UNITED KINGDOM: LONDON OLYMPICS 2012 - Olympic athletes depart from London's Heathrow airport at a special Games terminal set up to resemble a London park

Record ID: 702270

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: LONDON OLYMPICS 2012 - Olympic athletes depart from London's Heathrow airport at a special Games terminal set up to resemble a London park
  • Date: 14th August 2012
  • Summary: TWO MEMBERS OF THE BAHAMAS 4 X 400 METRES RELAY TEAM - CHRIS BROWN AND DEMETRIUS PINDER - HOLD UP GOLD MEDALS
  • Embargoed: 29th August 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA7AHZ5FQNLDXLTJS43O4GDIJC3
  • Story Text: Olympic athletes gathered at Heathrow Airport on Monday (August 13) for their departure from the London 2012 Games.
    A special Games terminal was set up for athletes, specially designed to resemble a London park.
    US sprinter Justin Gatlin, who won bronze in the men's 100 metres and was also a member of the men's 4 x 100 metres relay team that won silver, posed for photographers holding the Olympic torch.
    Athletes were encouraged to write their best memories of the games and messages on stringed papers that were attached to a tree at the the centre of the terminal.
    Speaking ahead of her departure, Portuguese judoka Telma Monteiro was full of praise for the Games.

    "The atmosphere, the volunteers who were always available - everything was spectacular from start to finish," said Monteiro.
    Jaime Cadaval Baez, Mexican team chef de mission, was pleased with London and his team's performance.

    "The Games were excellent, we are very happy with the performance of the Mexican delegation. Thank you London," said Cadaval Baez.
    Heathrow owner BAA expects Europe's busiest airport to handle around 116,000 departures on Monday, compared with an average of 95,000 departures on a normal day.
    Heathrow's record for departing passengers is 123,000, which was set on July 29, 2011.
    The British government minister responsible for transport, Justine Greening, said the government had confounded the sceptics by proving it could move huge crowds without a major hitch.

    "I think there was a lot of scepticism but we did run the transport system really well, Londoners did work with us to re-time their journeys and that help meant we could fit everybody on the tube, we had record numbers so it's been a brilliant performance and of course we have to do it all over again in two and a half weeks when the second biggest show on earth arrives in town, which is the Paralympics," said Greening.
    Showing off their gold medals before boarding their flight were Chris Brown and Demetrius Pinder of the successful Bahamas 4 x 400 metres relay team.
    The Games terminal, set up over the usual staff car park, will be operate for three days, closing on Wednesday (August 15).
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