Dates to look out for in the final 12 months to the start of the London Olympics next year.
July 27, 2011 — One year to go before the opening ceremony at the 80000-seat Olympic Stadium.
August — A series of ‘London Prepares’ test events at locations around the capital, including the London-Surrey cycle classic road race on Aug. 14 and a triathlon in Hyde Park on Aug. 6-7.
The first test event at the Olympic Park will be an international invitational basketball tournament from Aug. 16-21.
September — Westfield Stratford, Europe’s largest urban shopping centre and gateway to the Olympic Park, is due to open on Sept. 13.
Tickets for the Paralympics go on sale on Sept. 9.
October — The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) co-ordination commission will visit for the ninth and penultimate time before the Games start.
December — All the main venues on the Olympic Park will have been handed over to organisers LOCOG by now.
2012
In early 2012, people who no longer want their tickets will be able to resell them at face value through an official resale programme.
April — The running track is due to be laid inside the Olympic Stadium, although this could happen earlier.
Up to 70000 volunteers, or ‘Games Makers’, will have been told by now what roles they have and which venue they will be based at. More than 240000 people have applied.
May — The torch arrives in Britain on May 18 for a 70-day relay around Britain involving 8000 torchbearers. The first sets out from Lands End on the south-western tip of England on May 19. Each leg is 300 metres.
The Olympic Stadium will have its first competitive test with the British Universities and Colleges outdoor athletics championships on May 4-7.
July 25 — Soccer preliminaries begin in Cardiff, Coventry and Glasgow.
July 27 — Games opening ceremony
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