And the winner of the Olympic bid is..........................................

[MarsLady]

LONDON

Is the Roland Garros shown on uk tv in the sameback to back coverage of Wimbledon? If it was perhaps kids would react as well.

But the whole "image" of sport will improve - that is how children in other areas of the country will benefit - surely there is no-one here who thinks more sport would be a bad thing???

The host country has a FAR HIGHER number of competitors allowed to enter

"If this money (£26 billion IIRC but I'm prepared to be corrected on that) is available for a sporting event (imagine a sneering voice here) then why isn't it available for say, allieviation of child poverty? Action on climate change? Public transport? "

But www, why does it have to be an either / or argument? IMO, we should be able to fund the Olympics and good causes like M.P.H etc. The reason we don't is politics, not scarcity of funds

www we did.

I am pleased for London but don't buy the Great for London, Great for UK line I am sorry.

London council tax payers will foot some of the bill (was it nutcracker who asked)

Basically means, we (in the sw part of london where there are no olympic sports taking place) will pay for it and get no benefit whatsoever

I think the whole country should pay in council tax or nobody but can't see the logic in some paying and not others

Gomez - i loath most sport .I was living in Sydney during Millenium Olympics and it was just fantastic. the atmosphere and the spirit during that period was uplifting. All sorts of people were involved. I was involved in the catering end. Lots of community groups and schools and arts groups and musicians and retired people all took part- whether it was hosting people in there homes, dancing in the opening ceremony, all sorts of stuff. there is a chance for anyone from any background or circumstance to be involved.

HMC, it was on CNN - I wanted to get the perspective of another country's news. The Americans sound pleased to have lost. Talking about how Athens has been left in so much debt etc.

Access to sport is different to watching it on tv or in rl.

That's interesting homemama - that they sounded relieved not to have won!

£2.6 billion of public money. And it's not just for 3 weeks of sport - it;s for facilities that will last many years, it's for the regeneration of an impoverished part of London, it's for lasting attitudes to sport and fitness in our children.

Thank you sorrel

We went to the Commonwealth Games when they were held in Manchester...we could only get tickets for the boxing and Rugby 7's, neither of which I have much passion for, but I had the best time! The atmosphere around the city was fab and evryone seemed to smile more during and for weeks afterwards.........It was great to feel part of such an event and to genuinely feel proud to be British for a change!

Aye, Sorrel but you lived in Sydney! I don't live in London....

well i just think that having the Olympics goes far beyond just a few people jumping off a diving board or swimming in a pool. It is much much more than that.

We heard Chirca criticised our food, did you hear Blair criticise Paris' hotels? I mean they are both childish... it's all what the press chooses to talk about!

But London is very easy to get to from the rest of the country.

What did he say then?

IMHO I wouldn't care where in the UK the games were going to be held

It is just good for the UK to win something

Are you seriously saying that when Kelly won twice that you were just sitting there moaning

I am glad that the UK has won something

I think it will be good for children ALL OVER the country

If we let them

After all all you need for some sports is a pair of trainers and you can go running

so let the children get excited about this and support it

After all when we go to war the government spend billions and we get absolutely NOTHING from it

Let the children get excited all over the country

It is DEFFO BRILL

IMHO anyway

So to take this argument to its logical conclusion, we can never host any major sporting event in this country unless it is spread fairly from Lands End to John O' Groats.

No wonder we never win anything.

In Oz the football and tennis were held all over the country. you never know what might end up being held where you are.

I'm hopelessly excited! Love the Olympics, always cry during opening ceremony when you see the tiny countries who have sent three people (one javelin, one cyclist and a rythmic gymnast). And don't get me started on the paralympics, every time the have a medal ceremony I'm in pieces. I will be putting my name down for tickets to the opening ceremony asap (one of my life ambitions is to attend one) and hopefully all my kids will be able to be there too and will remember it forever. Yay for Seb Coe and the gang!

RTKM - standing ovation!!!!! Couldn't have put it better myself!

And on a more serious note, I'm thrilled that it will give London Transport more of a kick up the arse to get organised.