2012 London Olympics news stories on Newser

Olympian Loses Bet, Will Wear Mankini to Games

Kate Schwartz — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:15:36 CDT

Australian shooter Russell Mark may have won gold and silver in previous Olympics, but he lost a pretty big bet this go-round—and he's now stuck parading through the opening ceremonies in London wearing a lime-green mankini. The not-exactly-fashionable swimsuit was popularized by Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat , and the 48-year-old...

Usain Bolt Leaves Girlfriend to Focus on Olympics

Matt Cantor — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:09:05 CDT

The fastest man on the planet has one thing on his mind, and it's not romance. Usain Bolt has broken up with his girlfriend in order to focus on the Olympics, reports the Sun . "He will have plenty of time for relationships," says its source. "At the moment, he's concentrating...

Olympic Flame Lit in Greece

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 10 May 2012 07:35:18 CDT

The Olympic flame has been lit and is on its 1,800-mile journey around Greece before it makes its way to London next week. A “high priestess” (read: actress) ignited the flame by catching the sun’s rays in a mirror at a ceremony in Olympia’s Temple of Hera ruins. It...

Worker Smuggles Fake Bomb Past Olympic Security

Rob Quinn — Mon, 07 May 2012 04:52:05 CDT

More than $1.5 billion is being spent on security for the London Olympics but the site is still vulnerable to attack, according to a construction worker who smuggled a fake bomb onto the site to prove his point. The worker informed the Sun that he was allowed to enter...

London Cabbies Sitting Out Olympics

Matt Cantor — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:25:05 CDT

London is planning travel restrictions for some 109 miles of its streets during the Olympics; a third of that distance will be reserved for athletes, members of the press, and officials. London cabbies aren't happy about it: Some 40% of the city's 23,200 black-cab drivers plan to strike during...

Argentina Olympics Ad Tweaks Britain on Falklands

John Johnson — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:28:05 CDT

Argentina isn't afraid to play politics with the Olympics: A controversial new ad shows an Argentine athlete training on the Falklands with the tagline, "To compete on British soil, we train on Argentine soil," reports the Guardian . The 90-second ad also refers to the islands by their Argentine name, the...

At London Olympics, World's Biggest ... McDonald's?

Kate Schwartz — Wed, 02 May 2012 08:49:28 CDT

Nothing symbolizes physical fitness better than ... McDonald's, right? The fast-food chain is a major London Olympics sponsor, and it has some pretty big plans—literally. The world's largest McDonald's will open this summer in Olympic Park. The AP describes it as a "cathedral-like restaurant" whose two stories house room for...

New Threat to London 2012: Poisonous Caterpillars

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 01 May 2012 08:08:38 CDT

Planning to attend the Olympics in London this summer? It's sure to be a fun time, except for the creepy-crawly detail of poisonous caterpillars that have been ravenously chomping on Britain's oak trees. The caterpillar in question is the larval form of the oak processionary moth, and its 63,000...

London Olympics Plan: Put Missiles Atop Apartments?

Kate Schwartz — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 06:33:33 CDT

Londoners who plan to rent out their apartments over the course of the Olympics may find another uninvited tenant occupying space atop their flats: surface-to-air missiles. The BBC reports that some 700 residents of a block of apartments in east London received notice that a "Higher Velocity Missile system" could...