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Turkey Goes To London With Firsts

Turkey Goes To London With Firsts

The 2012 London Olympics Are Becoming An Olympics Of Firsts And Bests For Turkey.

Going to London with its biggest Olympics team to date, Turkey has already pulled off a number of firsts and bests before the Olympics even get started. When its National Women’s Volleyball Team defeated Poland 3-0 in the London 2012 European Continental Playoffs, Turkey qualified to take part in team sports for the first time in 52 years. The National Women’s Basketball Team clinched its visa for London as well in another first for Turkey in team sports, making this the first time in Olympics history that Turkey has qualified to compete in two women’s team sports. Swimming is another sport in which Turkey has achieved some firsts. And the Turkish athlete who chalked up a first in this discipline is again competing in the women’s. Burcu Dolunay, who is competing on behalf of Galatasaray Sports Club, was the first Turkish athlete to exceed the Olympic A standard in swimming with a time of 25.22 in the 50 meter free-style at Turkey’s Open Age Swimming Championship. What’s more, another Olympic swimmer, Derya Büyükuncu, has earned the distinction of being the Turkish athlete who has taken part in the most Olympics. At London 2012, Turkey has matched the number of athletes it took to Beijing in 2008 in the women’s alone. Heading for London with its largest Olympic squad in history and almost twice the number of athletes it took to Beijing, the Turkish team has more than 60 women, and this too is a first. Around one-third of the more than 100 athletes on the squad are competing in track and field, making it the biggest Olympic team in the sport. Turkey’s only wish now is to demonstrate the same success when it comes to medals. THE OLYMPICS IN DETAIL A total of 8.8 million Olympics tickets and 2 million Paralympics tickets have already been sold. Olympic medal events will number 302 and Paralympic medal events 500. Olympic Stadium is 53 meters long, in other words, 3 meters longer than the height of Nelson’s Column at Trafalgar Square. Olympic Park is the size of 357 football fields. A total of 8,000 torch bearers will have run around the UK carrying the Olympic flame. There are 26 Olympic sports and 20 Paralympic sports in the London 2012 Olympics program. Some 7,500 Olympic team officials and 2,300 Paralympics team officials are employed in the Olympics. A total of 5,000 officials have served on the London 2012 Organizing Committee throughout the Olympics process. A total of 14 million meals will be served in 40 different places during the the Olympic and Paralympic games. Over 300.000 plants have been planted in the Olympic Park wetlands. Some 4 billion people worldwide are expected to watch the opening ceremony on July 27.