The 21% of torchbearer places that were allocated outside of public campaigns: 8,000 Holes Part 4

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In the fourth part of a serialisation of Help Me Investigate’s first ebook – 8,000 Holes: How the 2012 Olympic Torch Relay Lost its Way we look at what happened to the thousands of torchbearer places that were allocated outside of public campaigns. You can download the book for free – or choose to pay a donation, with all proceeds going to the Brittle Bone Society – at Leanpub.com/8000holes

Part 4: The 21%

Between December 2011 and June 2012 the numbers of torchbearer places being awarded by bodies other than the Presenting Partners and LOCOG increased by a third. The International Olympic Committee‘s share of places saw the biggest change, going up by half – from 71 according to a December press release to 117 six months later, while commercial partners other than the three presenting partners – dozens of companies including Dow Chemical, G4S, Atos and BT – saw their share go up from 678 places to 913. Continue reading

The Korean connection: diplomats carrying the Olympic torch

Ambassador Peter Hughes, Ambassador Choo Kyu Ho,  Sir Stephen Brown, Ambassador Martin Uden, and Simon Hughes MP

Choo Kyu Ho (second from left) will carry the torch on July 24. Martin Uden (second from right) carried it in Knotty Ash.

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). Continue reading