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London 2012: 500 days to go

Next year's Olympic Games in London will be an occasion to remind ourselves of our humanity, writes Andrew Mitchell, British Ambassador to Sweden and FCO Director for the London 2012 Games.

London 2012: 500 days to go
Image: London 2012/British Embassy Stockholm

Today’s a landmark day. In just 500 days the 2012 Olympic Games will open in London. And London will host the Games exactly a hundred years after Stockholm. Our nations are bound together by many things, not least a passion for sport and a commitment to the Olympic spirit.

Thousands of Swedes will come to London to watch the spectacle and the values that brought the athletes together a century ago – the quest for excellence, the sense that sport was a way to bring people together – will bring Swedes, Britons and people from many nations together in London in 500 days.

The modern world needs sport as much as the world of 1912. A hundred years ago Europe was on the verge of war. Today modern technology brings images of natural disasters and political conflict direct to our homes, from Japan, New Zealand and Libya, from China to Iran.

So the Olympics and Paralympics are an important opportunity for the global community to get together to remind ourselves of our humanity. The Games are a space for celebrating the indomitable human spirit and the diversity of people and nations. The Games can’t solve the world’s problems but they can offer hope, and confidence that in acting together the world can overcome the challenges it faces.

One of these challenges is the threat of disastrous climate change. That is why it is so important that London 2012 sets the example. These Olympics will be a platform for sustainability and green technology. The 2012 Olympic park design has energy efficiency at its core, providing a blue print for sustainable living. 90% of the material from buildings demolished to prepare the site has been channelled back into construction and we have planted 20,000 trees providing a new lung for the city of London, a new habitat for wildlife and a new haven of relaxation for Londoners. Our preparations are well under way, with our stunning new parkland development, the largest in Europe, already three quarters complete.

Accessibility and diversity have been vital to the design and construction of the buildings, open spaces and public transport; ensuring all can fully enjoy the spectacle of the Games. I am pleased to say that we expect 2 million spectators for the Paralympic games in 2012, a 16 fold increase since its inception in 1960. The Paralympics will be a fantastic opportunity to transform global attitudes of disabled people through a showcase of unrivalled disability sport.

The Games also provide the opportunity to connect with young people across the globe through the power of sport. In Singapore we made a pledge to do so and have launched the International Inspiration programme to give 12 million children in 20 countries access to high quality and inclusive physical education, sport and play. It has already reached more than 7 million children globally and over 300 schools in the UK have built partnerships with counterparts around the world as part of the programme.

This will not be the first time that London has been selected to host the Olympics and, in fact, has done so more times than any other city and on each occasion has sought to make a lasting contribution to the Olympic movement. In was in London in 1908 that games athletes paraded for the first time under their national flag and events held to coincide with the 1948 London Games would later give birth to the Paralympic movement. In 2012 we intend to honour this tradition of innovation by organising games that are more environmentally sustainable, accessible and inclusive than ever.

So whether you are a sports fan, a business person or simply someone with an interest in making the world a bit better, I look forward to seeing you in London in 500 days.

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CRIME

Spain women’s World Cup players demand more heads roll as Rubiales in court

The crisis within Spanish football deepened Friday as the women's World Cup winners demanded more heads roll at its scandal-hit RFEF federation whose disgraced ex-boss appeared in court on sexual assault charges.

Spain women's World Cup players demand more heads roll as Rubiales in court

Just hours after Luis Rubiales was quizzed by a judge for kissing midfielder Jenni Hermoso, all but two of Spain’s 23 World Cup players said they would not don the national shirt without deeper changes within the RFEF, demanding its current interim head also resign.

The statement came as the squad’s new coach Montse Tome was to announce the lineup for two upcoming UEFA Women’s Nations League matches against Sweden and Switzerland, which was promptly postponed, federation sources said.

“The changes put in place are not enough,” said a statement signed by 39 players, among them 21 of the 23 World Cup winners.

Demanding “fundamental changes to the RFEF’s leadership”, they called for the “resignation of the RFEF president” Pedro Rocha, who took over as interim leader when FIFA suspended Rubiales on August 26.

But the federation insisted Rocha would “lead the transition process within the RFEF until the next election”, insisting any changes would be made “gradually”.

A federation source said a leadership election could take place early next year.

“This institution is more important than individuals and it’s crucial it remains strong. We’ll work tirelessly to create stability first in order to progress later,” Rocha said in the statement.

Despite a string of recent changes, the federation remains in the hands of officials appointed by Rubiales, and the players are demanding structural changes “within the office of the president and the secretary general”.

Brought to court by a kiss

The bombshell came after days of optimism within the RFEF that the players would come round after it sacked controversial coach Jorge Vilda, appointed Tome in his stead and pledged further changes, not to mention Rubiales’ long-awaited resignation on Sunday.

On August 25, 81 Spain players, including the 23 world champions, had started a mass strike saying they would not play for the national team without significant changes at the head of the federation.

Earlier on Friday, Rubiales appeared in court where he was quizzed by Judge Francisco de Jorge who is heading up the investigation into the kiss, which sparked international outrage and saw him brought up on sexual assault charges.

At the end of the closed-door hearing, in which Rubiales repeated his claim that the kiss was consensual, the judge ordered him not to come within 200 metres of Hermoso and barred him from any contact with the player.

At the weekend, the 46-year-old had described the kiss as “a spontaneous act, a mutual act, an act that both consented to, which was… 100 percent non-sexual” in an interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan.

Hermoso, 33, has insisted it was not, describing it as “an impulsive, macho act, out of place and with no type of consent on my part”.

Speaking to reporters outside court, Hermoso’s lawyer Carla Vall said they were “very satisfied” with the hearing.

“Thanks to this video, everyone can see there was no consent whatsoever and that is what we will demonstrate in court.”

Allegations of coercion

Hermoso herself will also testify before the judge at some stage, who will then have to decide whether or not to push ahead with the prosecution. No date has been given for her testimony.

The complaint against Rubiales, which was filed by the public prosecutors’ office, cites alleged offences of sexual assault and coercion.

Under a recent reform of the Spanish penal code, a non-consensual kiss can be considered sexual assault, a category which groups all types of sexual violence.

If found guilty, Rubiales could face anything from a fine to four years in prison, sources at the public prosecutors’ office have said.

In their complaint, prosecutors explained the offence of coercion related to Hermoso’s statement saying she “and those close to her had suffered constant ongoing pressure by Luis Rubiales and his professional entourage to justify and condone” his actions.

At the hearing, Rubiales also denied coercion.

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