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London faces its first Olympic test this weekend as millions tune in for three major international sports events.
Tens of thousands of spectators will line up to watch the triathlon tournament in Hyde Park, modern pentathlon at Crystal Palace and basketball at the O2 Arena.
Audiences of at least 10 million are expected to watch the events worldwide as organisers promise an unforgettable “warm up” weekend which is also set to bring a £4 million boost to the capital.
City Hall said the events had been scheduled to coincide to give spectators a taste of 2012 and build towards the goal of making London the “global capital of world sport”.
From Saturday, 120 of the world's top triathletes, including Britain's highly-rated Alistair Brownlee, will compete for the world champion title on the 2012 triathlon course in Hyde Park.
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The elite field will swim 1,500 metres through the Serpentine before cycling 40 kilometres and running 10 kilometres through the park. About 2,000 of Britain's best amateurs will compete in a separate race in Hyde Park on Sunday.
Mr Brownlee said: “It's every athlete's dream to win an Olympic medal and I will be getting the chance to use the course for the London games with the added bonus of being in front of a home crowd. With the other events going on at the weekend there will be a real taste for 2012.”
The O2 — the same venue that will be used for the Olympic basketball tournament — will host the world's best in a four-nation competition. Londoners will cheer on Pops Mensah-Bonsu, of Tottenham, a key player in the Great Britain squad who also stars in the American NBA league.
Experts predict an intense battle for the championship title as Poland, Turkey and Israel battle to establish supremacy before next month's European Championships in Poland.
At Crystal Palace, 160 pentathletes will compete at their own world championships with Olympic silver-medallist Heather Fell carrying British hopes in the five-discipline event.
The women's team, featuring world number three Katy Livingston, is hoping to take home the title after coming second at last year's world championships.
A combined ticket for the three competitions is available for £20, or £55 for a family.
* Thousands of people joined an Olympic cyclist in a city bike ride. About 11,000 riders followed a route in Hounslow yesterday, passing Osterley Park and Syon House. Mass cycling events are still to come this summer in London, Glasgow and Leicester. Olympic silver medallist Ross Edgar said: “I hope it will have encouraged people to get back on their bikes. It was fantastic to see so many people.”
