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Opinion on London hosting the Olympics has been varied to say the least with as many people dreading the impending start of the games as those who can't wait for it to begin.
Now the London Eye will be used as a gauge to show how popular the event is during the course of the games.
The London Eye will be lit up each night in relation to the degree of positive or negative feedback to the event on Twitter that day in the world's first ever social media-driven lightshow.
Olympic opinion lightshow: If the Twitter feedback on the Games is 75 per cent positive that day, three quarters of the London Eye will light up the same night
Display breakdown: The 24 minute lightshow will give a run down of what happened at the Olympics that day
EDF energy, which sponsors the wheel, will be analysing comments on the website to determine how positive people are feeling about the Olympics.
If the reaction is mixed the London Eye will only be half lit whereas if the nation's opinion is 75 per cent positive three quarters of the wheel will light up.
The 24 minute show will start each night of the games at 9pm with every minute of the display representing one hour - giving a 24-hour light representation of the nation's feeling toward the games.
The lightshow will also include displays of the Union Flag and gold, silver or bronze lighting, dependent on the colour of the medals Team GB bring home.
Twitter users are being encouraged to give their feedback to the games by tweeting #energy2012.
The lightshow was launched by Daley Thompson, who won gold in the decathlon at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics in Moscow and Los Angeles, who said it means a lot for athletes to know their country is supporting them.
Lighting up the night: Athlete Daley Thompson launches the world's first social media-driven light show at the London Eye reflecting how positive the nation is feeling about London 2012 every night of the Games
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He said: 'Hosting the Games in London is an incredible once in a lifetime event and as a passionate supporter of the Games I want everyone to get behind the athletes and really show their support.
'We need to get behind our favourites to power them onto gold. EDF Energy of the Nation gives you a really easy way to join in, wherever you are and help drive a world first every night on the EDF Energy London Eye - a light show powered by the nation’s tweets.'
Justin Manor, Founder of Sosolimited who developed the technology for the lightshow, said: 'The algorithm we developed converts real-time social emotions into colour and motion – tweets to light show.
How it works: EDF Energy will filter Tweets throughout the day to gauge the public's opinion of the games
'We distil 24 hours of action into a 24 minute visual concert that embodies the emotional peaks and troughs of the day.
'Being able to light up the EDF Energy London Eye every night is a one of a kind of experience both for us and anyone who wants to join in on Twitter.'
Gareth Wynn, EDF London 2012 Programme Director, added: 'London 2012 will be celebrated through a series of remarkable moments that will be captured and shared by millions instantly on social media.
'Energy of the Nation pushes boundaries by allowing people to get behind the Games on Twitter and see the emotion of these key moments represented each night on this globally recognised icon of London.'
If you don't happen to be near the London at 9pm during the games the show will also be live-streamed every day at edfenergyofthenation.com
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
London 2012 Olympics: South Sudan's Guor Marial allowed to compete under Olympic flag in London - Daily Telegraph
"The voice of South Sudan has been heard," said Marial. "The South Sudan has finally got a spot in the world community. Even though I will not carry their flag in this Olympic Games, the country itself is there. The dream has come true. The hope of South Sudan is alive."
Marial said he'll ask his father – who still lives in South Sudan – to travel to the nearest city to watch him compete on TV.
He added: "Most important is the people of South Sudan. They struggle so much, so if I can accomplish something, I can help,"
"That's why every morning, I get up, I put on my shoes and I train."
New Hampshire senator Jeanne Shaheen lent support to Marial's Olympic bid by sending a letter to the IOC appealing for the athlete to compete under the Olympic flag.
The IOC Executive Board's decision will see him march under the IOC flag at the opening ceremony on Friday along with three athletes from the former Netherlands Antilles.
Those athletes have refused to run for the Netherlands since their former country ceased to officially exist in 2010.
At the 1992 Barcelona Games, competitors from Yugoslavia competed under the Olympic flag because of the break-up of the country, which left them with no national team. They didn't march at the opening ceremony but the Olympic flag was raised on their behalf during award ceremonies.
Four athletes from East Timor were allowed in under the Olympic flag in Sydney in 2000 because East Timor wasn't an independent country.
The IOC had said that Kuwaiti athletes could compete as independents in the London Games after suspending the country's Olympic committee in 2010 because of government interference. However, they have since lifted the Kuwaiti ban.
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
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