host cities. But there is hope for a return to a more traditional and enjoyable Games with the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics. With 10 million tickets available, spectators will be back in stadiums.Up to 600,000 spectators will be allowed at the opening ceremony in July 2024 which, for the first time in history, won’t take place in a stadium, but along the Seine River in northern France. Athletes will parade six kilometres along the river before arriving at the Trocadéro, where the final parts of the ceremony will take place. Athletes and sports: Since pandemic restrictions are no longer in place, competing at the Olympics and living in the Athlete’s Village will be a much better experience for athletes, who will be able to freely mix and mingle again. There will be 32 sports and 329 events at the Paris Games. Karate, baseball and softball have been dropped. Hoping to attract a youthful audience, breakdancing — known as “breaking” — will make its first Olympic appearance. Sport climbing, surfing and skateboarding, all of which made their debut at Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021), will remain in Paris. In the continuing push for gender equity, there will be equal numbers of male and female athletes for the first time. In the hopes of having as clean a Games as possible, strict doping controls will once again be in place for Paris. Due to sophisticated laboratory testing, some cheats will inevitably be caught — if not during the Games, then afterwards. The Canadian men’s 4x100-metre relay team, for example, just received their upgraded silver medals for the Tokyo Games after the British team tested positive for doping. Aaron Brown, from left to right, Jerome Blake, Brendon Rodney and Andre De Grasse pose with their upgraded Tokyo Olympics silver medals during a ceremony in Langley, B.C., on July 29, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Russian and Belarusian athletes: A chief question is whether, and on what terms, athletes from Russia and Belarus will compete at the Games. Athletes from both countries have been effectively banned from international competition in the aftermath of Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) strongly recommended banning athletes from both countries from the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, with the International Paralympic Committee following suit days later. Since then, the IOC has faced pressure from both sides. On the one side, several Baltic leaders have threatened to boycott the Games if Russians and Belarusians are allowed to compete. On the other, human rights groups have been advocating that individual athletes not face discrimination based on their nationality. The International Olympic Committee has attempted to strike a balance between continued support for Ukrainian athletes without “punishing athletes for the acts of their governments,” as IOC President Thomas Bach stated. The IOC has the ultimate authority as to who will not receive formal invitations to compete in the Paris Games, and it had earlier stated that it will not invite Russia and Belarus to the 2024 Olympics. While a final decision about the situation is unlikely to be made before the fall, Ukraine’s recent about-face to allow its athletes to compete against Russians and Belarusians reveals the situation’s complexity.

Olympic culture As the host city, Paris will be buzzing with excitement, offering a variety of Olympic activities. These include special fan zones, free viewings of the Olympic Torch Relay and opening ceremonies, access to hospitality houses and opportunities to visit sponsor sites like Samsung, Visa and Pride House. Plus, there is the Cultural Olympiad program that began just after the Tokyo Games finished. This program provides opportunities for host countries to “start new conversations between sporting and cultural circles during the four years building up to the Games then until the closing ceremony.” Record-breaking media coverage: While the Tokyo and Beijing Games still had extensive media coverage, the upcoming Paris Games are expected to have the most coverage out of any Olympics. By May, Paris organizers had sold 6.8 million tickets — about 70 per cent of the total inventory. And in July, the president of the Paris Olympics organizing committee said they had passed the €1 billion (C$1.5 billion) mark in secured sponsorship revenue. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach delivers a speech during the IOC invitation ceremony on July 26, 2023 in Saint-Denis, outside Paris. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)

Coca-Cola, the longest standing Olympic sponsor since 1928, is an official non-alcoholic beverage sponsor and the major sponsor of the Olympic Torch Relay and pin trading centres. Coke’s marketing agreement extends to 2032 and is estimated to be worth a whopping $3 billion. The return of corporate sponsorships will also include extensive corporate hospitality and packages from major sponsors, including Visa, Coke, Samsung and others. Security at the Games: From the French Revolution to the modern day, Paris undoubtedly has a strong history of social demonstrations. Recent events have raised the question of whether this propensity will play out during the Paris 2024 Games. In July, widespread protests and demonstrations took place after police shot and killed 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk, a French citizen of Moroccan and Algerian descent, illustrating how fraught tensions are between racialized communities and law enforcement in France. As for the possibility of demonstrations occurring during the 2024 Olympics, it still remains to be seen. Whether or not they are to be expected, a heavy anti-terrorism security presence can be expected, as has become the norm in recent decades at mega sport events. On the positive side, recent investigations into corruption at French sport’s highest levels may lead to improved transparency regarding corruption in organizing committees as the Games approach. One year to go: The 2024 Paris Olympics should see a return to normalcy compared to the last two games. Although trepidation exists, with one year to go anxieties are normal. As Paris prepares to host its third Olympics (1904, 1924, 2024) — only the second city to achieve this milestone after London (1908, 1948, 2012) — there is optimism the event will run smoothly. The legacy of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the French founder of the modern Olympic Games, and the Olympic Movement should continue unabated. Angela Schneider, Director, International Centre for Olympic Studies, Western University; Alan C Oldham, PhD Student, International Centre for Olympic Studies, Western University, and Richard Baka, Adjunct Fellow, Olympic Scholar and Co-Director of the Olympic and Paralympic Research Centre, Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Usain Bolt sets last race in Jamaica for June

The Racers Grand Prix will be my last race in Jamaica people, said Bolt. Image: @ flickr.com under cc/by/2.0

• Jamaica: Jamaica's Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt will run his last race on home soil at June's Racers Grand Prix before retiring from competition two months later, he said on Friday.
• The 30-year-old, who won the 100 metres at this year's Racers Grand Prix, has already said he plans to retire from the sport after the August 5-13 World Championships in London having won nine Olympic gold medals.
• “The Racers Grand Prix will be my last race in Jamaica people, it will be the last time I run in Jamaica,” Bolt told Television Jamaica's "Smile Jamaica" morning magazine programme.
• The Racers Grand Prix will be held on June 10.
• The Jamaican, who drew down the curtain on his Olympic career in August by securing a sweep of the sprint titles for a third successive Games, will resume training next month.
• Bolt has wild card entries for both the 100 and 200 metres at the World Championships but remains undecided on whether he will run one or both events, saying only it will be his last competition.
• "Yes I am definitely going to retire after the World Championships in London, that will be my last one," said Bolt. Source: The Asian Age

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What is Dreamfuel?

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There is an assumption that all Olympians, Olympic hopefuls and elite athletes have sponsors. This is far from the case, as 85% of Olympic hopefuls’ income is less than 15k USD / year. Dreamfuel is the premier high-level crowd-funding platform specifically designed by and for athletes. We work with each athlete or athletic organization to tap into the community that surrounds them, thereby engaging new fans and supporters along the way. As a result, we are able to create and enhance a global community that will benefit the athlete’s direct needs as well as help to build a long- term fan base. Our goal is to provide athletes with a new revenue stream to support their incredible efforts outside of or in addition to the traditional means of sponsorship's and governing body stipends. Courtesy: www.dreamfuel.me/, Open Images In browser To Find Its Source Of Sharing.

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Ice Hockey World Championship in Belarus 2014

In January 2012, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko signed a decree according to which for the official world championship and set foreign tourists visa-free entry to the territory of Belarus in the period from 25 April to 31 May 2014. The basis for the visa waiver for tourists is the presence of the original or an electronic ticket to the championship matches. The official mascot of the World Cup Hockey 2014 became bison named Volat playing hockey. During the tournament officials and participants will receive a free travel on public transport, while fans will have to pay the full fare . At the time the championship will operate 12-13 additional public transport routes for communication hockey arenas with hotels and hostels. September 30, 2013 were announced ticket prices for all matches of the World Cup and for different tickets. Tickets for the group stage games range in price from 78 to 650 thousand rubles (from 6 to 50 euros) depending on the location of the place and the rating game. Tickets for the final game - from 780,000 to 5.2 million (from 64 to 424 euros). For arranging accommodation in Minsk was initiated reconstruction of existing and construction of new hotels . Also part of the fans will be located in the university dorms , because of what may be shortened school year. Total expected to arrive up to 20 thousand people. According to the latest information apartment prices in Minsk will increase up to 3 times during the championship: Source: Article

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U S wins first gold medal of 2014 Sochi Olympics

(CNN) —The United States clinched the first gold medal of Sochi's Winter Olympics Saturday, but the Dutch dominated on ice and a joint record was claimed by Norway. Image Courtesy: Youtube,

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Girls can compete athletically with boys at certain ages

Washington, You would be wrong if you think girls can’t compete with boys. An Indiana University study that looked at performance differences between male and female childhood athletes found little difference in certain age groups. Joel Stager, professor in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at IU Bloomington, said he is not suggesting that boys and girls compete against each other, but he said his findings indicate they could. “It’s the whole perception that girls can’t compete fairly with boys. Well, at certain ages, they can,” he said. The study analyzed data provided by USA Swimming that consisted of the best 50-yard freestyle performances for all USA Swimming-registered male and female swimmers ages 6 to 19 who competed from 2005 to 2010. This included 1.9 million swims. The study found no difference in swim performance in children younger than 8. It also found little difference in 11- and 12-year-olds. The effects of puberty began showing in the older swimmers, as the boys began experiencing accelerated growth in height, weight and strength typical of age 13 and older. Researchers chose to analyze children’s performance in the 50-yard freestyle because performances of the swimmers were less influenced by training per se and more likely to be influenced by muscle function. Source: Indian Express

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Hannah Kearney Olympic Freestyle Skiing Gold Medalist

The Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships returns to Heavenly Mountain Resort March 29 through 31. Catch the world's top moguls and aerials athletes compete for the U.S. Freestyle Championship title. We caught up with Hannah Kearney, 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Gold Medalist and Sprint sponsored freestyle skier who will be competing in the upcoming event. Image Courtesy: Youtube

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Fauja Singh shines at last race

A 101-year-old Sikh believed to be the world's oldest distance runner retired Sunday after ending his last race in  Hong Kong  on a high,  describing  it  as one of the "happiest days" of his long life. Fauja Singh,  nicknamed the Turbaned Tornado, finished the 10-kilometre (6 mile) run at the Hong Kong Marathon in one hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds -- half a minute faster than at the same event last year."Today is one of my happiest days," the Indian-born British national, who only speaks Punjabi, said through his interpreter after he crossed the finishing line with a broad smile and waving the Hong Kong flag. "I felt so fresh and so good. I felt I'm full of power today. "I will remember this day and I will miss it, but I will not stop running for charity," added Singh, who was mobbed by supporters when he completed his final competitive event. The centenarian, who was a farmer in his home state of Punjab before settling in England, began running at 89 and has since completed nine 42-kilometre (26 mile) marathons in London, Toronto and New York. His best time was in Toronto, where he clocked five hours, 40 minutes and four seconds. The great-great-grandfather, who turns 102 on April 1, has said that while he is quitting competitive events, he will not stop running for personal fitness. He was inspired to take up marathons after he saw television coverage of one 12 years ago, not long after the death of his wife and a son, at a time when he said he needed a new focus in life. Although widely regarded as the world's oldest marathon runner, Guinness World Records has not certified him since Singh cannot prove his birth date. He has said there were no birth certificates available when he was born under British colonial rule. Fauja Singh shines at last race - Hindustan Times

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Usain Bolt Wins Third IAAF Award

Usain Bolt plans to compete in four events at the 2012 Olympics in a bid to equal Carl Lewis's gold medal record. The 25-year-old Jamaican says he will run the 4x400m relay for the first time, as well as defending his Olympic titles in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m. Bolt was speaking after he and Australian sprint hurdler Sally Pearson were named athletes of the year. He said: "I will probably be in good shape and I know the guys are really stepping up the 400m level in Jamaica." It is the third time Bolt has been named athlete of the year by governing body the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). He retained his 200m crown at this year's World Championships in Daegu, where he also helped Jamaica defend the 4x100m relay in a new world record time of 37.04 seconds.Read Full: Optimum Sports Marketing: Usain Bolt Wins Third IAAF Award:

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Girisha bags first Paralympic medal for India

London Girisha Hosanagara Nagarajegowda gave India its first medal at the Paralympic Games after bagging a silver in the Men's High Jump F42 event. The 24-year old from Karnataka, who has an impairment in his left leg, sailed over a height of 1.74m using scissors technique in the final of the event to finish second in the presence of an 80,000 capacity crowd last night. Iliesa Delana of Fiji won the gold, while Lukasz Mamczarz of Poland settled for bronze. Although Delana finished on the same height of 1.74m as Girisha and Mamczarz but won gold on the basis of taking less jumps. Girisha, who is supported by Samarthanam, a Bangalore-based NGO for the disabled since 2008, took part in a three week long pre-Games training camp at Basildon Sporting Village sponsored by the Government of India. Source: Express India

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Incredible shot of US swimmer that perfectly shows the phenomenon of surface tension

Tyler Clary of the United States competes in the Men's 200m Backstroke Final and creates a perfect examples of surface tension

By James Nye:  Looking like he is completely enveloped in clear gel, men's 2012 Olympic 200m backstroke winner Clary moves sleekly through the pool as he battles to win. Captured on camera as he is about to break the surface of the water, Tayler Clary seems to be perfectly wrapped in glass because of a physical phenomenon called surface tension. Put simply, all water has a 'skin' and in the photograph, Clary is breaking through that skin as he swims in the race which was part of his road to victory in 2012. 

Ryan Lochte of the United States, Tyler Clary of the United States and Fenglin Zhang of China compete in the Men's 200m Backstroke final at the London Olympic Games

The photograph has been compared to a dolphin rising out of the water and for Clary, the split second moment was captured on July 29th, at the INA World Championships at the Oriental Sports Center on July 29, 2011 in Shanghai, China Winning gold at the 2012 Olympics for the backstroke event on August 2nd this year, the 23-year-old athlete joined the stellar ranks of Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte as swimming legends. 

Tyler Clary of the United States celebrates after winning the gold in the Men's 200m Backstroke final on August 2nd of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre in London

And last night, the gold medalist seemed to enjoy the fruits of all his hard work as he let his hair down at the WWE pool party which was held in West Hollywood last night. Arriving dressed in a simple jeans and T-shirt, unlike the other celebrity attendees, all Clary needed as an invitation was his London 2012 Olympic gold medal. Tyler, who also has become an accomplished DJ, has arrived back home after partying for days in London, following the U.S. swimming teams success.

Olympic gold medalist Tyler Clary attends the WWE SummerSlam VIP Kick-Off Party at Beverly Hills Hotel last night

They enjoyed a series of riotous nights out as they let their hair down after months of rigorous training and abstinence. He teamed his gold medal with a USA top as he arrived for the event. Earlier he had tweeted: 'Man I really needed that nap, good rest for the WWE Pool Party with Pauly D tonight! Going to be a good time :)' Source: Travelfwd+

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Rudisha wins 800m gold, breaks world record

David Rudisha of Kenya won the men's 800 metres Olympic title on Thursday in a stunning world record of 1min 40.91sec. The 23-year-old world champion pulled five metres clear of Nijel Amos of Botswana after taking control of the race from an early stage on a warm night in the Olympic Stadium in east London. He charged down the home straight as the capacity crowd rose to their feet and crossed the line in a time which shaved a tenth of a second off the world record he set two years ago. Amos timed 1:41.73 - a world junior record for the 18-year-old - to win Botswana's first ever Olympic medal in athletics while another Kenyan Timothy Kitum took
the bronze in a personal best of 1:42.53. It was the first world record in an 800m Olympic final since Cuba's Alberto Juantorena set the mark in the 1976 final. Rudisha revealed he had visited the Olympic Stadium earlier this year and was shown around by the London Games chief organiser Sebastian Coe, whose world record in the event set in 1981 lasted for 16 years. "Lord Coe is a very good friend of mine and I was here early in February and he took me round the stadium and I said I would come here and run to make him proud," said Rudisha. "To come here and break the world record is something unbelievable. I was well-prepared this year and I had no doubt about winning. But I was waiting for perfect conditions to break the world record because I knew this year I was in the shape to run 1.40. "But today the weather was beautiful so I decided just to go for it." When asked whether he was the greatest 800m runner in history, he said: "Yeah, I'm still running so I believe I'm going to maintain for a couple of years. I want to become a legend in 800." He said he would attempt to break the world again this year "I get good weather". Rudisha's victory maintained a family tradition – his father won Olympic silver in the 4x400 metres relay in 1968 in Mexico. Coe said the race was one of the greatest ever to have graced an Olympic Games. "That was simply an unbelievable performance," said Coe, who never won an 800m Olympic gold, though he did win two 1500m titles. "David Rudisha showed supreme physical and mental confidence to run like that in an Olympic final," Coe added "Instead of just doing enough to win the race he wanted to do something extraordinary and go for the world record as well. "Rudisha's run will go down in history as one of the greatest Olympic victories. I feel privileged to have witnessed it in London." In what was probably overall the fastest two-lap race of all time, seven of the eight finalists set personal bests – Andrew Osagie's last-place time of 1:43.77 would have been good enough for gold in the 2008 Olympic final. Rudisha, who had set the previous mark of 1:41.01 in the Italian town of Rieti two years ago, set the pace from the start with Abubaker Kaki of Sudan and Mohammed Aman of Ethiopia in close pursuit. However, heading down the back stretch he kicked once and had Kaki and Aman struggling to stay in the hunt and another kick at the 300 metres mark had them fighting for the minor medals. Amos surged into second going into the straight and fought gamely to reel in the Kenyan but in the end settled for his historic silver. "I'm really happy about it," said Amos. On breaking the world junior record, he said: "It was my motivation to run against Rudisha so I pushed very hard." Source: Indian Express

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Bolt scorches to 100 metres gold

Usain Bolt retained his Olympic 100 metres title in spectacular style on Sunday when the Jamaican scorched down the track in 9.63 seconds, the second-fastest time ever run. Bolt's 9.58 seconds in winning the 2009 world championship title is the only quicker time and Sunday's brilliant display as he made up a massive early deficit proved he had completely recovered from the hamstring problems that had given a sliver of hope to his rivals.World champion Yohan Blake made it a Jamaican 1-2 when he won silver in 9.75 seconds and 2004 champion Justin Gatlin of the United states grabbed bronze in 9.79 as the first seven all broke 10 seconds. Asafa Powell pulled up injured. Bolt will now bid to complete an unprecedented double-double by retaining his 200 metres title and will also seek a sixth sprint gold in the 4x100metres relay. Compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce also retained her women's title to give Jamaica a flying start in their sprint showdown with the United States. Source: Sam Daily Times

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USA smash world 4x100m relay record to win Olympic gold

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The United States shattered a 27-year-old world record to win gold in the women's 4x100m relay at London 2012. The team of Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight and Carmelita Jeter blazed round the track in 40.82 seconds, beating East Germany's record of 41.37, which had stood since 1985. Jamaica were second in a national record time of 41.41, with Ukraine third in 42.04 and Nigeria fourth. The USA team had failed to reach the final at the Beijing Olympics. But after qualifying fastest for the 2012 final, they led from the start on a balmy night in east London. Madison gave the US an electric start, with Felix and Knight maintaining the lead before 100m silver medallist Jeter stormed down the straight to capture the gold. "I knew that these girls were going to run their hearts out," said Jeter. "I knew we were running fast. "There was a cloud hanging over us with people saying 'they can't do this, they're going to drop the stick' but we did it." The Jamaican quartet featured 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and bronze medallist Veronica Campbell-Brown, but they could not match the fierce pace of the world champions. "It's an honour to be part of this team," said Felix, the 200m champion. "Who would have thought that we would have had a world record tonight? It's amazing. Our names are going down in history." It was the second track world record at London 2012 after Kenya's David Rudisha set a new men's 800m mark on Thursday.Source: Sam Daily Times

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Usain Bolt seals legendary status with unique double

Usain Bolt made history on Thursday when the Jamaican successfully defended his Olympic 200m crown to claim an unprecedented second successive sprint double. Bolt, who retained his 100m title on Saturday, crossed the line in 19.32sec to win in front of a delirious sell-out 80,000 crowd at the Olympic Stadium. The 25-year-old's victory meant he bettered the record of US track legend Carl Lewis, who won three golds and a silver in the sprints at the 1984 and 1988 Games. It was also the first time two individual track titles were successfully defended at successive Games since Finland's Lasse Viren won the 5000m and 10,000m in the Munich and Montreal Games in 1972 and 1976. Bolt led a Jamaican clean sweep of the podium, with training partner Yohan Blake taking silver in 19.44sec and Warren Weir claiming a shock bronze in 19.84sec. Running in lane seven, Bolt was up on Weir outside him within five paces after an explosive start. As he rounded the bend, Blake briefly threatened from lane four, but teeth clenched and at full tilt, Bolt had enough to slow down a full 10 metres from the line, raising his finger to his lips as he did so  Source: The Asian Age, ***

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Mo Farah wins Olympic 10,000m gold for Great Britain

Mo Farah stormed to Olympic 10,000m gold to seal an extraordinary night for British athletics in the Olympic stadium. In the same hour that Jessica Ennis won heptathlon gold and Greg Rutherford snatched long jump victory, Farah buried his illustrious rivals with a blistering final lap. The 29-year-old world 5,000m champion ran a near-perfect race to cross the line in 27 minutes 30.42 seconds, with his training partner Galen Rupp in silver and Ethiopia's Tariku Bekele in bronze. Farah's triumph ended a run of four successive Ethiopian wins and stopped Kenenisa Bekele from winning a third consecutive title. Four years ago in Beijing, Farah failed to qualify for the 5,000m final, and in that moment of defeat vowed to give everything he had to become the best in the world. On Saturday that undertaking came to glorious fruition as he was roared to unforgettable victory by 80,000 ecstatic supporters. Farah, who was joined on his lap of honour by wife Tania and daughter Rihanna, said afterwards: "I just can't believe it, the crowd got so much behind me and was getting louder and louder. "I've never experienced anything like this - it will never get any better than this, this is the best moment of my life. "It doesn't come round often and to have it right on the doorstep and the amount of people supporting you and shouting out your name." Mike McLeod was the last Briton to win a 10,000m medal with silver in 1984, but no British male has ever before won a global title at this distance. At 5,000m Farah was comfortably set in a large pack going round at a tough but not brutal pace, the leaders going through in 14 mins 39.5secs. Tadese went to the front with 11 laps to go before Kenya's Moses Masai picked it up 400m later and tried to stretch the field out with a lap of 63.8secs. Kenenisa Bekele and Rupp followed on Masai's heels. Wilson Kiprop had already dropped out injured, and Farah stayed on Bekele until, with five laps to go, he made his first move and eased up to third. To an enormous roar from the crowd Farah then accelerated again at 8,800m and followed as the younger Bekele brother Tariku went to the front. Farah looked effortless, poised, and with 800m to go held his position in the front two. At the bell he made his big move, bursting into a lead of a metre on the straight and then kicking again with 90m left to go away clear. It was an almost unreal end to the most astonishing of nights - and Farah still has the 5,000m to come.Source: Sam Daily Times

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Greatest of ’em all

Michael Phelps became the most successful Olympian ever when he helped the United States to the gold medal in the men's 4x200 metres freestyle relay at the London Games on Tuesday, winning the 19th medal of his storied career. Phelps, who had equalled Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina's haul of 18 medals earlier when he won silver in the men's 200 butterfly final, swum the anchor leg in the relay for the Americans. The 27-year-old had already set the record for gold medals, winning six in Athens in 2004 and an unprecedented eight in Beijing four years ago. The relay victory was his first gold in London. France took the silver in the relay, while China won the bronze. Earlier, South Africa’s Chad le Clos upset Phelps to win the 200 metres butterfly final at the London Olympics on Tuesday. Phelps, who was bidding to became the first male swimmer to win the same individual event at three Olympics, led all the way but messed up his touch allowing le Clos to get his hands on the wall first in a time of one minute, 52.96 seconds. Phelps took the silver medal in 1:53.01 while Japan’s Takeshi Matsuda was third in 1:53.21. The 200 butterfly is one of the most physically demanding events in swimming but is also Phelps’ favourite and ironically, he is known as the best finisher in the business, famously winning the 100 butterfly final in 2004 and 2008 when he was behind. He swam the 200 at the Sydney Olympics when he was just a 15-year-old and set his first world record and won his first world title in the exhausting four-lap race. Only two swimmers have ever won the same individual event at three Olympics, Australia’s Dawn Fraser, in 100 freestyle in 1956, 1960 and 1964, and Hungary’s Krisztina Egerszegi in 200 backstroke in 1988, 1992 and 1996. It is a feat that has eluded generations of the best male swimmers until Phelps, who had the chance of doing it in four different events in London. He failed at his first attempt when he came fourth in the 400 individual medley but still has the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly to come. Meanwhile, Allison Schmitt of the United States won the women's 200 metres freestyle final at the London Olympics on Tuesday. The American, who trains in Baltimore with Michael Phelps, stormed to the front on the second of four laps and was unchallenged as she won the gold in a time of one minute 53.61 seconds. Frenchwoman Camille Muffat, who just held off Schmitt to win the 400 final on Sunday, took silver in a time of 1:55.58. Australia's Bronte Barratt, a relay gold medallist in Beijing four years ago and the fastest qualifier for the final, finished third in 1:55.81, just edging out Missy Franklin for the bronze. The 17-year-old from Colorado won the 100 backstroke gold the previous night and also picked up a relay bronze on Saturday but missed out on another medal by just 0.01 Ruta creates history Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte became the first 15-year-old Olympic swimming champion for 40 years as she powered to the 100m breaststroke gold medal here on Monday. Meilutyte held off fast-finishing American world champion Rebecca Soni to become the youngest winner of an Olympic swimming gold since Australia great Shane Gould enjoyed a triple triumph at the 1972 Munich Games. The blonde schoolgirl was emotional about her achievement and shed tears on the podium after her country’s national anthem was played to sustained applause from the crowd at the Aquatics Centre. Meilutyte also became the first swimmer to win a gold medal for Lithuania, once part of the former Soviet Union. “I put all my strength into that race. I still can’t believe it. I’m shocked, but in a good way. I started crying on the podium, that’s when it started to sink in. “I can’t believe it. It’s too much for me. It was hard and difficult. But it means a lot to me and I’m so proud,” she said. She surged clear off the starting blocks and led all the way to beat Soni in one minute 05.47 seconds, prevailing by just eight-hundredths of a second. Japan’s Satomi Suzuki was third. Meilutyte, coached in Plymouth, south-west England, arrived at the Games with a best time of 1:07.20 and whittled it down by 1.73secs to become Olympic champion. Her coach, Jon Rudd, said: “She goes to a British school, swims for a British club and has a British coach. We should feel really proud of her: she is a product of our nation’s work.” Soni believes Meilutyte will have a great future in swimming. “It was definitely a surprise, but after her prelim swim, I knew she would be a great competitor. It is amazing to be able to do that at 15. IOC vouch for Ye The International Olympic Committee (IOC) hinted on Tuesday that gold medallist swimmer Ye Shiwen of China had not tested positive for any drugs as the doping controversy triggered by her sensational performances refused to abate. The 16-year-old Ye won the women’s 400 individual medley in world record time, with her final length of the freestyle faster than men’s champion Ryan Lochte. She was also the fastest qualifier for the 200 individual medley final later on Tuesday, setting an Olympic record in qualifying. Asked whether Ye's doping test following her first victory at the Games had come in positive or negative, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said: “We would only comment if we had any adverse finding. I am not commenting, so you can draw your own conclusions.” The top-five athletes in all events are undergoing drugs tests following their competitions. Ringside view Stay away, Mr. PM British media has suggested that Prime Minister David Cameron should stay away from events where the hosts are hopeful of medals. Since he made an appearance at Wimbledon last month to watch Andy Murray lose to Roger Federer in the final, his visits are being termed the "curse of Cameron", the latest victims to it being divers Tom Daley and Pete Waterfield. Cameron also saw Britain's Mark Cavendish finish 29th in the road race, instead of the predicted first place. All in the family You expect family members to support you from the sidelines but New Zealand kayaker Mike Dawson's mother penalised him instead. He made the semifinals of the kayak slalom despite a two-second penalty by his mother Kay, who is a judge at the games. Dawson joked that he was tempted to get his coach to put in a protest “about that particular judge.” It would have made dinner time at the Dawsons even more awkward. His coach is father Les. “That would've had all sorts of ramifications ... and besides, I like mum's cooking too much!'' Dawson wrote. “I'll be trying my hardest to keep mum unoccupied in my semifinal run,” he added. Made in Japan Don't be amazed if organisers have to spot check for Japanese robots clinching the swimming medals at the next Olympics. For a team at the Tokyo University of Technology has created a 'Swumanoid' robot using a 3D scanner to perfectly map a human swimmer's physique, which has perfected the back-stroke and tries freestyle swimming. The robot can currently swim the backstroke and the front crawl, but he will need a new pair of legs before he can tackle the breaststroke. Teenager arrested A teenager has been arrested for posting malicious Tweets directed at British diver Tom Daley, UK police said. "You let your dad down i hope you know that," was sent to Daley. Daley's father died of brain cancer a year ago and the 18-year-old hoped to win a medal "for myself and my dad." But he finished fourth on Monday. In Britain, tweeting messages considered menacing, offensive or indecent can lead to prosecution.  Queen likes hip-hop? Prime Minister David Cameron revealed that during the opening ceremony, Prince William leaned over and said: “I don't know if you know this, prime minister, but my grandmother is a big fan of Dizzee Rascal.” The queen's musical tastes run more to classical than to Rascal, who came to fame through London's gritty grime scene and is best known for his hit ‘Bonkers.’Source: Indian Express

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Britain fires up the world: London gets the 2012 Games under way with the Greatest Show On Earth

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The stadium is filled with dancers on giant beds

But the Queen's role - played to perfection - still left the audience awe-struck and delighted both in the stadium and around the world. 'The Queen made herself more accessible then ever before,' Boyle said earlier today. It is the first time the Queen has 'acted' in a film and she allowed two of her own corgis to star - Monty, 13, who used to belong to the Queen Mother and Holly, nine. 'she was delighted to be asked to be involved in something so 

After appearing in the stadium, looking disheveled, a disgruntled-looking Queen adjusts herself and then takes her seat in the VIP area

 exceptional,' a Buckingham Palace spokesman said. The segment was filmed in April. 'It's been a hell of a job keeping it secret for so long,' said a source. Performers in the Olympics opening ceremony tonight hailed
the

The Queen is applauded by other dignitaries after making her arrival in the Olympic Stadium

experience as 'magical'. Around 7,500 volunteers from around the world took part in the spectacular show in front of a packed Olympic Stadium in east London and a television audience of billions. Sarah Lane, 28, danced in the climactic 'frankie and june say... Thanks Tim' section to a medley of British pop hits. Moments after coming off stage, the scriptwriting student from Kennington in south London, said: 'It felt like the whole world came together for a good old British knees-up. 'It was just incredible - the perfect evening. Even the sky was a perfect colour.' Asked what the atmosphere was like with her fellow performers, she said: 'Everyone was so happy. 'The audience, the cast - it was a massive party and no-one wanted to get off the stage.'

David Beckham appears to drive the torch up the River Thames in a Speedboat, as fireworks are set off on Tower Bridge

but he had a little help from a crew, who were cleverly hidden from shot

British rockers The Arctic Monkeys performed in the centre of the stadium

A spectacular firework display marked the band's performance

Performers pay silent tribute to war dead and the victims of the 7/7 terrorist attacks

The silent tribute added a sombre touch to the ceremony

Miss Lane started rehearsals for the modern dance section in mid-April, and has practised for more than 120 hours. She said: 'The whole experience has been great. Even when we were rehearsing in a car park for five hours in the rain, everyone's spirit was really high. 'Danny Boyle was really approachable, which made such a difference. He made everyone feel part of the team and he thanked us all personally during rehearsals. 'I think Danny really captured the spirit of Britain, and everyone was part of the show. 'It was

Scottish singer Emeli Sande of performs a moving rendition of 'Abide With Me'

Rowan Atkinson in his role as Mr Bean takes part in an Opening Ceremony sketch

Atkinson cheated his way to victory in a mock up of the famous Chariots of Fire scene

truly magical." An army of young patients salute the NHS A celebration of the Health Service – featuring more than 600 real NHS staff and patients – was one of the ceremony’s centrepieces. Director Danny Boyle had said he wanted to celebrate the NHS as a proud British establishment as part of the show. During the set, happy pyjama-clad patients – played by children – leaped up and down on 320 giant hospital beds, which doubled as 

Dancers perform in the Gosh and NHS scene during the opening ceremony

trampolines, while nurses danced around them. Dressed in 1950s uniforms, the nurses used luminous hospital beds to spell out the words ‘NHS’ and ‘GOSH’, standing for Great Ormond Street Hospital. The patients, who later left their beds to join a dance routine, included real patients from the London children’s hospital. Among them was Lottie Pink, ten, from South West London, who was treated for a brain tumour two years ago and returns to the hospital every few months for check-ups. She said: ‘I am proud to represent all the great work the hospital does. Without them, I would not be here. This is a once-in-a-lifetime.’ The NHS section of the show also paid tribute to Britain’s contribution to children’s literature, with several villains recreated as spectacular nightmares suffered by the children. They included the Queen of Hearts from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland and Captain Hook from JM Barrie’s Peter Pan. Mr Boyle said of the NHS section: ‘One of the reasons we put the NHS in the show is that everyone is aware of how important the NHS is to everybody in this country. ‘We believe, as a nation, in universal healthcare. It doesn’t matter how poor you are, how rich you are, you will get treated.’ However, some observers on Twitter remarked that it was a somewhat ‘socialist’ vision of Britain and an obvious ‘protest’ against NHS cuts. 

Actresses dressed as Mary Poppins float above the stadium, clinging onto umbrellas

Earlier, Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins rang the giant bell which marked the start of the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Wearing a yellow jersey Wiggins, fresh from his victory as the first British man to win the tour, was greeted with cheers at the Olympic Park. It was the dramatic start of a breathtaking spectacular capturing the best of Britain to launch the long-awaited games as the eyes of the 

Children perform on trampolines as dancers play Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital staff

Rapper Dizzee Rascal performs live inside the stadium

The lights dimmed inside the stadium, while a tribute to Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital glowed blue

of the world turned on London.The £27 million opening ceremony started simply with the Olympic Stadium turned into a meadow, a green and pleasant land. On the real grass covering the bowl of the stadium there were hills, a cottage and people enjoying an idyllic version of British life. The world's largest harmonically-tuned bell, weighing 23 tonnes and measuring two metres tall and three metres wide, rang inside the stadium to start a Shakespeare-inspired spectacle featuring 900 children from the six east London host boroughs. The bell, produced by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, is inscribed with a quote from The Tempest's Caliban: 'Be 

Inflatable yellow submarines float above artists during The Age of Industry scene

The Olympic rings are illuminated with pyrotechnics as they are raised above the stadium during the Opening Ceremony

Sparks fly as the five rings are then joined to form the famous Olympic symbol

Forged in steel mills in the centre of the stadium, the Olympic Rings rise above the crowd

The bell stood at one end of the stadium in Stratford, east London, while at the opposite end a version of Glastonbury Tor - a holy hill in south west England - was topped off with a giant oak. A huge waterwheel stood parallel with the 100 metre finish line where, in just a week's time, the fastest men in

Industrial workers forge the Olympic rings in a mocked up steel mil

A spectacular aerial view of the 'Satanic Mills' in Danny Boyle's take on the Industrial Revolution

Giant smoke stacks appeared out of the centre of the stadium, as the Green and Pleasant Land was replaced with a stark industrial landscape

Actors dressed as the Beatles' from their Sergeant Pepper album marched around the stadium

the world will race to be named Olympic champion. Oscar winner Boyle, the man responsible for the the remarkable transformation of the stadium where the athletics will take place, said: 'Tonight's a warm-up act for the Games. 'That's one of the things you have to keep remembering. 'You big it up for different reasons, and you hear it bigged up or slammed or whatever it is and you've got to keep remembering we're the warm-up act.' As warm up acts go, it was hot. A digital 10-second countdown flashed on to the crowd,

They were joined by real Chelsea Pensioners

Actor Kenneth Branagh performs a speech from Shakespeare's The Tempest in character as Isambard Kingdom Brunel

Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins opens the Olympic Opening Ceremony by ringing a giant bell

with balloons popping on each number, and the ceremony began. The five Olympic rings, attached to four balloons, were released and floated up into the sky, set to reach the stratosphere by the end of the ceremony. In the stadium, all was still in the idyllic countryside setting. Children played on the meadow and sports took place on the village green, before a single child's

The Red Arrows aerobatic display team fly over the Olympic Stadium at 8:12pm prior to the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games

The Red Arrows fly past as a giant clock countdowns to the start of the Opening Ceremony

Worldwide audience: More than a billion people around the world are expected to watch the historic event

Opening night: The organisers have promised the show will be spectacular

voice sang out the words to Danny Boy. Sir Kenneth Branagh, dressed as Isambard Kingdom Brunel, entered the scene reciting Caliban's speech from Shakespeare's The Tempest as some 62,000 spectators saw Boyle's spectacular Isles of Wonder unveil. In sharp contrast, the pounding of the drums began, ushering in Britain's industrial revolution as the stadium darkened and the atmosphere changed. Pandemonium broke out, with the peaceful countryside torn to pieces as the age of industry sprouted from the ground, with banging so loud the audience felt their seats vibrate. A cast of hundreds swarmed on to the centre of the arena as the darker, grimier,

Umbrellas appear throughout the stadium as heavy rain falls in East London

High in the sky: An aerial view of the stadium shows the presence the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London

urban landscape emerged, with giant smoking chimneys rising up from the ground. Suddenly, everything stopped as silence descended for a moment to remember the fallen. A poppy field was revealed at one side of the stadium as a sense of calm prevailed while the audience stood to remember the dead. But the scene was soon swallowed up in a hive of activity. Chelsea Pensioners, suffragettes, Jarrow marchers and a band wearing the brightly-coloured Beatles' Sgt Pepper's uniform joined the parade. All the while the massive cast of drummers danced and beat out the music in unison. Four giant rings started to hover and descend from the sky while another rose up from the ground to meet them in mid-air before all five

As they enter the stadium, ticketholders are greeted by England's 'Green and Pleasant Land' the starting point of Danny Boyle's Opening Ceremony extravaganza

Animals, including geese take to the stage against a backdrop of artificial clouds and a giant water wheel during the opening ceremony

burst into flames.The darkness inside the stadium was broken by the sound of Handel, which heralded the Queen's arrival. A fanfare played and music harked back to the Battle of Britain, while stadium spotlights strobed across the night sky. Then the familiar sound of the James Bond theme blasted out, while bright lights turned the banks of spectators in to panels of red, white and blue. After the Bond coup de theatre, prime ministers, presidents, US First Lady Michelle Obama, International Olympic Committee executives and spectators stood as the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh accompanied IOC president Jacques Rogge into the stadium. The Royal Navy, Army and Air Force raised the Union Flag, as the National Anthem rang out from Kaos

Performers in costume gather on the field with animals before before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games

, a singing  choir for deaf and hard of hearing children. A vigorously upbeat tone greeted hundreds of dancing nurses and their young patients on 320 luminous hospital beds in a celebration of the National Health Service. Staff and patients from the world-famous Great Ormond Street Hospital (Gosh) were given a special cheer as the hospital's name was spelt out by the beds. Musician Mike Oldfield played Tubular Bells as one young girl read beneath the bedsheets in a tribute to the world of children's literature. In a rare public appearance, Harry Potter author JK Rowling started the tale of JM

Performers play cricket during the Opening Ceremony pre-show

Barrie's Peter Pan as Boyle's "Second to the right, and straight on 'til morning" segment got under way. Baddies from Britain's best-loved children's books, including Captain Hook, Cruella de Vil and Lord Voldemort, threatened the stage but were quickly banished by a troupe of Mary Poppins-type characters who descended from the skies. The giant wizard deflated and the nightmare was over as a lullaby swept over the scene. Then a giant baby, nestling safely under cover, fell asleep. The London Symphony Orchestra played a tribute to the British film industry with a performance of the Chariots of Fire theme, the 1981 Oscar-winning film

The giant Olympic Bell strikes an imposing figure at the end of the stadium. The bell will ring during the show, marking the start of the Games

based on the Olympic story of British athletes Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams. A two-up two-down house was the start of the ceremony's love story featuring Frankie and June, a teenage girl getting ready for a Saturday night out. A lost phone led to their budding romance, which was pursued through nightclubs playing music from the 1960s to today. Some of Britain's best-loved songs, from Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody to Underworld's

Clouds hover overhead as the Olympic Stadium fills with eager ticketholders

Born Slippy and Tinie Tempah's Pass Out, encapsulate each era. All partygoers were invited back to the house where Tim Berners-Lee, the Briton who invented the World Wide Web, was at his keyboard. The sentiment behind the opening ceremony appeared in giant black and white letters across the stadium audience: "This is for everyone." A memorial wall on the stadium screens was one of the touching moments of the ceremony, showing images of spectators' loved ones who have passed away, including the late fathers of Boyle and Olympics supremo Lord Coe. Dancers dressed in red, representing the struggle between life and death, were picked out by a spotlight in the darkness of the stadium as the clear powerful vocals of Emeli Sande pierced the air with Abide 

All creatures great and small: Performers, human and animal, get into position for the start of the Opening Ceremony

With Me. Sir Chris Hoy, Britain's flagbearer, joined athletes from the 204 competing Olympic nations as they smiled and waved during their moment in the spotlight. Representing the doves traditionally released at the Games to signal peace, 75 cyclists, complete with white wings, circled the stadium before one flew away. Sheffield band Arctic Monkeys played "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" before Lord Coe took to the stage with Rogge. After brief speeches, the Queen declared the 30th Olympiad officially open. Let the  Games begin! 

Ready, steady, go!: Crowds start to arrive in Stratford shortly after 5, ahead of the Opening Ceremony tonight

Early birds are being allowed entry into the park, but they'll have to wait before they can take their seats for the big show

Audience members will be joined in the Olympic Stadium by hundreds of high-profile guests including Michelle Obama, David Cameron and The Royal Family, as well as hundreds of foreign officials and celebrities 

Last minute nerves?: Opening Ceremony director Danny Boyle joins Locog chairman Sebastian Coe at a press conference today  Source: Travelfwd

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