St. Paul's Cathedral in the distance as the Olympic rings hang from the Tower Bridge, Thursday, July 19, in London. Opening ceremonies for the 2012 London Olympics will be held Friday, July 27. AP

Young children join hundreds of fans gathered at Johannesburg's OR Thambo Airport Thursday, July 19, to bid farewell to the South Africa Olympic team members who were departing for the games in London starting next week. AP

British soldiers walk through Olympic Park, London, Thursday. AP

Workers erect signs in Olympic Park Thursday. AP

In this photo made with a fisheye lens, performers walk past Olympic Stadium as they go to a rehearsal for the opening ceremonies Thursday, in London. AP

A view of the Olympic Stadium in the background. AP

The Olympic rings hang from the Tower Bridge after sunset. AP