A slight drizzle earlier in the afternoon did not at all mar or dampen the spirits of over 5,000 partygoers, students and volunteers celebrating the 1-year-countdown to next year’s YOG, on 14 August 2010.
From 5 to 7, students and foreign guests thronged the Padang, to take part in the YOG carnival which included Sports tryouts and various sport stations to learn more about the 26 sports contested at next year’s Games. Some attractions included a street soccer pitch, where celebrity matches were held, and an inflated volleyball-soccer trampoline-like court.
IOC president Jacques Rogge, said that preparations for the Games were “well on track” and in a video message transmitted to the 2 LCD walls flanking the Padang, he said that confident that Singapore will host a successful games despite being given a short preparation time.
There was also an Olympic day run sponsored my McDonalds, which drew over 3,000 participants.
The day was also a historic event: the launch of the YOG countdown clock by Omega, who has been the official timekeeper for all Olympic events for the past 77 years. After a few performances at the Padang which included a cheerleading show and a drum concert, the gigantic 10-m tall countdown clock was unveiled at the Padang, and revellers danced and partied until the countdown officially started, at 8:10, with dazzling fireworks lighting up the night sky.
Then, thousands of partygoers crowded St Andrew’s Road to dance and party, accompanied by one of Singapore’s top DJs. This amount of enthusiasm and zeal will surely show itself again next year at the Marina Bay, where the YOG countdown starts.
The venue for the countdown was appropriate, as last year it was the same location where thousands gathered to hear the verdict for the location for the 1st YOG by the IOC – which was Singapore.
