Olympics tickets go on sale
Website opens to apply for tickets as London marks 500 days to the Games.
Tickets for the London 2012 Olympic Games have gone on sale around the world today.
Sport and Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson joined London Mayor Boris Johnson and Sebastian Coe, Chair of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) at the official launch this morning.
People can now apply for tickets via the ticketing website at any time until 26 April for all 26 sports at venues across the UK. If sessions are oversubscribed, tickets will be allocated through a ballot.
Mr Coe said: “These really are the greatest tickets on earth. In the UK, people have 42 days to make their application and I urge everyone to take a look at what sports are available on what days and make their choice.”
The public is being warned only to purchase tickets through official sources, which are listed on the London 2012 ticketing website.
Tickets for the Paralympic Games will go on sale on 9 September 2011 and tickets for the London 2012 Festival will go on sale in October.
Countdown clock unveiled
Last night, the Olympics Minister joined crowds in Trafalgar Square as the official OMEGA London 2012 countdown clock was unveiled and the official countdown began for 500 days until the Opening Ceremony of London 2012.
The four-tonne steel clock, made by a Preston-based company, was revealed by four Olympic gold medallists from Beijing 2008; rowers Pete Reed and Andy Hodge and sailors Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson.
BBC sports presenter Claire Balding hosted the public event, which was also attended by Sebastian Coe, Boris Johnson, athlete Jessica Ennis and President of OMEGA Stephen Urquhart.
London 2012 Olympic Games in numbers
500 - number of days until the start of the Olympics
6.6 million - number of tickets on sale to the public from today
34 - number of competition venues across the UK
42 - number of days to apply for tickets
2.5 million - number of Olympic tickets priced at £20 or less
6.5m x 5m - size of the countdown clock in Trafalgar Square
10 - number of people who spent two days assembling the clock