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Subscribe to RSSThe first Olympic athletes have begun to arrive in London. Tens of thousands of athletes and team officials are expected - and even more spectators. ITV's Katie Razzall reports.
Updated at 11:10 a.m. ET: LONDON - Olympic athletes, including some from Team USA, had a bad start to the London Games Monday after bus drivers taking them to the competitors’ village in east London got lost.
Kerron Clement, US 400m hurdler and Beijing silver medallist, claimed he spent four hours on a bus after the driver got lost after collecting them from Heathrow airport.
Um, so we've been lost on the road for 4hrs. Not a good first impression London.
— Kerron Clement (@KerronClement) July 16, 2012
Athletes are sleepy, hungry and need to pee. Could we get to the Olympic Village please.
— Kerron Clement (@KerronClement) July 16, 2012
He posted on Twitter: “Um, so we've been lost on the road for 4hrs. Not a good first impression London. Athletes are sleepy, hungry and need to pee. Could we get to the Olympic Village please.”
Meanwhile, members of Australian contingent of 30 officials and medical staff had to use their iPhones to direct their bus driver after he also became lost.
One of the officials, Damian Kelly, told the Daily Telegraph: "It would have been a great tourist trip if that is what you are here for. “
He said the driver was unable to work the onboard GPS navigation system.
Follow the 8,000-mile torch relay around the UK
“One of the doctors on board got [the GPS system] working for him, but then the Olympic Village hadn't been loaded into the system and everyone was trying to find the name of the street that the village was in.
“In the end another physio got out his iPhone and gave directors to the bus driver via his phone."
Peter MacDiarmid / Getty Images
Members of the Cuban Olympic weightlifting team arrive at Heathrow airport on Monday.
They were among the first of more than 10,000 athletes and officials due to arrive in Britain this week. Monday was already expected to be the busiest day in the history of London's Heathrow airport, and it was the first major challenge for the road system as the first of several dedicated Olympics traffic lanes also came into operation.
Speaking about the lost buses, London Mayor Boris Johnson quipped: "Clearly they would have had even more of an opportunity to see even more of the city than they might otherwise have done."
Troops everywhere, long lines and moans: A very British Olympic Games
The Daily Telegraph reported that Hugh Robertson, Britain's sports and Olympics minister, apologized to those athletes caught up in the transport problems. He said: "If people have been on buses that have got lost then it is of course regrettable. I am extremely sorry, and clearly the drivers need to know where they are going."
The Games are due to begin in 11 days' time, on Friday, July 27.
More than 500 Heathrow and Locog volunteers, speaking more than 20 languages between them, were welcoming groups of Olympic athletes and officials from their planes at Heathrow.
Approximately 15 percent of baggage on peak days will be large pieces of sporting equipment such as canoes, pole vaults, bikes and javelins and around 1,000 guns and associated ammunition will be arriving with competitors over the coming days.
Read the full story at ITV News
Influx under way
Officials said 236,955 passengers (121,239 arrivals and 115,716 departures) were expected to pass through the airport Monday, compared to 190,000 on an average day. The largest number of arriving athletes is expected on July 24.
Oda / Getty Images
From Wimbledon to Wembley Stadium to The Dome, a look at the venues for the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Approximately 15 percent of baggage on peak days will be large pieces of sporting equipment such as canoes, pole vaults, bikes and javelins and around 1,000 guns and associated ammunition will be arriving with competitors over the coming days.
Dean Brenner, director of the U.S. Olympic sailing team, earlier told ITV News at Heathrow: "We're feeling great, it's great to be in London.
"Obviously we've been working a while for this and now it's time for the big test and we are looking forward to getting to [the sailing team base at] Weymouth for a couple more week of training and getting on with the Games."
The London 2012 Athletes' Village also officially opens Monday with British athletes competing in diving, equestrian, soccer, shooting and swimming expected to be the first to enter.
ITV News is the UK partner of NBC News.
More London 2012 coverage:
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- Slideshow: When the Olympics is your neighbor
- Go behind the scenes with our 'TODAY in London' blog
Leave a Comment:
I can't wait to see how well "Refalka" performs.
Sorry, "Rafalka"
They should have hired local cab drivers, in London they are the best.
I am sure all of da Republican TeaBilly Conservatives are especially Proud that our U. S. Athletes are wearing their "Made in China" Clothing.
When Mitt "Cheap Labor is our Future" Romney heard that.............he got a "Boehner".
You BetCha.....Fer Sure.
Amazing that Obama can shut down an entrie coal industry by executive fiat but can't stop the USA Olympic committee from outsourcing all the USA team uniforms to the Chinese textile industry. And we are talking over a thousand dollars for each unniform. I guess it is his way of sweeetening the pot to get them to borrow our debt. We have Americans who could make those uniforms Mr. President!! This is a national disgrace and it is totally at the feet of this president! Can't blame this one on Bush and especially not on Romney. Republicans are outraged as anyone who watches a real news program knows.
try also army uniforms , made in China , mostly, India also.
Watermoon you forgot your meds AGAIN.
Well don't you worry if the right wing nuts have thier way you'll be choking on the coal infused air and drinking the black water from the mine because dem dare regulations are killing bizness.
I thought you tea kooks wanted government to stop regulating business and now you want the feds to stop the outsourcing. Well don't worry if flip-flop Mitt gets in all our jobs will go to China and India.
Sorry to burst your Obama bashing bubble but, the President has no control over the autonomous US Olympic Committee. And let me guess "a real news program"= Faux News. Just a friendly hint, try a network not run by Fox Entertainment Group (see even they admit it's "entertainment"). Maybe you'd have known that.
Busses getting lost isn't a new problem It happened a lot during the Atlanta Olympics, and even disqualified some from competing. Let's hope the games are a big success.
Notice they didn't stop and ask for directions.....How many men?.....That sounds about right...hilarious......
Haha! Good one NC
Maybe they were afraid they would not understand the local language.....
Sexist drivel.....way to perpetuate those stereotypes!
Driving a bus in London would be like driving a bus for the first time in Mexico City, not an envious proposition
I don't doubt this story at all. I've driven in London and unless you know EXACTLY where you're going, you're going to get lost. Streets in London do not go in a straight line. The road map of London looks like a plate of spaghetti. Street names in London change about every three blocks. I'm not being critical, I love London; my favoritist city in the world, but using a London cabbie is probably a real good idea if you don't know where you're going.The cabbies there have to pass what is called the "knowledge", which takes about three years to successfully complete. They need to know EVERY address in London and the shortest way of getting there from any other address.
As I watched the news about the Olympic uniforms being made in China on TV, I was waiting for SOMEONE to blame the uniform fiasco on the President (or on any other politican - Romney or otherwise). And Bingo, I know I could count on someone on this site to do just that. This was a call by the Olympic Committee - a bad one which should be rectified. Of course, this article had nothing whatsoever to do with the uniforms, but hey - what else is new?
Were the drivers hired from non-British countries? They probably weren't use to driving on the "wrong" side of the road! LOL!
They outsourced to India.
that mayor is an idiot, ppl will come to see the olympics in his city BUT if theyfeel it is a waste of time of a money sink they will watch on t.v. whoops there goes all that capitol from tourists! next time hire someone that knows what they are doing!
Classic British goof up.
I agree. Lets go burn their flags, or better yet, their Bible. They can burn our flag, our bible and nothing happens to them. If anyone in this country, even says something like that, they cry foul and "Off with their heads" Bring back our money to this country where we need it. Stop giving all the countries money and see what happens. Maybe then, we can get right again.
Has anyone been watching TWENTY TWELVE on BBC America? One episode has the Olympic Deliverance team and a group from Brazil lost on a bus for hours, trying to get to the Olympic Village for a tour. Show is a scream 'actually.'
Holding the Olympics in England was an insane idea to start with, you have a government ran by the Queen of welfare in charge, bad move. England would not exist if the US citizens didn't give the billions in foreign aide. The UK is the sewer of Europe, they are one of the most backward countries in Europe, they wouldn't have a military or neclear weapons if not for the US citizens..
You could not be more right. London is a traffic clogged mess most of the time these days and the "tube" is often very crowded too. Throw in Olympic size crowds and London is going to be a disaster. I would not go to England now let alone London.
Gary: UK the sewer of Europe? you must live in a bubble - US give billions in aid to England? You are so very wrong and indicitive of the ill advised, un-read, reality TV vid-idiots that inhabit this country. It is to weep. The US of today could not have done what we did in 1940, could not have done what we did in 1950 and it is to weep, long and hard. My country that was, died and the shell that currently exists is a pale semblance of what was. I weep for my country, I weep for my fellow citizens with their hands out, who are so unlike their predecesors who rolled their sleeve up and put their hands to the job at hand and made the great country that was but is no longer. We built China and they will over take us because we are to good, to good natured, to concerned with doing the right thing, while China continues to smile in our face while stealing our secrets, poisoning their air, their water, their land, sickening their countrymen, and our countries and peoples because the planet is an enclosed environment and what happens in China affects us, the US of A. Get clue.
some days I just shake my head at the posters, other days I get really angry - The President had no involvement with Team USA uniforms; to blame it on him is to have no clue about the process. The Olympic Committee and the designer (Ralph Lauren) are the ones to point fingers at. (Or maybe the American wing of the Olympic Committee - could it be that they were eyeing how to skim off the uniforms?) Our president has worked his heart out for his country and would have done the right thing by his countrymen. It's Romney's team that would have outsourced the job, like he did at Bain - Get clue folks, read a little, turn off the reality television.
As for Team USA (which is where you folks should focus your energies) Go For Gold - Go Team USA!
This is a disgrace
and I agree that the uniforms should be put in a pile and burned. However, we
can thank the republicans for out sourcing the jobs from the US that would have employed mainly Americans to
work on the US
Olympic uniforms. So again Republican+ free market without government
supervision+olympic uniforms= out sourcing of jobs and uniforms that look gay
and made in china. Just think some republican business person is getting rich
at the expense of our US
athletes pride. (Long l live the republicans, they need to wear the uniform) If
I was an Olympic athlete and found out my uniform was not made in the USA I would choose
not to wear the uniform and show the republicans on how their greed and actions
affect the average American Olympic athlete. If you voted for the republicans
in congress or are voting for Romney then you have no room to complain this is
their work and the republicans need to put down their man purses and except responsibility
for out sourcing the jobs to china. Only a republican business man could make
this possible. Again one big thanks to the republicans I wonder what you guys
would look like wearing your handy work. Can we Say
GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!
I am a retired bus/coach driver and thankfully do not live anywhere near London. However when I was working and had to take a coach to London I did my homework very thoroughly and programmed MY OWN gps before setting foot out of the house, and doing as much research on routes etc as necessary (google street scene etc). Even after being as diligent as possible it was still possible to get 'lost' due to preferred routes being down streets unsuitable for large vehicles. Hundreds, probably thousands of coaches together with their drivers have been sent to London for the Olympics from the provinces and in the first few days problems will occur. I understand that the drivers concerned will only operate one or two routes so I assume that after a day or so there will not be many buses getting lost.
Bus driver can't figure out how to use GPS?? Sounds like the bus company needs to fire this person.
Really a HIRED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION EMPLOYEE, who's job it is to know where things are and how to get there, especially since they most likely had months to learn the routes, gets lost..shocking!!!....and for 4 hours no less...might be time for a new career for that driver