www.olympic.orgOLYMPIC REVIEW7PRESIDENT ROGGE FOREWORDThe Olympic Games have their own uniquelifecycle. It starts with a dream, when a citydecides to compete for the right to host theworld's premier sporting event, and it continues longafter the closing ceremony in the legacy of the Games.The process can be fascinating to watch, and it isplaying out right now in various stages in cities around the world.With less than a year to go before the 2012 Games,London has entered the final phase of preparation -the period when excitement builds almost by the day. Itcan be a tense time for Games organisers, but Londonis well on track. Most Olympic venues are complete or near completion. Test events are underway.Spectators and athletes are making travel plans.Enthusiasm for the Games has spread well beyondthe host city. Demand for tickets has far exceededsupply. The BBC has announced plans to provideextensive coverage of the Olympic torch's 70-dayjourney through Britain, starting next spring.Preparations for the 2014 Olympic Winter Gamesin Sochi and the 2016 Games in Rio are alsoproceeding apace. The 1,000-day countdown to theSochi Games began in May with events in citiesacross Russia. Infrastructure work in Rio includesmajor transportation projects that will benefit cityresidents for years to come.PyeongChang, Republic of Korea, is in an earlyphase of the Games lifecycle. The celebration thaterupted after the city's election as the 2018 Host Cityin July has given way to the hard work of preparing for the Games.The focus now is on forming anOrganising Committee for the Olympic Games tooversee the task ahead.And while all of those cities prepare for their turnon the global stage, other cities are exploring possiblecandidacies for the 2020 Games. Several haveexpressed interest, but they will not have to formallydeclare their intentions until September. The 2020host will be selected at the 125th IOC Session inBuenos Aires in September 2013.Hosting an event as large and complex as theOlympic Games is a daunting task, but theInternational Olympic Committee is there to help atevery step. In November, the IOC will host a specialseminar for cities interested in hosting the Games orthe Youth Olympic Games. The event will explain thebid process and how cities can benefit from the efforteven if they are not selected as a host.The IOC's Knowledge Transfer programme ensuresthat the lessons learned by every host city are sharedwith succeeding hosts. Representatives fromPyeongChang will be watching closely in London,Sochi and Rio, just as the organisers of those Gamesdid at earlier editions.The IOC also works with host cities to make surethat the Games leave a lasting positive legacy. Legacyplanning is now an integral part of the Gamespreparation from the start. We can already see theresults in London, sometimes in surprising ways. The lifecycle of the Games follows a familiarpattern, but every edition of the Games has its ownunique character and personality. For now, the eyes of the world are increasingly on London, but Sochi, Rio and PyeongChang are well aware that it will soonbe their turn. ?FOREWORDBY JACQUESROGGEPRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE