Introduction The Olympic Games are no longer regarded only as a sporting event; nowadays they are strongly tied to the world of politics, economy and even international relations. This paper is aimed at assessing the intended outcomes of Summer Olympics which are going to be held in London in 2012. Furthermore, we need to explain how different partnerships have helped in achieving them. Overall, a country that bids to host this event intends to attain some of these objectives: 1) to increase the international awareness about the city, 2) to improve the infrastructure of urban areas, 3) to gain international prestige; 4) to promote sports participation and healthy way of life; 5) to create employment opportunities for people (Preuss, 2004, p 286; Toohey & Veal 2007). The goals set by the UK government are very much similar to these objectives. In the future, this sporting event can avail a great number of people but it is possible only if different governmental and non-governmental organization work closely on this task. Lastly, the expected outcomes can be attained only if there are well-developed strategies which would regulate the actions of different participants. Intended outcomes and role of partnerships Increased participation in sports According to the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (2007), this sporting event may perform the following tasks: 1) to turn the United Kingdom a “world-leading sporting nation”, 2) to transform “the heart of East London”, 3) to encourage volunteering and physical activity among young people; 4) to promote sustainable living and eco-friendly urban planning; 5) to attract both tourists, entrepreneurs and investors to the country (DCMS, 2007, p 1). Apart from that, 2012 Summer Olympics are expected to create at least 3.000 jobs, yet this claim is often disputed (Samuel, 2005, unpaged). These goals closely resemble those ones which were identified in the introduction. The primary outcome is to make the United Kingdom a “world-leading sporting nation” (DCMS, 2007, p 1). There is no point in denying the fact that 2012 Summer Olympics will provide a powerful incentive for young people to go in for sports. Moreover, it is quite probable that many of these people will achieve considerable successes in this field. However, it does not realistic that these Olympic Games will enable the country to achieve this goal in no time. Besides, it is not quite clear how one prove that a certain country is a “world-leading sporting nation”. We do not kind of statistical data can substantiate this claim; for instance, this outcome can be measured by the number of people who go in for sports. One may also focus on the results of the UK athletes in international competitions. Thus, it is quite possible to argue that there is no specific standard by which this outcome can be assessed. These Olympic Games are also expected to encourage volunteering and physical activity among younger generation. In this case, the results are more or less measurable, since one can obtain statistical information about the number of people who help voluntary organizations. However, one cannot determine accurately how many people go into sports. Again, those