Giant Olympic rings unveiled in London

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The 2012 London Olympics is getting closer. A giant set of Olympic rings have been unveiled at one of London's busiest train stations, with less than 17 months to go before the 2012 Games.

The five multicoloured aluminum rings - measuring 20 metres wide and 9 metres high and weighing 2,300 kilograms - were unveiled hanging from the roof of a platform at St. Pancras International station in central London.

London Mayor Boris Johnson marked the launch.

Boris Johnson, London Mayor, said, "And how appropriate that the first great symbol is going to be here at St Pancras international, so the first thing you see, the first thing anyone sees when they arrive on the Eurostar (international trains) is a gentle and tactful reminder to our French friends that London won the right to host the games in 2012 - and every single day I am more glad than ever that we did."

Many fans from Europe are expected to head to London on the train, and the rings will be the first thing they see.

Lord Sebastien Coe, London 2012 Chair, said, "I think it was a big advantage that we had 71 percent of what we are using for the games in place already, but we have also made terrific progress in the delivery of the Olympic Park which has really transformed east London and left a residue of magnificent World Class facilities, not just for the competitors but for those committees living in London as well."

Olympic organizers will place more rings at other iconic landmarks across London over the course of the next year.

London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic
Games (LOCOG) chairman Sebastian Coe (L) and the Mayor of
London Boris Johnson unveils a set of Olympic Rings at
the St. Pancras International Station in London, Britain,
March 3, 2011. The St. Pancras Station is the terminal
of the Eurostar trains which will connect continental
Europe and the London Olympic Park during the 2012 London
Olympic Games. It will take only 7 minutes to reach the
Olympic Park by high-speed trains from the station. (Xinhua/
Zeng Yi)



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