London stages 2012 warm-up weekend of sport

Tens of thousands of spectators will flock to see the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship in Hyde Park, the Modern Pentathlon World Championships at Crystal Palace and Game On at The O2 - a four-nation basketball tournament featuring Poland, Turkey, Israel and Great Britain.

The events have been scheduled to coincide in order to give spectators a taste of what London will be like in 2012.

Television audiences of more than 10 million worldwide are expected to tune in and Visit London anticipates a £3.35 million tourism boost to the capital.

Visit London Chief Executive Sally Chatterjee said: "It is fantastic that London will be hosting three world-class Olympic sports in one weekend and in some of our most iconic sporting venues and landmarks. London is delighted to support these events coming here and it's a great privilege to welcome so many world-class athletes to our city. We believe this weekend will be a major draw to both Londoners and sports fans from all over the world."

Mayor of London Boris Johnson added: "This is a fantastic opportunity for Londoners to watch world-class athletes at some of the capital's finest sporting venues and the first real chance to experience action at future Olympic locations like Hyde Park and The O2."

A special 'Warm-up Weekend' ticket provided by Ticketmaster is giving Londoners and visitors the chance to see all three events across the weekend.

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