LONDON 2012, 150 days to the opening ceremony

LONDON , February 29,2012 - Giant Olympic Rings have floated down the River Thames to mark 150 days to the opening ceremony of London 2012.

"2012 is one of the most thrilling years in our city's history," said London mayor Boris Johnson as he announced a specially commissioned programme of free cultural events to celebrate the Games.

"Wherever you are, you will feel a part of the 2012 celebrations and experience a summer like no other."

Made of almost forty tonnes of steel, the rings are 11 metres high and 25 metres wide and took a team of over fifty some two months to construct.
They will be displayed along the river and are the work of London company Innovision who are making a similar set to adorn Tower Bridge during the Olympic Games. These will be installed over two weekends in June.

The rings feature the traditional Olympic colours,at least one of which can be found in the flag of every nation.A steel band and the Yeomen of the Guard were on hand to see them pass the Tower of London as they were were towed from London Bridge through the Pool of London.

Tower Bridge opened specially to allow the rings to pass through on their way to the Thames Barrier.

The Olympic rings were devised by Olympic founder Baron Pierre de Coubertin before the first world war and first flown at an Olympic Games in Antwerp in 1920.

This will not be the first time they've been displayed on a world famous bridge. The five rings above Sydney Harbour Bridge were one of the great symbols of the 2000 Games.

(Source: AIPS)