Yes, we are ready for the greatest Olympics ever... Boris leads 65,000 strong crowd at Hyde Park

 
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Simon Freeman27 July 2012
The Weekender

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Boris Johnson blasted back in Mitt Romney’s “London’s not ready” row by leading 65,000 music-lovers at an Olympics concert in chants of Obama slogan: “Yes we can!”

The London mayor upstaged pop stars The Wanted, Mark Ronson and Dizzee Rascal with his rapturously-received shot at the US presidential hopeful as the Olympic Torch reached Hyde Park last night.

Stepping on stage after the flame was carried into the park by teen saxophonist Tyler Rix, the mayor said: “I’ve never seen anything like this in all my life. The excitement is growing so much the Geiger counter of Olympo-mania is going to go zoing off the scale.

“This is the greatest city on Earth. Some people don’t know about the preparation we’ve done to get London ready in the past seven years.

“Mitt Romney wants to know whether we are ready. We are ready. The venues are ready. The police are ready. The security is ready. The velodrome is ready and Team GB are ready. We’re going to win more gold, silver and bronze medals that you’d need to bail out Greece.”

He then asked the crowd: “Can we put on the greatest Olympic games ever held?” – who cheered President Obama’s famous 2008 “Yes we can!” slogan in a pantomime call-and-response.

The chant rang out as he continued: “Can we beat France? Yes we can. Can we beat Australia? Yes we can. Can we beat Germany? Yes… I think we can.”

Moments after lighting the giant golden cauldron on the concert stage Tyler, 19 and from Barnet, told the Standard: “I’d prepared a few things I wanted to say, but I looked out at the crowd of 60,000 people chanting my name and couldn’t speak. I got one sentence of ‘thank-yous’ out and was literally speechless. When I came off backstage I was in tears."

Tyler, whose success as a footballer and musician has made him a role model for other young people, added: “I’ve played in front of 10,000 people before now, but the atmosphere and emotion on that stage was unbelievable.”

The night’s musical highlights included a 10-minute medley of Coldplay hits by chart sensations The Wanted, Mark Ronson and Katy B’s official London 2012 song and an incendiary if expletive-laden set from rapper Dizzee Rascal.

Wanted singer Max said: “It’s been an absolute honour to be invited to be a part of this. We’ve met some amazing, inspirational people. The sun was shining, the crowd was amazing and now the Olympics are really happening.”

After his booming, bass-heavy set, east London rapper Dizzee said: “This is my city and it’s good to come home again. The Olympics is a big, serious thing – it’s once in a lifetime stuff.”

Teacher Claire O’Driscoll, 27, said: “It was so emotional when they lit up the cauldron, I was getting really teary. Hosting the Games makes you feel really proud to come from London and now I can’t wait for it all to start.”

Her sister Laura, 24, said: “The Wanted were amazing, especially when they did the Coldplay songs. It was a real shiver-up-your spine moment.”

Fallon O’Keeffe, 28, has flown from Brisbane for the Olympics. She said: “It’s going to be great for London’s economy. Lots of my friends have come over to work or volunteer for the Games, I’m just made up to be here to watch it.”

Patrina Vieldhoven, 32, from Bayswater, said: “I was worried about the Tube and the crowds but now it’s really happening I’m just really excited to be a part of it.”

Republican nominee Romney was forced to backtrack after appearing to question the UK’s readiness for the Games on a diplomatic visit to meet David Cameron.

He triggered the row telling American news channel NBC: “The stories about the private security firm not having enough people, the supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials - that obviously is not something which is encouraging.”

But he later withdrew the statement, saying he expected the Games to be “highly successful”.

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