2012 June

Document: guidance on the use of torch relay marks and imagery

We’ve acquired a copy of guidance given to local authorities hosting the Olympic torch relay (embedded above). As previously reported, local authorities have had to bear heavy costs for hosting the torch relay, with some saying they have had no … Continue reading

Samsung torchbearers disappear from London2012 website

Nine Olympic torchbearers nominated by Samsung have been airbrushed from the London2012 website. The MD for Samsung Mobile UK and Ireland, the Chief Operations Officer at Samsung Africa, and the President and CEO for Samsung in Southeast Asia, Oceania and … Continue reading

Cumbria’s torchbearers – mapped

Following a request from the Cumbrian Newspapers Group, we’ve been cleaning and mapping data on torchbearers from Cumbria. One map showing where the torchbearers from the area are concentrated is shown above – click the image to explore the interactive … Continue reading

Who are EDF’s missing torchbearers?

French energy company EDF were given 71 places on the Olympic torch relay – including the group’s former director of HR and communications, Yann Laroche. As part of our process of trying to identify how spaces were allocated by sponsors, … Continue reading

Listen again: Help Me Investigate on BBC radio

I spent around 20 minutes yesterday talking about Help Me Investigate and its investigation into Olympic torchbearers on BBC Radio WM. The broadcast broke the story of Aggreko’s executive torchbearers, and also covered some of the issues surrounding sponsors’ selection … Continue reading

Four out of seven directors at £50m Olympic energy contractor found among Olympic torchbearers – and the CEO’s PA gets to carry a torch too

UPDATE: Now published on the Caledonian Mercury. Rupert Soames is having a very good year. In addition to netting a £7m bonus this year on top of his £1.39m salary, and seeing the company’s share price shoot up, he will … Continue reading

The Korean connection: diplomats carrying the Olympic torch

One of the more curious inclusions among the Olympic torchbearers are two diplomats with a Korean connection: the former British ambassador to Korea and the Korean ambassador to the UK (pictured above). Martin Uden carried the torch in Knotty Ash. He writes that he … Continue reading

US Olympic Committee apologises after demanding end to “disrespectful” knitting competition

One of the world’s biggest Olympic committees has apologised after it demanded that a knitting and crochet community change its biannual “fibre craft events” because it felt that they were “disrectful to our country’s finest athletes”. Fak’s thoughts reported earlier … Continue reading

The story so far – a Telegraph guest post

The following is cross-posted from the Telegraph’s new Olympics data blog: How many stories can a set of data hold? When it comes to Olympic torchbearer data, after three weeks I’m still counting. From company bosses exchanging ‘torch kisses’ and … Continue reading

Useful health links for June 19th to June 20th

Here are the health-related links that have caught our eyes between June 19th and June 20th: Pinoy torchbearers leave for Olympic run » The Dean’s Corner by Quinito Henson | Sports » philstar.com – Reyes, 47, and Mallo, 30, were … Continue reading