London Olympics Hit Speed Bumps
Lost athletes, security shortfall dominate Olympics coverage as the games approach.
| Posted Monday, July 16, 2012, at 1:17 PM
Pool photo by John Stillwell/WPA/Getty Images.
London's already seeing some logistical snafus as the first batch of athletes arrive in the city for the Olympic Games, which start a week from Friday.
According to CNN, at least one bus transporting competitors from Heathrow to the Olympic Village has gotten lost on the way, turning a one-hour journey into a four-plus hour marathon. American hurdler Kerron Clement tweeted, "Not a good first impression London." The city is expecting to deal with a record number of travelers on Monday.
Meanwhile, facing a staffing shortfall by the security contractor charged with keeping the games safe, the United Kingdom is sending in military personnel to meet the security needs of the Olympics. According to Bloomberg, G4S Plc failed to recruit the 13,700 guards required by their contract. The company's CEO will reportedly explain the failure to British lawmakers Tuesday.
As Reuters reports, security chiefs for the games have plans in place in case of a 9/11-scale attack on the city. Officials, including Prime Minister David Cameron, have spent the weekend assuring the public that the city is prepared to keep the games safe despite the security shortfall. "We had contingency plans, we are using those contingency plans, and we will do whatever it takes to deliver a safe and secure games," Cameron said at a news conference.
