Vancouver chief offers words of advice for 2012
I had breakfast today with , the man who lead Vancouver's bid for the and has now spent the last seven years heading the organising committee.
It's unusual - and quite frankly exhausting - for one person to be in charge for all of that period and is trying to match Irish-born Furlong in the role with London 2012.
On the eve of the opening ceremony, Furlong told me and a handful of other Olympic journalists that it had been "quite a toll" getting Vancouver to the finish line.
And he had some advice which Seb Coe should note.
He said: "When you go to bed at night, the Games are on your pillow and they are still sitting there when you wake up. It's been a long journey. I can't remember not doing this. It's in your head all the time."
But the one thing I will remember from the hour-long conversation is Furlong's passion to take the Vancouver Games to the whole of Canada.
He said the organising committee's biggest goal has been to make people across the country feel they are part of the Games.
That is quite a challenge since some parts of are closer to than to Vancouver on the west coast.
Vancouver have used the to make this happen and they have organised the longest domestic relay in history.
It has been on the road for months and Furlong's team have also spent a lot of time travelling across Canada trying to inspire people. Other provinces are also represented in Vancouver during the Games.
This is a big challenge for London.
I am not convinced yet that people in the English Midlands, in the north of England, in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland feel they "own" the London Games.
Do you think I'm right?
Britain needs to get in place so that it is possible for people outside of the south east to get to the Games cheaply and easily.
We need special park-and-ride schemes on the outskirts of London so that people in and can feel that the London Games belong to them too.
I get the impression tomorrow's opening ceremony here will have a flavour of that all-Canada approach. I don't think it will be a Vancouver athlete who will light the flame.
My money is on former ice hockey star , one of Canada's greatest sporting exports.
He was born in on the other side of the country. He therefore represents Vancouver's hopes of uniting the whole of Canada.
Furlong says only four people know who will do it, apart from the torch bearer.
It hasn't leaked yet so if it does, there are less than a handful of people in the frame!
I'm 91Èȱ¬ London's Olympics Correspondent, which means I report on every aspect of the preparations for 2012. I'm going to be telling you what people are saying about London's preparations - both in the Olympic corridors of power and on the streets of the capital - and I want to hear your views.
Comment number 1.
At 12th Feb 2010, rjaggar wrote:Mr Warner
London and the rest is a real issue in UK life, not just the Olympics.
Just look at the proposal to play England football matches at Wembley on Friday nights and Tuesday nights. That's not for England fans, it's for England fans in the South East and especially, in London. No problem in other nations which rotate matches around the country. A national disgrace in the UK where poorly sited Wembley is the sole location. No chance of getting home with a 10pm finish on a Friday night to anywhere more than 100 miles away, is there? And how does a working man get there by 7.45pm with his son?? Not in the interest of England fans, is it?? In my opinion, it might be time to franchise out Wembley stadium and say England goes on the road again......use Wembley, Old Trafford, St James' Park, new Anfield etc etc. Hopefully that'll cause expostulations in the FA.....they should think about those sorts of things........
Getting to the Olympics should be easy from the East Midlands - trains to St Pancras from Nottingham, Derby and Leicester are 2hrs or less and then the link to Stratford will be quick as you like. Ditto Leeds, Doncaster, Manchester and Birmingham into Kings Cross and Euston.I'd suggest a Bradford City-style offering to the public for a few trains a day: fixed cost for the train, the more of you who book, the lower the ticket price. Price finalised 4/6 weeks before date of departure. The train company makes a profit, the passengers pay less the more of them who go. If the last trains home were 10.30pm, you'd still be back in Nottingham/Derby by 12.30am. Not perfect, but not disastrous either.
Now if there were some cheap flights into City Airport, connections from there to Stratford are really easy - DLR and jubilee line. Perhaps that would be the preferred route for Northern Ireland, Scotland and the NE?? Luton is also possible, but wouldn't be quite as good......Stansted??
Not quite sure about optimal places for park 'n' ride, but you would think there should be 4 or 5 key hubs for SE, SW, NW and N/NE approaches. I wonder about using Northolt airport with shuttle buses to the Central line as one for those approaching from the West/SW? Would somewhere near Richmond be possible for access to the North London Line?? Ebbsfleet seems clear for the SE. Is there anywhere near the Central line in Essex that could do for the NE? And presumably Luton/St Albans would be useful from the North?? Come in on Thameslink then the new sprint from St Pancras...
Just look at the main motorway/trunk routes toward London and find the optimal balance of access to the park 'n' ride, access to the linking public transport and time taken to get to Olympic Park and back....
And if an 'Olympic Oyster' card could be issued with all tickets for those that want, that would ease ticketing congestion for those coming from the regions too......
Complain about this comment (Comment number 1)
Comment number 2.
At 12th Feb 2010, Euloroo wrote:I think most English and Welsh people are realistic that London is the only feasible British host city and will embrace the games. There's not much chance of most Scots ever taking it as their own. The biggest challenge - which has been extensively blogged about - will be managing the "corporate" seats. Of course if you like Badminton it'll now be a
easier for a lot more people to get to!
Complain about this comment (Comment number 2)
Comment number 3.
At 13th Feb 2010, Euloroo wrote:Just watched the opening ceremony and really enjoyed the programme. Watching it on Australia's Channel 9, I did miss the the great balanced coverage the Beeb does for these events. They spent so long banging on about Torah Bright's flag holding that the Austrian team (a mere minnow of winter sport) didn't even get a mention.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 3)