The Spirit of London, a book for 15,000 Olympic athletes

USAIN Bolt and 15,000 other London 2012 Olympians and Paralympians are to be given a superb record of London to remind them of the city.

The athletes will each have a copy of the coffee table book, which contains photos of famous landmarks and events, such as Last Night of the Proms, William and Kate’s wedding, the Gherkin and the Thames, placed in their rooms.

With a foreword by London mayor Boris Johnson, the book, called The Spirit of London, is a photographic record of the city - and includes pictures taken by Evening Standard photographers.

Created by photographer and publisher Anthony Osmond-Evans, it was born out of a conversation with the Mayor of London Boris Johnson at a lunch meeting.

Mr Osmond-Evans, 68, added: “I said to the mayor: ‘If I get together a consortium of companies to pay for it all would you like to have a book to present to the athletes?” and he said ‘what a wonderful idea - do it’.

“If Usain Bolt reads it I shall be delighted and very excited.”

He said he hoped the athletes would give it to friends and families as a present.

“Most people buy coffee table books to give to someone. I’m hoping the majority take them home and let their friends and families see it.

“The book is about heritage. That is what tourists come to see - what they don’t have in their own countries. It is a very broad brush of the huge mosaic that is London.”

The book, which will be officially launched tomorrow, April 24, will be delivered to the athletes’ dorms in July.