ACCEPTING THE TORCH

 It was after the opening ceremonies here, after the spectacle of
Beijing welcoming the world to its Games, when one thought percolated
throughout the media: Poor London.

    Those in charge of staging the 2012 Games, however, didn’t seem all
that concerned Friday when asked if there is a pressure to match or exceed
the grandeur of Beijing in terms of facilities and volunteers and overall
magnitude.

    "I think we can all admit that we will never again see a Games like
this one," said Sebastian Coe, a gold medal runner for Great Britain in
1980 and ’84. "Not in size, stature, scope. We’re going to deliver what we
are capable of, and we’re going to deliver a spectacular Games."

    Two things: The London Games have a good chance to be the most
expensive to attend in history (don’t expect the bargaining for items we
saw in Beijing the past few weeks) and it’s no secret traffic in London can
at times make a Manhattan rush hour seem like a smooth drive through the
country.

    "We have four more years to get a smooth Olympics transportation system
in place," Coe said. "London is a global central city. We will bring our
own magic to the Games."

    It just won’t be as massive as this one.

    But it will cost visitors more.