Glasgow: A giant set of Olympic Rings – the first ever to be unveiled in Scotland – has today been launched in Glasgow’s iconic George Square.
The structure, which measures 10m in length by 5m in height and weighsthree tonnes, will provide a stunning backdrop for Glasgow’s celebrations when the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay visits the city on June 8 and 9, and when Hampden Park hosts eight Olympic Football matches in July and August.
The launch of the rings was carried out by Glasgow school pupils Louise Gallagher (11) and Mark Semple (10) from St Monica’s (Milton) Primary alongside Aaron Templeton (12) and Megan Harvey (11) from Swinton Primary; Lee Deery (10) and Erin Sharkey (9) from St Bartholomew’s Primary; Megan Hoy and Ross Davidson (both aged 11) from Scotstoun Primary and Shantelle Boyle and Brigen Berisha (both aged 11) from St Albert’s Primary.
Each school is part of the London 2012 Get Set education programme, involving children and young people across the UK in the Olympic and Paralympic Games through projects that celebrate the Games’ values of friendship, courage, determination, excellence, equality, respect and inspiration.
The children were joined by Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau; Sir Craig Reedie, former Chairman of the British Olympic Association (BOA) and representative of both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG).
The installation of the Olympic Rings is part of a programme of city dressing being rolled out this week by Glasgow City Council through a £270,000 grant from the Government Olympic Executive (GOE) to make Glasgow ‘look and feel’ consistent with other co-host locations across the UK.
This will include around 6,000 metres of bunting and almost 700 bespoke banners and flags going up in more than 20 streets throughout the city centre, West End and Southside as well as within Glasgow’s main transport hubs at Central and Queen Street Rail Stations; Buchanan Street Bus Station and both Glasgow and Prestwick Airports.
Key central locations include George Square, Buchanan Street, St Enoch Square, Sauchiehall Street, Broomielaw, the Clyde Arc Bridge and the Merchant City. In the West End, banners will mark much of the Torch Relay route, including along Argyle Street outside the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, University Avenue and Byres Road. On the Southside, city dressing will line the various approaches to Hampden Park, including Prospecthill Road, Aikenhead Road and Cathcart Road among others.