Intro:

A giant set of Olympic rings were floated down the River Thames on Tuesday (28th February), to mark 150 days until the start of the London 2012 Games.

The rings passed a number of the English capital's landmarks - including Tower Bridge.

Script:

London marked 150 days to the start of the 2012 Olympics on Tuesday with an unorthodox ceremony on the River Thames.

Inspired no doubt by Jamaica's superstar Usain Bolt, Caribbean steel drums provided the atmosphere, these giant floating Olympic rings offered the spectacle.

The world-famous Tower Bridge parted like the biblical Red Sea, allowing the 25 by 11 metre rings to pass underneath at a pace similar to a shot putter in the 110m hurdles.

London's effervescent mayor Boris Johnson seemed more excitable than usual, stoking the flames of sporting rivalries:

SOUNDBITE (English) Boris Johnson, Mayor of London:

"You want my view? We've got the transport problems almost entirely solved. We've got the infrastructure solved. the venues are built. the security problems - we think we're doing very, very well. The legacy from the Games is going to be fantastic - all the new investment that's going to come into east London, those incredible sites where people are going top be able to construct new housing and new opportunities for businesses. The one problem we have left is what about the athletes? Are we going to be able to beat Australia? Are we going to be able to beat France? This is the big question. Germany and indeed Japan. This is the big question that worries me."

The 'Rings on the River' will now go into storage until the start of the Games on July 27th when they will grace the River Thames once more.