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Glasgow has been selected as the host city for the 2015 World Artistic Gymnastic Championships, bringing the event to Scotland for the first time.Glasgow beat off tough competition from Paris (France) and Orlando (USA) to win the right to host the prestigious event.

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Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales CGAs visit Glasgow

Canada and New Zealand give Glasgow the thumbs-up after visiting the Host City in preperation for 2014

Commonwealth Games Associations from Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales were in Glasgow this week to see how the city is preparing for the 2014 Games and were “hugely impressed” with the progress Glasgow has made.

The Commonwealth Games Associations, who are responsible for ensuring the best possible representation from their country at the Games and the well-being of their athletes during competition, met key members from the Organising Committee during the three-day visit and attended a number of key briefing sessions.

They also had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the city, and went to see the Games Village and the various venue sites across Glasgow that will host the 11 days of sporting competition in three years time.

Representatives from across the Commonwealth will continue to visit Glasgow in the build up to 2014 and early impressions indicate that Glasgow is on track and is in fantastic shape to deliver a “truly memorable” Commonwealth Games.

Jake Wilkins, New Zealand’s Team Services Director said:

“I was hugely impressed with Glasgow 2014’s desire and commitment to re-define what it means to deliver a truly athlete centred Games, and there is a real opportunity for this aim to be realised in 2014.

“These visits are crucial, it allows us to meet the team behind Glasgow 2014 and also gives us an insight of what to expect during the Games.”

Don Parker, England’s Sports Director said:

“Glasgow is a fantastic city and really is on track to deliver a truly memorable Games. The city can only benefit from hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2014; there is a compact feel about the location of the venues that we saw, relative to the Games Village – a crucial factor in allowing the Commonwealth’s best athletes to compete at the highest level.”

Scott Stevenson, Canada’s Acting Chief Executive Officer said:

“There is a clear consistency throughout the Organising Committee in the vision and approach towards 2014. The enthusiasm from everyone over the three days was exceptional and there is real blend of experience and creativity behind everything Glasgow 2014 is doing.”

Jon Doig, Scotland’s Chief Executive said:

“The ability for all CGA’s to input directly into planning will have a direct outcome in ensuring a great Games for the athletes, the city and Scotland.

Chris Jenkins, Wales’ Chief Executive said:

“There was a real openness from everyone we met at Glasgow 2014 and I was impressed by how far down the line Glasgow is already and in particular the venues already being developed like the Velodrome

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Construction work has started in the east end of Glasgow to build the athletes' village for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The 38.5-hectare site in Dalmarnock will house up to 6,500 competitors and officials with temporary facilities being added later.

When the Games are over, the site will convert to residential use.

It will include 304 private homes, 300 rented houses and a 120-bed care home for older people.

Councillor Archie Graham, executive member for the Commonwealth Games, said: "Today marks the beginning of work on a historic project that will not only deliver a fantastic new neighbourhood for Glasgow but provide a home for athletes competing in the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

'Memorable environment'"This development will leave one of the most visible examples of both the legacy from the Games and Glasgow's regeneration, with the plans showing homes that will provide a memorable environment for athletes in 2014 and an attractive location for all those living in the development thereafter."

The site is expected to create 129 new jobs, with a total of 820 people work there - including 60 apprentices and 200 construction workers.

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Of the new jobs, 36 will be created by sub-contractors and suppliers, 24 of which will also be apprentices.

The athletes' village is being built by City Legacy consortium which comprises developers and contractors CCG, Cruden, Mactaggart and Mickel and WH Malcolm.

When the temporary facilities are removed from the Games site, more land will be cleared for housing, with up to 1,400 homes being built.

Officials say the building methods used and the way energy is supplied to the site will reduce carbon emissions created by the work by about 60% of normal levels.

Ed Monaghan, from City Legacy, said: "The City Legacy Consortium is investing £150m to transform the area into a much sought-after riverside residential location which showcases the athletes' village as the best in contemporary and sustainable design.

"We are proud to be part of building a lasting legacy for the east end of Glasgow and bringing job opportunities into the area."

The consortium is also said to be contributing £150m to build additional houses after the sports event.

Shona Robison, Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport, said: "The athletes' village will be one of the most important aspects of the legacy of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and this successful milestone shows we remain on track towards delivering an outstanding Commonwealth Games on time and on budget."

John Scott, chief executive of Glasgow 2014, added: "Designed for athletes in consultation with athletes, the village promises to be a true home-from-home experience for the 6,500 athletes and officials from all over the world coming to Glasgow in 2014."

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Zaha Hadid is half an hour late. Which befits the image of the first lady of architecture but is also very apt.

Despite having worked in the UK for the best part of 30 years, where she's produced many innovative designs, the Riverside Museum in Glasgow is her first major commission to be built in the UK.

But having arrived on the scene late, she and her London-based company seem to be making up for lost time, with a string of iconic buildings due to open in the next 18 months, including the new aquatics centre for the 2012 Olympics.

Critics and public alike admire her buildings' smooth sleek lines. She describes the Glasgow museum as "a sophisticated shed" but its column free interiors and pleated roof provide more than storage.

She admits she'd been to Glasgow before, more than 20 years ago, when a visit to pick up a prize and give a lecture, ended with a tour of the city's nightclubs.

She's won many prizes since then - including being the only woman to win the Pritzger, architecture's answer to the Nobel Prize.

But when her company was picked from 140 submissions to build the £74m Riverside Museum, she recalled the fun element of those nightclubs as well as the more obvious inspiration around the Clyde.

"You only have to look out the window to all these sheds and shipyards, and a site at the meeting of two rivers and one knows so much was made on the Clyde and taken round the world," she says, during a tour of the building.

"But I do remember this was a city with a real sense of fun and people really enjoyed themselves. I hope we brought some of that excitement to the project."

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This isn't Zaha Hadid's first project in Scotland. Although smaller in scale and ambition, the Maggie's centre in Kirkcaldy, with its sharp, dynamic edges already gave a sense of what she could do. But after almost 30 years working in the UK, why has it taken so long for her designs to come to fruition.

She shrugs. "I really don't know. There has also been scepticism for whatever reason and it's hard to take a chance on something you don't know. European cities seem more prepared to take a chance of something they don't know, but hopefully all that is changing."

She also believes this is an important flagship for her company, Zaha Hadid Architects. So much so that she's arranged for all 280 of her employees to make a site visit this weekend.

"It's very important for us and nice that it's in this location. The Clyde has been important to us. And to have a second building in Scotland is a great honour."

The building's steel clad exterior and industrial setting has also led to much discussion about whether it's "the Guggenheim of the north" - a reference to the iconic Frank Gehry building which helped change Bilbao's fortunes.

Pistachio colour

Onlookers are quick to point out that Glasgow had already tapped into that effect - thanks to its reign as European city of culture in 1990 - and according to a recent report now employs more people in the cultural sector than it ever did in the shipbuilding trade.

Nevertheless, the new museum is likely to bring additional attention to a city prepared to commission such a bold design.

For now, though, Zaha Hadid has to step back and realise her work is done and that her radical new design is now public property.

"I'm always curious what they're doing with it. But it's their project, it's born, you give it to them and they have to take care of it."

And the infamous pistachio colour scheme, which looks likely to divide public opinion when the building opens on June 21st? Zaha Hadid admits it was her choice - but even she looks like she's having second thoughts.

"It's hard. You're under pressure to come up with something other than white. It's not an art gallery. It needs something radiant and edgy. I hope they like it - if they don't, they can complain to the director but I think, with all these engines, it's going to be ok."

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Hydro arena at Glasgow's SECC to open in 2013

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More details have been announced about the 12,000-seater venue being built at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow.

It has been named the Scottish Hydro Arena and is due to open in 2013.

It is hoped it will be one of the world's busiest venues and contribute £131m annually to the Scottish economy.

Promoters said they hoped it would plug a gap in the music market which meant they were having to turn away acts like Beyonce and Barbara Streisand.

They said it would form a "cultural campus" with the existing SECC and Clyde Armadillo.

The arena expects to attract a million annual visitors to about 140 music, entertainment and sporting events.

Energy firm Scottish Hydro is sponsoring the venue.

It said it would put an annual £1.5m into the building over the next 10 years.

SECC chief executive John Sharkey said the arena would offer an "unrivalled programme of world-class events" complete with "iconic global artists and acts".

He added: "To be partnering with a successful and established FTSE top 30 UK brand with Scottish roots is part of our commitment to working with the best in the business.

"Scottish Hydro shares our vision for the new arena that will position Glasgow and Scotland at the forefront of the global events and entertainment industry."

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Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games chief John Scott quits

The chief executive of the organising committee for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games has resigned.

John Scott stepped down after admitting breaking rules over accepting gifts and hospitality from a potential supplier.

A statement from the organising committee, said Mr Scott deeply regretted his mistake.

David Grevemberg, the chief operating officer, will take charge of the organising committee until a permanent chief executive appointment is made.

Lord Smith, chairman of Glasgow 2014, said: "John Scott has made an important contribution to the planning of what we believe will be an outstanding Games.

"The board has accepted his resignation for an error of judgement he made in accepting, and not declaring, an offer from one of Glasgow 2014's potential suppliers, in breach of the organising committee's strict gifts and gratuities policy.

"I know he deeply regrets this mistake and this was a job that he loved. It is a measure of the man that he has put the values and reputation of the OC ahead of his own at this time."

He said that because Mr Scott was was largely responsible for setting the committee's standards of governance he felt he could not continue in his role as chief executive under the circumstances.

He added: "Now we must look to the future.

"We have a great team and a strong relationship with our Games partners. We are on track and on budget and do not intend to let the pace of our preparations drop."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-13935039

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Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games chief John Scott quits

The chief executive of the organising committee for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games has resigned.

John Scott stepped down after admitting breaking rules over accepting gifts and hospitality from a potential supplier.

A statement from the organising committee, said Mr Scott deeply regretted his mistake.

David Grevemberg, the chief operating officer, will take charge of the organising committee until a permanent chief executive appointment is made.

Lord Smith, chairman of Glasgow 2014, said: "John Scott has made an important contribution to the planning of what we believe will be an outstanding Games.

"The board has accepted his resignation for an error of judgement he made in accepting, and not declaring, an offer from one of Glasgow 2014's potential suppliers, in breach of the organising committee's strict gifts and gratuities policy.

"I know he deeply regrets this mistake and this was a job that he loved. It is a measure of the man that he has put the values and reputation of the OC ahead of his own at this time."

He said that because Mr Scott was was largely responsible for setting the committee's standards of governance he felt he could not continue in his role as chief executive under the circumstances.

He added: "Now we must look to the future.

"We have a great team and a strong relationship with our Games partners. We are on track and on budget and do not intend to let the pace of our preparations drop."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-13935039

Oh dear! If Jimbo was still here you could be sure we'd be hearing a LOT about this and Scottish corruption and incompetence.

But contrast this with the spectacular rise and fall of Kalmadi.

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Construction work has begun on the £13.78m redevelopment of Tollcross Aquatics Centre ahead of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The work will entail construction of a six lane, 50m warm up pool alongside the existing 10 lane pool in order to meet the requirements of a dedicated Games venue and to provide community facilities to replace Shettleston Burgh Halls after it was gutted by fire.

Designed by the Council’s own in-house team of architects the facility will double the amount of permanent seating to 2,000 and incorporate a further 3,000 temporary seats for the duration of the Games.

Barclay Chalmers, Managing Director of Barr Construction said: “It is heartening that a Glasgow-based company has been able to deliver these top notch facilities using a locally-based workforce.”

Work on the expansion is expected to conclude by early 2013

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The BBC has signed up to the UK rights to broadcast the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The deal means the corporation will broadcast events on television and radio and provide online coverage for the home nations.

The BBC has also agreed to work with the organisers in appointing a host production broadcaster which will film and record the sporting events.

No price is publicly being attached to the deal.

As well as broadcasting all the sporting action from the games, BBC Scotland will also show additional programming previewing the event.

Director of BBC Scotland Ken MacQuarrie said: "BBC Scotland will have a special role at the heart of our coverage in giving the games extensive exposure in Scotland across our dedicated TV, radio and online services - all of which will help make the 2014 games a truly momentous occasion in Scotland."

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The first cyclist will take to Glasgow's indoor new velodrome to mark three years to go until the next Commonwealth Games.

Scottish track cyclist Jenny Davies will try out the 250m (820ft) track at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.

The venue, which is due to be completed next year, will host the track cycling at the Glasgow 2014 games.

The opening ceremony for the Games will take place on Wednesday, 23 July 2014, beginning the 11-day event.

Ms Davis, who won a silver medal in the team sprint at Delhi 2010, said: "Scottish cyclists have waited a very long time for an indoor velodrome and to see this fabulous facility taking shape is absolutely fantastic.

"For me, Glasgow 2014 will probably be the biggest event of my career and the sooner we can get in here and use the track the more we will be able to realise our potential and take advantage of a home Games."

The Three Years to Go celebrations will include sporting challenges at the Merchant City Festival in Glasgow this weekend.

Glasgow 2014 chairman Lord Smith of Kelvin said: "Glasgow 2014 is no longer a distant prospect.

"The venues and infrastructures are rising from the ground in Glasgow and across Scotland people are getting involved and starting to feel the excitement that the Games will bring in three year's time."

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You're shirking your duties Scotguy! A big graphics announcement for Glasgow and you haven't posted it yet.

Oh well, here goes:

Games logos designed as the 'defining moments' for 2014

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THE logos to represent each sporting discipline at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow are unveiled today, with each image created to depict a "defining moment" in each of the sports.

The designs - or pictograms - will be prominent at the venues and on signage, scoreboards and literature during the Games themselves, but they will also feature prominently in the marketing and merchandising operations in the build-up to the Games.

The "defining moment" aims to represent that split second in which a gold medal can be won - when an athlete is crossing the finish line, a swimmer is at full reach touching the wall at the end of the pool, or a badminton player is high in the air striking the winning shot.

Glasgow 2014 went through an extensive consultation and approval process with some of Scotland's leading athletes to ensure, as far as possible, the technical accuracy of the 17 pictograms, which were produced by the Glasgow-based creative design agency Tangent.

The pictogram images have been welcomed by Glasgow 2014 acting chief executive David Grevemberg, who took over at the top of the organising committee when predecessor John Scott quit suddenly last month after it was found that he had breached the rules on accepting gifts and hospitality.

"We're delighted to give people the first glimpse of images that will be prominent around the city during Games-time, giving them a taste of the excitement to come," said Grevemberg.

"Due to the wonderful diversity of the Commonwealth, it's important that our pictograms are not only attractive to the Glaswegian and Scottish public, but transcend cultural differences to provide an effective point of reference for our overseas visitors."

Grevemberg added: "I believe that we have achieved this and I'm particularly pleased to have done so by staying true to our values of creativity and of being athlete-centred and sport- focused.

"I'm really proud of the pictograms we have created for Glasgow 2014 - we have developed some truly memorable images for our Games."

One of Scotland's leading competitors also gave the images his backing. Judo player Euan Burton, a bronze medallist at the World Judo Championships in Tokyo last year, said: "The pictogram for Judo is a good representation of the winning moment, and I particularly like the focus on the winning athlete.

"It's really smart the way they have gone down the route of using a dynamic move specific to my sport - often you get similarities to wresting, but this pictogram shows something which is very much a judo technique.

"Only one athlete from each sport is asked to come along and provide their input so it was an honour to be involved in the process."

The Scotsman

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^^ Not bad. They fit very well with the Glasgow 2014 branding (which i've started to like more, despite it's kinda corporate-like). They also remind me a bit of London 2012 pictograms for some reason.

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The Commonwealth Games have never really broken the mould with pictograms have they.

Glasgow has taken quite an interesting approach so far to it's branding. It has almost moved away from the more emotive and passionate kind of looks and designs other cities have taken, and brought it all back to the fact that this is esentially a very competitive sporting event. An event where athletes are working their lives to shave just hundredths of seconds off times, or add just a little bit more power to get the gold. They're emphasizing that when it comes down to it, it's all about the measurement of time, speed, weight, power etc etc

As long as they temper this by the friendliness and passion of the event, it should work well. Will be interested to see what their graphic panorama look is like. Wonder if this very articulate brand will have a backdrop of some more traditional Scottish shapes and colours. I hope so.

Actually, the way the pictograms are displayed on the website are quite cool. They are kind of drawn echoing the circles of the logo.

Actually, the way the pictograms are displayed on the website are quite cool. They are kind of drawn echoing the circles of the logo.

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A £6.5m programme to promote Scotland on the world stage before the Commonwealth Games has been announced.

The three-year plan aims to increase international and domestic tourism and showcase the creative industries.

The programme's start next year coincides with London's Olympic year. It will continue into 2014 when Glasgow hosts the Commonwealth Games.

The Lottery-funded plan will be delivered by arts development agency, Creative Scotland.

It will include a series of "creative places awards", celebrating communities with a track record of organising rich cultural events.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "Scotland is known across the globe for its rich culture and heritage and is increasingly recognised for its contemporary and creative cutting edge.

'Creative strengths'"In 2012 and 2014 the eyes of the world will be on the UK. These present wonderful opportunities, both large and small, to highlight Scotland's cultural and creative strengths on the international stage and across our communities.

"Through Creative Scotland's £6.5m investment and the rich creative activity across our vibrant cultural sector, 2012 will act as a nationwide showcase for our cultural assets and outstanding new work.

"It is the start of an exciting three-year cultural programme that will embrace London 2012 and celebrate Glasgow 2014."

Creative Scotland chief executive Andrew Dixon added: "The £6.5m programme will present opportunities for the whole nation to get involved and it will also develop new partnerships between the cultural sector and the tourism and heritage sectors.

"Creative Scotland aims to reach every community across Scotland through the three-year programme."

Organisers also hope the programme will encourage collaborative work between creative industries and the tourism sector.

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