The Olympic objective: Inspiring people

Abstract

On 6th July, 2005 the London Borough of Newham became host to the most prestigious mega-event on the planet, the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Newham and the surrounding Olympic Host Boroughs of east London are areas of significant deprivation — among the worst in the UK. The promise of the London 2012 bid that was instrumental in its victory in Singapore was that a London Olympics would deliver a lasting legacy to transform the socio-economic position of east London. London is acknowledged to be the first city to place so much emphasis on planned legacy but it is far from being the first city where legacy is significant. The rich discursive field surrounding the impacts of these event-phenomena on their host communities is being traversed by many scholars in the run-up to the opening ceremony, and debates are likely to continue well into legacy mode. The thoughts shared in this paper are primarily reflections on the idea, and indeed the ideal, of an Olympic legacy and the role local political leadership has in realising visions of legacy for those people living in the shadow of this colossal yet momentary spectacle.