By Alan Baldwin
LONDON, July 21 (Reuters) – London’s Olympic security
debacle, with uniformed soldiers hurriedly drafted in to make up
for a shortage of hired guards, could have a silver lining for
Britain’s medal hopes.
British Olympic Association (BOA) chairman Colin Moynihan
told reporters on Saturday that Team GB athletes in the
high-security Village were getting a boost from having the army
manning checkpoints.
Some 3,500 troops have been brought in to guard the Olympic
Park, with another 1,200 on standby, after private security firm
G4S said it would be unable to provide its full quota on time.
“Seeing more of the armed forces around, who are really up
for supporting Team GB every time the athletes walk past, is
actually quite inspiring,” said Moynihan.
“These athletes really respect what the armed forces have
done for the country and to see them coming back and really
supporting the athletes is…really inspiring those athletes.”
Moynihan, a former Olympic rowing cox and sports minister in
Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government in the 1980s,
suggested the troops should be given any spare tickets as a
thankyou gesture.
“If anyone deserves to fill any empty seats it’s those
forces in their down time,” he added.
Moynihan said he went out of his way, on behalf of the team
and BOA, to talk to the soldiers and thank them for their
involvement. Games organisers have already made some 10,000
tickets available to serving members of the armed forces and are
planning to hand out more.
Clive Woodward, England’s former rugby World Cup winning
coach who is now deputy chef de mission for Team GB at the
Games, saw a further huge boost in the imminent success of
Britain’s Bradley Wiggins in the Tour de France.
Triple Olympic gold medallist Wiggins is poised to become
the first Briton to win cycling’s toughest race when it finishes
in Paris on Sunday.
“For him to come as winner of the Tour de France, first
British rider ever to do that, would be quite amazing,” said
Woodward. “Not just for the cycling team moving into the Games
but for the whole team.”
Cycling could provide Britain’s first gold of the Games,
with Wiggins’ team mate Mark Cavendish a favourite to win the
men’s road race on July 28, the day after the opening ceremony
at the east London stadium.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Martyn Herman)
