- Title: UK: OLYMPICS: Excitement mounts in Olympic Park as opening ceremony nears
- Date: 27th July 2012
- Summary: MONGOLIAN FATHER AND SON CARRYING THEIR NATIONAL FLAG WAITING TO ENTER PARK
- Embargoed: 11th August 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: United Kingdom
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA1BLKMZF7C99WOM8QVNEX5LQC
- Story Text: As the hours tick down to the London 2012 opening ceremony, the atmosphere in east London buzzes with excitement.
Excited fans from across the globe began to gather on the outskirts of the Olympic Park in Straford, waiting to be let through the heavy security checks and into London's Olympic Stadium.
Anja from Belgium said she was excited to be part of an experience being shared by millions across the globe.
"I just think it's bringing together all the different types of nationalities, just people being joyous, being smiley, happy, and I think that's really uplifting," she said.
The spectacle on Friday (July 27) cost 27 million pounds to produce and award-winning film director Danny Boyle has organised the much-awaited ceremony to kick off the biggest sporting event of the year.
Brit Dave Jones turned up hours before they Park would be opened because he wanted to soak up the atmosphere.
"Yeah I decided to come very early because I wanted to take in some of the atmosphere of the Olympic Games because I've been excited and waiting for this to happen as soon as they announced the games were gonna come to London in 2012," he said.
School teacher Jules was waiting with a group of children who will be taking part in the ceremony as 'honour guards'.
"It's really important. They're so excited, we've been planning it for about two months, and they've done a big banner because we're supporting Trinidad and Tobago, and they just can't wait," she said.
But not everyone's day was ideal. One fan from Sri Lanka said he was struggling to find a ticket to the ceremony.
"I don't know, I haven't bought a ticket yet I'm trying to get ticket, I tried today but I couldn't so I'm just here and stay and you know," he said.
It's the first of many crowd-filled days and nights for Westfield Stratford City shopping centre, which sits beside the Olympic Park and expects some 2.5 million people to pass through its mall during the Games.
"We believe 70 percent of the patrons going to the Games will actually be coming through two train stations - here the Stratford station and over there is Stratford International. And they'll walk through our building to get to the Olympic stadium behind us, down that path that I'm looking at, and that's a unique experience," said Westfield Group co-CEO Steve Lowry.
Security is tight at the 1.9 million square foot mall, which sits on two main transport hubs for the games and expects most visitors to the Olympic Park to pass through its doors.
Last month, a man was killed in a stabbing in the mall. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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