Inspire a Generation? A critical analysis of the sporting, political and physical legacies of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

This dissertation has been split into three chapters. The first details the initial plans for London’s legacy and how they evolved over the seven-year planning and building process that followed the successful bid in 2005. It will argue that clear lessons had been learnt from the failures of past Olympic Games and that the plans for London’s legacy were, mostly, well intentioned and thought out but would ultimately be shaped by matters outside the organisers control once the Games were concluded. Chapters two and three will subsequently explore different elements of the legacy and the reality of London’s legacy ten years on. Chapter two will focus on the social, physical, and political legacies, perhaps the most crucial and talked about legacies of London 2012. It will address how well the park has been used since the Games and whether or not the plans to create a more active and accepting population have worked. Chapter three meanwhile will dissect the Games sporting legacy, how well it is remembered by the public and its overall impact on British sport over the last ten years and beyond