London Olympics: All systems go

Athletes have already started arriving at the Olympic Village in London, with the Games due to get underway in four days. RT’s correspondent Richard van Poortvliet is there to see how things are shaping up.

Seven years of planning are nearing their end for London. In less than a week, the city will hold the world's biggest sporting event, and preparations are being taken very seriously.

Everywhere you go there are security checkpoints, which make the village look more like an airport. However, once inside, the athletes are in for a treat.

Accommodation have been built for over 10,000 competitors and officials, and these buildings will be put to good use once the Games and the Paralympics finish.

The athletes will have everything they could possibly need on site. There is a massive dining hall, which can seat thousands of people, while in keeping with London's multiculturalism there is food on offer from almost every corner of the planet.

The main reason the athletes are there, though, is of course to win medals – and that goal has certainly been taken into consideration. There is a large gym available, as well as a medical clinic to cater to anything from a common cold to a muscle strain.

The living conditions may not resemble a five-star hotel, which some of the athletes are more used to. However, they are very comfortable none the less, and the thousands of competitors will enjoy these fantastic surroundings when the games eventually get underway on July 27.