Research, collect and prepare background materials - London Olympics 2012 - Countdown Clock

This post is about the Countdown clock in London that presents the amount of days left to go before the big even next summer. This is a website article that I found on the Internet:

London 2012 and OMEGA launch Countdown Clock to mark 500 days to the Olympic Games

14 Mar 2011

As the 500 day countdown to the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games begins, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and OMEGA, Official Timekeeper for the London 2012 Games, today unveiled the Countdown Clock in Trafalgar Square.

The event was attended by LOCOG Chair Seb Coe, Mayor of London Boris Johnson, OMEGA ambassador and world champion heptathlete Jessica Ennis and President of OMEGA Stephen Urquhart, and the clock will now be counting down to the evening of the 27 July 2012 in days, hours, minutes and seconds. 

The Clock was revealed by four Olympic gold medallists from Team GB – rowers Pete Reed and Andy Hodge and sailors Iain Percy and Andrew Simpson.

The launch of the Countdown Clock is a key moment in the build-up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. It is a reminder for people from across the UK, as well as visitors to the capital, that London will soon be hosting the greatest show on earth.

The design of the Clock reflects the look of the Games. The beams of light on the Clock are inspired by London and its connection with the Meridian line in Greenwich, the home of time. Trafalgar Square was chosen as the setting for the Clock as it is one of London’s most recognisable landmarks and iconic locations, visited by millions of Londoners and tourists each year. It was the centre of celebrations when London won the bid and will once again play a key part in the build-up to the London 2012 Games.

The Countdown Clock is made from steel from a Preston-based company. It is 6.5 metres high, 5m long and weighs around 4 tonnes. The Clock took 10 people two days to assemble in the Square. The lighting designs on the Clock were created by a British company.

'Athletes' careers are based on timing and I hope that this milestone moment excites and inspires them to compete at the highest level in 2012. Athletes hoping to compete in the Olympic Games are in the final stretch of their preparation and the next 500 days will be crucial to them as their dream of competing in a Games comes closer to reality.'

However I also read another article saying that after one day of it's launch, the Trafalgar Square Clock broke down, leaving the Olympics organisers very embarrassed. The Clock itself  was made by sponsor Omega being installed reading 500 days, seven hour, six minutes and 56 seconds to go until the opening ceremony. Luckily it was fixed a few days later by a "bloke with a hammer" and the rest as everyone says is history or in this case history in the making...

REFERENCE

http://www.london2012.com/news/2011/03/countdown-clock-unveiled-to-mark-500-days-to-go-to-the-l.php
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/mar/15/london-2012-olympics-clock-stops
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/16/olympic_clock_fix/