London trumpets two years until 2012 Games begin

LONDON — Olympic greats with a clutch of gold medals were to give the emerging London 2012 stadiums a test run on Tuesday as the city marks two years to go until the starting gun is fired.London was to show off its progress towards staging what organisers say will be a new kind of Olympics, with two years left on the clock till the opening ceremony.Rather than the regular attempt to outdo the previous Games, the 2012 chiefs are set on building a lasting sporting legacy for Britain and regenerating one of the most deprived parts of the country in an economic downturn.So while the venues may be less spectacular than Beijing 2008, and the fireworks fewer, London 2012 hopes to leave lasting urban infrastructure and housing rarely created by sports events.So they are keen to show off how the project is running to schedule as they hit the two-year milestone.US athletics hero Michael Johnson, who boasts four sprint gold medals from three Games, was to test out a temporary track in the 80,000-capacity Olympic Stadium.Its distinctive white crossed-girder architecture is well on the way to completion and the seats are already being fitted.British cyclist Chris Hoy, who won three golds in Beijing, was to become the first to test out the new Velopark, which he helped design."It's only two years since the Beijing Olympics and it has passed in a flash so I'm sure the next two years are going to pass really quickly too," he told the BBC."The Olympics are always there at the back of your mind. It's the main reason why you train every day."Meanwhile John Amaechi, the British former NBA star with Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz, was to demonstrate some of his skills at the Basketball Arena, a temporary venue built with giant steel arches.Paul Deighton, the chief executive of London 2012 organisers LOCOG, told AFP they were proud of their progress so far."We're on schedule and on budget. Of course we have to be on schedule because July 27, 2012 is, for us, the mother of all immovable deadlines," he said.Construction is current

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