The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXX Olympiad, are due to take place in London, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012. London will become the first city to officially host the modern Olympic Games three times, having previously done so in 1908 and in 1948.

London was elected as the host city on July 6, 2005, during the 117th IOC Session in Singapore, defeating Moscow, New York City, Madrid and Paris, after 4 rounds of voting. The successful bid was headed by former Olympic champion Sebastian Coe.

Scale of the 2012 Games

• 26 Olympic sports in 34 venues
• 20 Paralympic sports in 21 venues
• 10,500 Olympic athletes and 4,200 Paralympic athlete
• 20,000 press and media
• More than 9 million tickets

The focus of the London 2012 Games will be the Olympic Park in east London, which will house the new sport venues. The Olympic Park is located in the Lower Lea Valley - an area of great untapped potential.

After the Games the area will be transformed into one of the largest urban park created in Europe for more than 150 years.

The Lower Lea Valley

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be the catalyst for the regeneration of the Lower Lea Valley in east London.

The area in and around the Olympic Park is a site of huge potential. It has a young, diverse community but is also home to significant areas that would benefit from redevelopment. It is also home to ExCeL London, the international exhibition & conference centre.

The 2012 Games will help to revitalise this part of London and open the east of the capital to development opportunities. The new shopping area at Stratford City will be an important part of this growth.

The creation of one of the largest new urban parks in Europe in 150 years will bring new homes for Londoners, vastly improved transport links and world-class sports facilities available for the local community and businesses.

ExCeL London's Role

The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will use a mixture of new venues, existing and historic facilities, and temporary facilities, some of them in well-known locations such as Hyde Park and Horse Guards Parade.

The organisers' intention is that a "2012 legacy" will be delivered. Some of the new facilities will be reused in their Olympic form, while others, including the 80,000 seater main stadium, will be reduced in size and several will be relocated elsewhere in the UK. The plans are part of the regeneration of Stratford in east London which will be the site of the Olympic Park, and of the neighbouring Lower Lea Valley. ExCeL London is already a successful events venue and following the Olympic Games, will continue to be so, as well as be home to London's first International Convention Centre (ICC).

ExCeL London will be host to 7 Olympic and 6 Paralympic events in 2012. That equates to 80 Olympic and 74 Paralympic medals. The 7 Olympic events that will be taking place are:

• Boxing
• Wrestling
• Judo
• Tae Kwon Do
• Weight-lifting
• Table Tennis
• Fencing

The 6 Paralympic events are:

• Boccia
• Table Tennis
• Judo
• Power Lifting
• Wheelchair Fencing
• Sitting Volleyball

Transport

The aim in 2012 is for 100 per cent of spectators to get to the Games by public transport, or by walking or cycling.

Around 7.7 million tickets will be on sale for the London 2012 Olympic Games. A further 1.5 million spectators are expected to watch the Paralympic Games during 11 days of competition.

The transport plans will help transform the Lower Lea Valley and East London into one of the best connected areas in the capital, bringing long-term economic and social benefits.

Sustainability

LOCOG's vision is for London 2012 to be the first 'sustainable' Games, setting new standards for major events.

London 2012 and the London 2012 stakeholders share a commitment to maximise sustainability through the phases of the Games - building the venues and infrastructure, staging the Games themselves and then long into the future - focusing on five key areas:

• combating climate change;
• reducing waste;
• enhancing biodiversity;
• promoting inclusion; and
• encouraging healthy living.

This programme-wide approach forms the vision for a one planet London 2012. Existing venues such as ExCeL London already have leading sustainability programmes in place and are working towards the BS8901 certification.