London Fireworks Show Highlight 1,000 Days to Olympics

Display location: London
City:London:
Country: UK
Date:Nov.1

Details:British Olympic medalist Kelly Holmes pushes a button that sets off fireworks from British Telecommunications Tower in London. The display of lights marks the start of a 1,000-day countdown to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

[Kelly Holmes, Athlete]:
"It gives everybody that opportunity to be proud of their country. On a sport context, hopefully, you get more people inspired by sports, so that we leave a legacy post 2012."

It is also a celebration of people.

[Lord Coe, London 2010 Organizing Committee]:
"It's the people that have benefited from the Games, but actually today, in its way, is about the people that are delivering the Games and not just at this moment but the people who came into the project many years ago, as early as 1997."

[Jonathan Edwards, World Triple Jump Champion]:
"Millions of people are connected with the kind of inspiration of the Games through the education programs, through the cultural Olympiad, through the anticipation of the volunteering."

The biggest task for the organizers will be ensuring the Olympic project remains on target and within the budget.

While construction of the main venues, the athletes' village and the International Broadcast and Media Centre is ahead of or on schedule, the Olympic Delivery Authority is already dipping deeply into the Games contingency fund since private funding dried up earlier this year.

Analysts question whether London's ambitious legacy plans will be delivered in full, given that organizers had to scrap some venues — even temporary ones — to save money.

The costs of the Olympic stadium have doubled since London's bid was announced, while the British government had to bail out the village project with a cash injection.