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YEREVAN, JULY 11, ARMENPRESS:
“London is looking forward to hosting all the Olympic competitors, among them the athletes from Armenia,” UK Ambassador to Armenia Charles Lonsdale said in an interview with Armenpress. The ambassador says London is getting prepared for the 2012 Olympic Games dynamically.
– Mr Ambassador, over a year later the 2012 Olympic Games are expected in London. What works have been carried out up to now?
– Main part of the works is over. The Olympic stadium and the majority of the sport establishments are fully ready. The works for the road of marathon running event are almost over. Let’s say the whole infrastructure of games, the transport network, technical and other services are ready. Everything is done on a level appropriate for this event. The majority of the tickets are sold and this proves that there is a great interest in the event. The Olympic rating tournaments, in which Armenian athletes partake as well, are under way.
London has great experience in hosting international championships.
– The organizers of the Games promise a number of surprises to sports lovers. What kind of surprises are they?
– I think it will become clear only during the Games. Surprises may be related to not only sports, but also, for example, technologies: newest ideas, services may be presented to the participants and guests. The 2012 Olympic Games really have good prospects.
– Mr Lonsdale, you attend sports events in Armenia quite often. Armenia already has its first participant for the 2012 London Olympic Games – Norayr Bakhtamyan. What are your wishes for the Armenian athletes?
I wish the Armenian athletes to perform in the 2012 London Olympic Games as comprehensively and successfully as possible. I know that Armenia has good athletes in various kinds of sports – wrestling, boxing, weightlifting, etc. I wish the Armenian athletes to gain as much tickets in the Olympic rating tournaments as possible, as well as to achieve a number of medals and victories in international championships. Sport is a wonderful sphere, and in Armenia there are strong athletes, who deserve victories. I wish the same to the Armenian participants of the Paralympic Games: they show amazing sport.