Greek Coke: moved to a new beat

How's this for irony? 

Coca Cola Hellenic Bottling Company -- recession-battered Greece's biggest company -- is moving its headquarters to Switzerland, according to an Oct. 11 announcement. 

The sponsor of the Olympic movement since 1928 is moving from the country where the Olympics began to the country where the International Olympic Committee is headquartered. 

The move was eerily foreshadowed during the London Olympics. Inside the Games broke an Aug. 17 story about how Greece wasn't even on the map displayed at the Coca-Cola-sponsored pin-trading centres at Olympic Park and Hyde Park. 

There were no Coke logos at Ancient Olympia on Oct. 21, 2009 when I attended the dress rehearsal for the next day's launch of the Vancouver 2010 torch relay. 

Professor proffers Olympic predictions

Any Canadians expecting the gold medal dominance of their Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics team to translate into improvement for the London 2012 Summer Olympics team will be disappointed if predictions released March 12 come true.

Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan-native Daniel Johnson, an economics professor at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colo., predicts Canada will win 17 medals, including four gold, in London. That was also his prediction for Beijing 2008. The actual tally four year ago was 18 medals and three gold. Not too shabby, eh?

Well, maybe if you're the Canadian Olympic team. That would put Canada in 15th on the gold medal scale and 12th overall. On overall medals, Johnson predicts Canada will be surpassed by Netherlands and Hungary (19), Italy and Japan (31), Australia (38). On the gold medal scale, he believes India, Poland and Netherlands will win 5. Romania (6), Hungary (7) and Australia (8), he predicts, will also beat Canada.

Johnson boasts a remarkable 93 percent success rate in his Olympic predictions over six consecutive Games, and his model does not include athletics. He instead relies on a nation's per capita income, population and its proximity to the host city.

Johnson predicts the U.S. will win the most overall (99) and most gold (34). China (67 including 33 gold), Russia (82 including 25 gold), and host Great Britain (45 including 20 gold) are the top four. According to Johnson's March 12-issued news release:

"During the last Summer Games, in Beijing in 2008, Johnson’s model forecast that the U.S. would top the medal count, and it did, winning 110 medals (seven more than predicted). He also correctly predicted that China would top the gold medal count, and it did, winning 51 gold medals (seven more than predicted). During the last Winter Games, in Vancouver in 2010, the model predicted 27 medals for Canada (they won 26 instead), but the American and German teams both vastly outperformed expectations and topped the podium more often."

What Johnson doesn't mention is that his prediction for Canada's gold medals in Vancouver 2010 was a paltry 5. Canada won a record 14.

Read more here and see the ranked prediction table below.

2012 Olympic medal predictions by Dan Johnson

Gordo goes to Great Britain

By now you probably know that ex-British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell was appointed to the Order of British Columbia on Sept. 2. The deadline for nominations was March 12, two days before he handed the reins of power to Christy Clark and three days before he stepped down as MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey. The rules say sitting politicians are ineligible to receive the honour.

Campbell was announced in August as the new High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. His biography on the Canadian embassy's website, however, was prematurely uploaded (see below). Sept. 15 is the date of his ascension to the most sought-after appointment in the Canadian foreign service. Prime Minister Stephen Harper rewarded Campbell for his flag-waving and red mittens-wearing during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. The next Games are in London in 2012 and Campbell will have a front-row seat.

So you'd think he'd be a happier lad than he was in January 2003 when he had his infamous post-mai tai drive in Maui and visit to the drunk tank for an involuntary photo op. Campbell's mugshot on the High Commission website appears to be his passport photo.

Why not a welcoming, Canadian smile? Or is our man in London town practising his stiff British upper lip?





Biography of Mr. Gordon Campbell, High Commissioner for Canada

Olympic Premier to Olympic Ambassador

The 34th Premier of British Columbia is set to become the next High Commissioner of Canada to the United Kingdom, according to a Canadian Press report.

Gordon Campbell, who was hounded from office by a tax revolt last fall, is expected to be appointed to the highly coveted job any day by the Prime Minister's Office.

Campbell was known for wearing red Olympic mittens and waving the British Columbia flag during the 2010 Winter Olympics. He'll be Mr. Canada during the London 2012 Olympics, hosting Team Canada at the Canadian embassy across from Trafalgar Square. He'll also be charged with ensuring Canadians in the U.K. are kept safe during those Games.

So, Londoners, who is Gordon Campbell? For one thing, he was loved by the business lobby (particularly those in construction) and loathed by common people (his popularity fell to just 9 percent). If you happen to see him near a luau (not that there are many in your area of the world) or the sale of a railway, approach with caution.

Here is a Gordon Campbell timeline.

1948: born Jan. 12 in Vancouver to Dr. Charles and Peg Campbell
1969: earned English degree on scholarship at Dartmouth College
1972-1976: executive assistant to Vancouver Mayor Art Phillips
1976-1984: real estate developer, SFU MBA student, campaigner for downtown stadium
1984: elected alderman in City of Vancouver
1986: elected 40th mayor of Vancouver
1988 and 1990: re-elected Mayor
1993: elected B.C. Liberal leader
2001: led Liberals to landslide win over NDP
2003: convicted of impaired driving in Hawaii; successful campaign for Vancouver 2010 Olympic bid; RCMP raid B.C. Legislature
2005 and 2009: Liberals re-elected
2009: announced Harmonized Sales Tax
2010: B.C. hosts Olympics; HST introduced; anti-HST petition forces Campbell to call referendum; BC Rail corruption trial begins and ends with surprise plea bargain by ex-ministerial aides Basi and Virk; Campbell resigns Nov. 3.

London Calling

The British are coming! The British are coming!

Well, at least the United Kingdom minister responsible for London 2012 Tessa Jowell and several businesspeople from Blighty.

Jowell arrives June 15 and stays until June 19 to tour 2010 venues in Vancouver and Whistler and meet with VANOC executives and politicians.