One year until 2012 London Olympics: Lord Coe says London will benefit

With exactly one year to go until the 2012 London Olympics, Lord Sebastian Coe has said the Games will benefit London and the rest of the UK.

Next year will be the first Olympics to be held on British soil for 64 years.

Double Olympic gold medallist Lord Coe, who headed the bid for London to host the games, said: “It is a Games for London, the UK and the rest of the world, for sport and culture, for volunteers and business.

“We have always stated that we wanted the London 2012 Games to be ‘everyone’s Games’ and that everyone should feel they can take part and get involved with London.”

Organisers of the Games are aiming to use the games to boost tourism in both London and around the UK.

Lord Coe added: “I think we generally accept, as most of the tourist organisations do, that we have got big opportunities through London for people to come and explore any number of opportunities in the tourist sector.”

Construction of the six main permanent venues has finished and the preparations are on time and under budget. The opening ceremony will take place on July 27 2012.